Photograph by Brooklyn Warren, 2020
Born and raised in New York City, Clarissa Fortier graduated from Oberlin College in 2013 with a B.A. in studio art and environmental studies. Since then, she has been the artist in residence in both Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and Zion National Park. From 2014-2017, she lived in Telluride, Colorado, where she found ample opportunities for plein air painting and exploring the surrounding mountains in the San Juan range. She worked as a librarian at the Wilkinson Library, as well as a youth rock climbing instructor at the Telluride Academy. Her paintings have been on display in numerous places in Telluride, including the Ah Haa School of the Arts, the Butcher and the Baker and Baked in Telluride. Her paintings are also part of the permanent collection at the Wilkinson Public Library.
An environmentalist, Fortier does not see her paintings as existing in a vacuum. Rather, her paintings reflect landscapes that she believes to be more than aesthetically pleasing-- landscapes that are significant geologically or culturally, and landscapes that are threatened and in need of conservation. As an avid rock climber, she has fallen in love with the desert of southwest Colorado and eastern Utah, to places like Indian Creek, Moab and the Colorado National Monument. These landscapes, like many others, are threatened by policies that would render them vulnerable to extractive industries. She hopes that her paintings invite viewers to consider the beauty and significance of the places she paints.
An environmentalist, Fortier does not see her paintings as existing in a vacuum. Rather, her paintings reflect landscapes that she believes to be more than aesthetically pleasing-- landscapes that are significant geologically or culturally, and landscapes that are threatened and in need of conservation. As an avid rock climber, she has fallen in love with the desert of southwest Colorado and eastern Utah, to places like Indian Creek, Moab and the Colorado National Monument. These landscapes, like many others, are threatened by policies that would render them vulnerable to extractive industries. She hopes that her paintings invite viewers to consider the beauty and significance of the places she paints.