This year, the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) is celebrating our 30th anniversary! As we take a moment to pause and reflect, we want to share our deep gratitude for the many people that have helped bring OAEC’s vision to life. Since our founding in 1994, OAEC has grown into a vibrant hub for cultivating ecological resilience, advancing social justice, and empowering community-driven solutions.

To honor this milestone, we’ve created a Timeline of OAEC’s 30 Years — a reflection on some of the key moments and accomplishments that have shaped our work. Please take a moment to explore this visual journey, which celebrates not only the achievements of OAEC, but the incredible network of people, organizations and projects that have made it all possible.

As we look back with gratitude, we also look ahead—toward these next decades of building resilience, fostering biocultural diversity and creating pathways for a thriving, sustainable planet for generations to come.

Commemorative artwork above, original hand-cut paper, by Catherine Sieck