DOWNIEVILLE — On Sunday, the Sierra County Land Trust and the Sierra County Historical Society will unveil an art exhibit and book celebrating the Lakes Basin region. The project results from a year-long effort by multiple photographers, artists, and writers whose works will be displayed. The unveiling will be on June 9th at 1 p.m. at the North Yuba Hall in Downieville as part of an opening reception. The exhibit will continue to be displayed from noon to 3 p.m. every day until June 16th.

The book — The Sierra Buttes and the Lakes Basin: Protecting the Sierra One Place at a Time — catalogs the artists’ work and is produced by Lead Artist Katie O’Hara Kelly. Mary Davey expressed her love of the region in a press release by the Sierra County Land Trust: “I’m in love with the Lakes Basin and feel so privileged to have it in my backyard! It’s my home away from home!”

The book and exhibit feature artists and photographers Katie O’Hara Kelly, Stephen Carlton, Mary Davey, Darby Hayes, Tom Hunt, BJ Jordan, Margie Miller, Mark Stevenson, Marjorie Voorhees, John Wagner, and Wayne Wilson. Writers Paul Guffin and archaeologist and writer Hank Meals will also be featured.

The exhibition and book were made possible by a grant obtained by the Sierra County Land Trust and funding from the California Arts Council’s Creative Corps program. Project coordinator Laurie Oberholtzer, Director of the Sierra County Land Trust, believes the project could inspire conservation efforts, saying, “We hope that the project will assist residents in spreading the story of the importance of protecting this special place and of doing our part to reduce climate change impacts statewide and wildfire impacts locally.”