See your most ubiquitous neighbor - the ponderosa pine - in a whole new light!
Pinus ponderosa can be found across sixteen western U.S. states, plus British Columbia and Northern Mexico, but Arizona claims its largest contiguous stand. This strip of pines covers 2.6 million acres across the highlands of Northern and Central Arizona, from the New Mexico state line to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The 2026 Ponderosa Pine Arts Festival at Willow Bend will explore this iconic tree through the lenses of arts, culture, and science. Participants will choose from four workshops across two 2.5-hour sessions.
To ensure this event is as accessible to the general public as possible, Willow Bend is offering “sliding-scale” ticket pricing. Pay what you can; your generosity helps make the event the best it can be!
Community: $30/ticket
Standard: $37.50/ticket
Supporter: $45/ticket
Festival Schedule:
Upon registration, participants will choose two workshops featuring a mix of indoor and outdoor learning experiences. Sign up early, as workshops will close once they reach capacity. Please visit the bottom of this page for presenter bios.
Session 1 (9:30AM - 12:00PM):
Pine Needle Basketmaking with Marina Vasquez
Discover how to turn locally-collected ponderosa pine needles into functional art! Participants will learn about various types of baskets, the materials required, how to collect and cure pine needles, and receive step-by-step instructions for crafting their own basket. Each participant will have the opportunity to start and complete a small basket and will gain the skills needed to create larger or more intricate designs. All will enjoy hands-on experience and take home both their basket and supplies.
Learning to See: The Ponderosa in Pastel + Ink with Gwendolyn Waring
Gwendolyn invites you to learn to see the intricacies of the ponderosa through pen and pastel art! Explore making a simple pen and ink image of a small ponderosa pine branch, then paint a pine tree with sanded paper and chalk pastels. This outdoor workshop will take place in the park’s Ponderosa ramada, giving artists ample inspiration with its pinewood construction and nearby trees.
Session 2 (1:00 - 3:30PM):
Pine Needle Basketmaking with Marina Vasquez
Discover how to turn locally-collected ponderosa pine needles into functional art! Participants will learn about various types of baskets, the materials required, how to collect and cure pine needles, and receive step-by-step instructions for crafting their own basket. Each participant will have the opportunity to start and complete a small basket and will gain the skills needed to create larger or more intricate designs. All will enjoy hands-on experience and take home both their basket and supplies.
Painting the Ponderosa in Watercolor with Elaine Dillingham
With step-by-step instruction, learn to draw and paint a ponderosa pine using water-soluble graphite and watercolor paint on Rives BFK paper. This outdoor workshop will take place in the park’s Ponderosa ramada, giving artists ample inspiration with its pinewood construction and nearby trees. Participants will go home with two paintings:
1. A close-up of the trunk showing the variety of colors and shapes in the bark.
2. A "portrait" showing the shape of the entire tree from roots to top. This will be more of a silhouette, with sky behind the tree.
Meet the Presenters:
Marina Vasquez
From the highlands of Huehuetenango in Guatemala, Marina Vasquez is Kakchickel from her father's side and Maam (which means the land of Grandfather) from her maternal side. After moving to the United States, Marina continued to pursue an education at community colleges and finally Northern Arizona University (NAU). She was a high school teacher for 15 years in Flagstaff and a substitute teacher. An accomplished basket weaver, Marina began teaching pine needle basket weaving in 1984. She joined the Resident Elders Program in 2005 at NAU, where she mentors students, offers traditional knowledge, lectures, and continues to teach pine needle basket weaving to students, faculty, and community members alike.
Gwendolyn Waring
Gwendolyn Waring has been in the western United States for more than 50 years, after traveling the world as a child.
Discovering a love for ecology shaped Gwen's sense of the world around her. Studying ecology gave her the confidence to paint—to begin to see through another medium.
Gwen paints landscapes with oil paints, after having explored other mediums, including paper-making, watercolors, pastels and acrylics. She has also written three books exploring the ecology of the intermountain West. Find her works and learn more at waringarts.com.
Elaine Dillingham
Elaine Dillingham is a Flagstaff artist and art instructor. She was voted 2015-2016 adjunct faculty member of the year by students at Coconino Community College, where she taught drawing and painting classes for 20 years. The Coconino National Forest at the base of Mt. Elden, where she walks with her dogs daily, is a continuing source of inspiration and joy. In this workshop, Elaine will guide you in the creation of two watercolor and watersoluble graphite paintings - a mature ponderosa pine silhouetted by a sunset sky, and a trunk study exploring the distinctive colors, patterns, and textures of ponderosa bark. Elaine's paintings are available at Arizona Handmade Art Gallery, and she teaches monthly watercolor workshops at Bee Balm Studio.
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona.
