BY KAREN BOSSICK

Last summer British photographer Nick Brandt visited Gilman Contemporary Gallery in Ketchum, explaining how he created haunting underwater photos portraying climate change’s impact on residents of Fiji.

He discussed, for instance, how he weighted his subjects down and took their oxygen away just long enough that he could photograph them sitting amongst their belongings to depict how rising ocean waters might soon displace many of these South Pacific Islanders.

Now Brandt is showcasing a new chapter in his ongoing climate change series, “The Day May Break,” which started with his depiction of animals and people affected by environmental degradation in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Kneeland Gallery has a new look. PHOTO: Karen Bossick

His latest chapter--“The Echo of Our Voices: A Portrayal of Human Connection and Resilience in the Parched Deserts of Jordan”—can be seen during tonight’s Christmas Gallery Walk from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

These particular pictures feature Syrian refugees in constant search of water in southern Jordan, which is considered the second most water-scarce country in the world. The subjects of the photos were forced to flee Syria due to war and now are forced to relocate multiple times a year in constant search of adequate rainfall for growing crops.

Individuals and families are photographed perched on stacks of boxes. These boxes serve as pedestals for individuals who typically go unseen and unnoticed. But they also aim skywards, implying a sense of strength, defiance and resilience in face of adversity as viewers are asked to look into their eyes and hear the echo of their voices, hence the title of this new chapter.

Gilman Contemporary, 661 Sun Valley Road, is also showcasing an exhibition titled “Sungazing: The Painted Reflections of Kelly Ording.” Ording, a Bay-area artist, creates abstract paintings that use deeply saturated colors and delicately rendered forms to evoke a sense of quiet contemplation. The paintings in this series are inspired by her practice of sungazing, a meditative ritual that involves standing outside and gazing towards the sun to absorb its radiant energy.

“First Dance” and other works in Jane Waterous’ Gathering series can be seen at Sun Valley Contemporary Art.

The gallery will also showcase works by Chilean-based artist Maria Ossandon Recart, who creates ink drawings surrounding broken ceramic pieces to rework the miniature scenes or landscapes found on the ceramic fragments. And it’s featuring works by Dana Hart-Stone, who has a most unusual way of depicting the history-rich countryside of Eastern Montana using vintage, vernacular photographs digitally stitched together.

Hemmings Gallery, 340 Walnut Ave., is wrapping up the year with a stunning new show—"AROUND THE BEND”--by Lola. Each work features Lola's mastery of the poured resin technique and the alluring quality of this uniquely modern material.

Lola, who will be in attendance at the Gallery Walk tonight—Friday, Dec. 27--has been working with tinted resin in her Bay-area studio for more than a decade. Each piece consists of layered geometric shapes with an emphasis on color and tone--all on her signature drip-edged panels.

She begins by choosing colors that speak to her at the time. Those colors guide her to create the shape and, eventually, they begin interacting and engaging with one another.

Kelly Ording’s luminous works employ rhythmic lines and geometric motifs to invite viewers to connect with the natural rhythms of the world.

“There is an unspoken language between them—one I cannot hear but instead feel,” she said. With each artwork my intent is to create an experience.”

The result is high-gloss and hard-to-resist, according to Gallery Owner Edward Hemmings.

"I'm always dreaming about what's next,” said Lola. “What will excite and inspire others? As I pour the resin, a form begins to appear on the surface. The challenge is leaving the emotional tone of the piece undefined allowing the viewer to find their own meaning in the work."

Kneeland Gallery, is in a new location—on 4th Street next to Ozzie’s Shoes. The move was necessitated because the building in which the gallery was located is being sold, said Director Carey Molter. The move will result in a much smaller space and the loss of the courtyard that Gallery Walkers so enjoyed during summer months. But it’s a space that’s in the heart of downtown Ketchum so it may get more walk-in traffic.

Sarah Winkler’s “Cranberry Snow Bomb” can be seen at Sun Valley Contemporary Art.

For this month’s Gallery Walk, the gallery is showing a small sampling of its artists. Going forward, Molter plans to showcase the works of two artists at a time.

Sun Valley Contemporary Art, in the old Friesen Gallery at 320 1st Ave. N., is featuring a large selection of diverse artists, including works by Jane Waterous, a Canadian-born artist now living in the Bahamas who employs teeny tiny three-dimensional figures to spell out words like “joy” or form hearts or family gatherings.

“Everything that matters happens when people come together,” says Waterous, whose works in the gallery are joined by the works of her son Justin Waterous. “Life is a series of Gatherings that all add up to a life well-lived.”

Hunt Slonem’s whimsical animal motifs--iconic bunnies, tropical birds and butterflies--paintings have garnered a following among celebrity collectors like Sharon Stone, Julianne Moore, Kris and Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Hudson, Kris Kardashian and Brooke Shields. “I’m a big fan of Hunt’s work,” says Shields. “It’s whimsical without being too sweet.”

Sarah Winkler, meanwhile, is a landscape artist who does geological research to build layered compositions of mountain landscapes. She, for instance, collects samples of rocks from different places to check them against paint hues or to copy their textures in her works. She even embeds crushed mineral in paint. She also evokes a natural feeling in her landscapes by using wood grains.

Gail Severn Gallery, 400 1st Ave. N., is showcasing the animal heads of Alexander Rohrig in an exhibition called “Bark.” The playful works, made of found bricks, whisks, bells, wire, wood and stone, center around the relationship between humans and nature. Each head offers a depiction of man’s best friend from a colorful Bernadoodle to a star-shaped New Yorkie carved out of redwood.

The gallery is also showcasing a selection of gallery artists who will be featured in 2025 group shows and solo exhibitions, including Jun Kaneko and Don and Era Farnsworth.

The Sun Valley Museum of Art, Fifth and Washington streets, is offering one last look at In Conversation: Will Wilson,” which was organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, before it ends its run on Jan. 8. Wilson’s photographs of contemporary Native Americans is his response to turn-of-the-20th century-photographer Edward S. Curtis’s staged photographs that didn’t always depict Native Americans how they truly lived.

Take your cellphone or grab the gallery iPad to see some of the subjects dance or recite poetry thanks to the use of AR technology that brings the photographs to life.