Dianna Bell

The natural world has been a powerful muse for artists across the ages. From the earliest petroglyphs to sweeping landscape paintings, humans have been driven to record the world around us. And in our present era, engaging with our environment is more urgent than ever. This year, we introduce you to ten local artists of color who are foregrounding the environment — its beauty, its fragility, and the mounting challenges — in their work.

This fall, find inspiration and hope in the arts Editor's note: This story is an excerpt from WBUR's weekly arts and culture newsletter, The ARTery. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here. Fall has always felt like a season of renewal for me. A new school year beginning. Heading off to college. Moving to Boston. As the leaves turn and drop, it’s as if nature is urging us to shed the old and make way for the new. Recently, that feeling of anticipation has been harder to find.

Summer in New England, blending art and nature Sitting on deck chairs and blankets, the audience watches the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's performance of "The Tempest." (Robin Lubbock/WBUR) Editor's note: This story is an excerpt from WBUR's weekly arts and culture newsletter, The ARTery. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here. We have settled into the lazy, hazy days of summer, and in Southborough, the season brings the annual Art on the Trails.