The Wildling Art Museum will present its Wilderness Spirit Award to noted writer Gretel Ehrlich and celebrate its 10th anniversary on Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in Solvang.
Ehrlich—a nature-themed essayist, travel writer, and poet—will receive the award, which includes a bronze plaque on the large stone at the entryway to the museum. The award is designed to honor someone whose lifework has led to a greater appreciation of America’s wilderness.
Ehrlich has authored 13 books, including A Match to the Heart, John Muir: A Biography, This Cold Heaven, and The Future of Ice. Her first title, The Solace of Open Spaces, is considered a nature classic.
Ehrlich has also contributed narration in the critically acclaimed Ken Burns series The National Parks—America’s Best Idea featured on PBS. Through her written and documentary work, she’s traveled the globe; she spent the last 16 years exploring arctic regions.
Her work has appeared in numerous publications, and she’s received several awards, including the PEN Henry David Thoreau Prize for Literary Excellence in Nature Writing.
The reservation deadline is Sept. 25. Regular tickets cost $85 per person; VIP tickets cost $150 per person. A pack of four VIP tickets is $500, and a VIP table for 10 is $1,250. Tickets are available through wildlingmuseum.org or 688-1082.
Arts Briefs is compiled by Arts Editor Shelly Cone. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Sep 23-30, 2010.