PRECARITY & RESILIENCE OF NATIVE NORTHWEST FISH BY LONNIE HUTSON

"Peamouth (Mylocheilus caurinus)" Cast cotton paper and lichen

"Bear Lake Whitefish (Prosopium abyssicola)" Cast cotton paper and plant fiber

Lonnie Hutson is an artist, designer, wilderness guide and outfitter. As a college student at the University of Washington (Seattle), he first began exploring rivers in Washington state. After graduating he accepted an invitation from world-renowned environmentalist and founder of Grand Canyon Dories (GCD), Martin Litton, to join his Idaho crew.

For twenty years, Lonnie guided whitewater rafting and fishing trips In Idaho and the Grand Canyon. During that time, he also earned an MFA in painting and drawing. In 1999, Lonnie left GCD and co-founded Sundog Expeditions with his wife Gail Siegel. Their company provides fully-guided multi-day river adventures in Idaho, Oregon and Alaska, where they conduct float trips in Wrangell-St. Elias Park and Preserve, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Gates of the Arctic.

During the winter months, Lonnie works at his studio/shop, near Deary, Idaho, making artwork that reflects his connection to wilderness and his concerns for a sustainable environment. In addition to his work as an outfitter and artist, Lonnie also teaches yoga classes and group lessons in drawing and painting.

Lonnie has received grant support for his handmade paper relief monoprints, documenting native fish species of Idaho, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the American Fisheries Society and the University of Idaho Foundation. In 2017, he was awarded a visual arts fellowship from the Idaho Commission on the Arts.

Lonnie holds a BA in Architecture from the University of Washington (Seattle), an MFA from the University of Idaho (Moscow), and is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance. He shares a rural home, which he designed and built, with his wife and their menagerie of dogs and cats.

photo Mark LaMoreaux

Artist Statement