Upcoming Field Trips

Stay tuned for Summer I, 2027!

TTU Global Sorghum Conference, Lubbock, TX. September 14 - 18, 2026

Art, Environment, Sustainability Exhibition, Lubbock, TX. September 1-30, 2026

Ogallala Life: Shorebirds Field Day, Nazareth, TX. August 26, 2026

Past Field Trips

CHELENZO FARMS & Ecoartspace

June 15-18, 2026. Los Cerrillos, New Mexico. Thank you to Patricia Watts of ecoartspace and Lorenzo and Chelsea Dominguez of Chelenzo Farms. Students learned about regenerative farming and connective aesthetics through discussions, readings, group meals, garden tours, cheese making and goat milking. A collaborative drawing project with led by Carol Flueckiger pondered how practicing basic drawing methods such as negative space, color dripping and continuous line could deepen our connective experiences to the environment and our food sources. Special Thank you to Associate Professor of Art Education Andrés Peralta for teaming up to co-create this experience and anchor students in Eco Art, Futurism & Foodways, AgriTech, Green Humanities and Blue Humanities. This trip was generously funded by School of Art and Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Art 5350 Imaginary Futures. (6) Mia Deleon, Art Education, Jenny Eskew, MAE, Leigh Harrison, MAE, Mikayla Haynie, MAE, Courtney Lamb, Art Education, Liz Perez, Art Education.

Ogallala Commons Playa Classroom

June 6, 2026. Nazareth, TX. Drawing Playa Wetlands workshop at the Playa Classroom in Nazareth, TX for the Playa Management Course participants. Twenty people gathered to draw and experience a playa wetland. Thank you to our workshop leaders: Jose Barrientos, Nature Journalist, Darryl Birkenfeld, Playa Wetlands expert and myself, Carol Flueckiger, Artist.

Playa Field Day for Playa Management Course. (14)

Art & Science in a Changing World

May 30, 2026. Lubbock, TX. Prensent on a panel Diana Sheren and professor, Sara Spurgeon for a panel about art and science at Nashwell, Cafe. Sponsored by LHUCA and TTU Climate Center.

Community Participants (10)

La Cuna Art Center

April 18, Castell, Texas. Attended the Land + Water Conference with students Jenny Eskew and Leigh Harrison. We also presented a Drawing Prairie Plants workshop.

Art 5320 Grad Drawing. Jenny Eskew, MAE, Leigh Harrison

Ogallala Commons Community Water Conference

February 25, 2026, Hereford, TX. Attended Ogallala Commons community water conference in Hereford, TX. Was joined by student Marcelo Burdis. We learned about the book Land of the Underground Rain by Donald E. Green.

ART 4340 Topics. (1) Marcelo Burdis

Ogallala Commons Playa Classroom

Feb. 3, 2026. Nazareth, Texas. “The days are getting longer, now that we are over 6 weeks past the Winter Solstice.  Last week, Prof. Carol Flueckiger and three of her students visited OC's Playa Classroom to observe current conditions.  They marveled at one of the large “macropore” holes lying across the playa basin, evidence of aquifer recharge during the wet period of abundant surface water this past summer.”  Darryl L. Birkenfeld, Ph.D., Director Emeritus, Ogallala Commons

ART 2310 Art, Environment, Sustainability (2) Ella Davis, Honors/Computer Science and Calvin Tong, Honors/Cell and Molecular Biology

ART 4340 Topics. (1) Lillian Mahan, Art, Media, Technology.

Western Slope Conservation Center

June 17-19, 2025, Paonia, CO. Graduate students Marc Jeanin (Ceramics,) and Veronica Valdez, (MAE) delivered art workshops that enhance learning about conservation. In trade, WSCC delivered lectures on .beavers, control burns and water conservation. This trip was generously funded by School of Art and Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Art 5304 Independent Study. (2) Marc Jeanin (Ceramics,) Veronica Valdez, (MAE)

Western Slope Conservation Center. (5)

Ogallala Commons Playa Classroom

June 7, 2025. Nazareth, Texas. Graduate students Marc Jeanin (Ceramics,) Veronica Valdez, (MAE), Ogallala Commons Intens, delivered Drawing Playa Wetlands workshop at Playa Classroom in Nazareth, Texas with Professor Carol Flueckiger. Twenty participants (farmers, artists, ranchers, activists) to learn about the ecology of playa wetlands through drawing. This trip was generously funded by School of Art and Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Art 5304 Independent Study. (2) Marc Jeanin (Ceramics,) Veronica Valdez, (MAE)

Playa Management Course. (21)

Flower Power Energy Meets Art

February 25, 2025. Lubbock, TX. Student tour Flower Power Energy Meets Art Plant in Lubbock, TX and apply ideas about renewable energy (wind and solar) to artistic design for turbine blades in the classroom. Guest Artist Dr. Gre from the University of Southampton worked with students on designs. The designs were presented at the Lubbock Festival. Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe and Biology professor Jyoti Sharma were visited with students about their designs at the Lubbock Art Festival.

