Thank you, Franque Bains!

Environmental Humanities is grateful for the time, energy, work and grace that Franque Bains brought to our program during her residency as the spring 2025 community practitioner. Via a creative workshop, regular office hours with students, and public panel discussion, she encouraged students to rest and imagine possibilities that can be built “through leadership that is mindful, connection-centered and restful”. Her focus on rest as creative restoration culminated in a collective DreamSpace, an exhibit of student art that responded to the question: What can we collectively build, create, and dream when we have the courage to rest? 

Funded by the Mellon Foundation, the community practitioner in residence program is intended for organizers and leaders looking to use the tools of humanities and culture to further transformative solutions to environmental justice, utilizing Indigenous ecological knowledges and/or community engagement. Franque Bains is chapter director of Utah Sierra Club.