Art 2310 Art, Environment, Sustainability. (11) Ryder Kerr Landscape Architecture major, Delaney Mooney, Advertising major, Mackenzie Watson, Communication major, Catherine Cortez, Art major, Dejahn Somers, Geology major, Chelsea Sinnya, Chelsea, Computer Science major, Shaylin Romero Jimenez, Media Industry major, Katelyn Beasley Interior Design major, Bola Atinsola, Computer Science major, Kai Matsuda, Environmental Science and Humanities major, Talia Perkins, Psychology major, Sebastian Salinas, Biochemistry major.

City of Lubbock Water Treatment Plant

February 4, 2025. Lubbock, TX. Students tour City of Lubbock Water Treatment Plant and then work on color dripping compositions in the classroom.

Art 2310 Art, Environment, Sustainability. (11) Ryder Kerr Landscape Architecture major, Delaney Mooney, Advertising major, Mackenzie Watson, Communication major, Catherine Cortez, Art major, Dejahn Somers, Geology major, Chelsea Sinnya, Chelsea, Computer Science major, Shaylin Romero Jimenez, Media Industry major, Katelyn Beasley Interior Design major, Bola Atinsola, Computer Science major, Kai Matsuda, Environmental Science and Humanities major, Talia Perkins, Psychology major, Sebastian Salinas, Biochemistry major.

Ogallala Commons Playa Classroom

June 2024. Nazareth, Channing, Shallowater, Texas. Graduate student Kirstyn Wright (Painting) was an intern with Ogallala Commons, a non-profit land stewardship organization that spans across the great plains region. She worked on art projects about great plans culture and gave presentations at Ogallala Commons events during the year. This internship was generously funded by School of Art and Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Art 5304 Independent Study. (1) Kirstyn Wright, Painting

Elsewhere Studios

June 2024. Paonia, CO. Celebrating our seventh year of Art, Environment, Sustainability. This summer, we had two graduate students in residence at Elsewhere Studios, Carly McMahon (Sculpture) and Johnathan Jimenez (Sculpture). Students worked on projects about railroad stories, natural plant dyes and bioplastics. This trip was generously funded by School of Art and Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Art 5304 Independent Study. (2) Carly McMahon (Sculpture), Johnathan Jimenez (Sculpture).

Artist in Residence (1)

Flower Power Energy Meets Art

February 15, 2024. Lubbock, TX. Student tour Flower Power Energy Meets Art Plant in Lubbock, TX. They take make ideas about renewable energy (wind and solar) to the studio and apply to artistic design for turbine blades in the classroom. Designs were presented at Lubbock Festival for viewing.

Art 4304 Topics. (15) Elyse Arnold, Ana Castilla, Brittney Gamucero, Mona Goh, Maya Harron, Madeline Hensler, James Irwin, Ameerah Joseph, Nora Lyons, Beatrice Madrid, Tabby Marandiz, Alex Morales, Cesar Sandoval, Savannah Tevino, Kasey Watts

Elsewhere Studios

Summer I / June, 2023. Paonia, Colorado. Celebrating our sixth year of Art, Environment, Sustainability. This summer, we had two graduate Art students in residence at Elsewhere Studios: Sawyer Crane (MAE) and Gabriel Peralta (Sculpture). They were joined by two students from Clark Family School of Environment & Sustainability, Western Colorado University. Special Thank You to Mitchell Oliver, Elsewhere Studios Executive Director. - Carol Flueckiger, MFA, AES Program Manager. This trip was generously funded by School of Art and Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Art 5304 Independent Study. (2) Sawyer Crane (MAE), Gabriel Peralta (Sculpture).

Clark School Environment Sustainability. (2)

Ogallala Commons

June 2023. Nazareth, Channing, Shallowater, Silverton, Turkey, Quitaque, Texas. We had two undergraduate student interns with Ogallala Commons: Avery Bonnette, Printmaking and Yashua Batista-Milk, Graphic Design.  We are learning about playa lakes, the Ogallala Aquifer, urban gardens, rural communities, local produce and solar energy. Special thank you to Darryl Birkenfeld, Deputy Director Ogallala Commons. This trip was generously funded by School of Art and Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Art 4304 Independent Study. (2) Avery Bonnette, Printmaking, Yashua Batista-Milk, Graphic Design