SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival Releases 2025 Official Festival Artwork and Announces Judges for its 2025 Art Exhibition 

SYRCL’s 23rd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will take place in Nevada City and Grass Valley from February 13-17, 2025. Each year, the festival commissions an artist to create the official artwork that represents the annual theme. This year’s theme, ‘Wild at Heart’ “speaks to the power of wild places to spark inspiration, compassion, and understanding of the world around us. “Wild is a natural state and place of inspiration, particularly for this festival,” notes Festival Director, Eric Dunn.  

SYRCL is thrilled to share the 2025 WSFF Official Artwork with you. This gorgeous wood cut print was created by artist Nick Wroblewski, a Midwest based printmaker of hand cut woodblocks. Nick describes his process of depicting these egrets as if they were calling to him in a way, representing what it means to be “Wild at Heart”.  

Nick focuses on large multicolor woodcuts and has developed a distinct aesthetic reminiscent of stylized Japanese masters, yet uniquely his own. His work can be seen in private collections and galleries throughout the country, as well as commercial design and illustrations.  

When asked what made him excited about making artwork for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Nick replied:

“Because I think when I was first asked, it just conjured that experience I had in that area. I think that was the real spark of it for me, especially the Yuba [River].  In years past, I traveled over the mountains to get out to California…I had always visited some friends in that area and spent some time on the river and just really…appreciated it. And then also the work that [SYRCL + WSFF] has done, you know, I love the mission and the themes.  And so, I like the challenge of it…trying to create an image that would be rewarding for my own pursuits, but also something that you all would really find striking and useful and meaningful.” 

You can find out more about Nick and purchase his work at nickwroblewski.com 

Art that inspires is at the core of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. In conjunction with a slate of carefully curated documentaries, films, and shorts throughout the festival, WSFF and the Nevada County Arts Council hold a juried Art Exhibition featuring 2D, 3D, and photography inspired by the festival’s theme. For 2025, the Exhibition jury features curators and directors from across the region. 

The jurors for the upcoming WSFF Art Exhibition are Cheri Awalt, the Deputy Director at Verge Center for the Arts in downtown Sacramento, California; Christine Koppes, the former Founding Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, is now an independent curator based in the Bay Area focused on building art and community programs; and Mira Clark, who, for the past seven years, has coordinated CHIRP’s Visibility Through Art Initiative, facilitating collaboration between Nevada County artists and the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. 

To find out more about the jurors, the Art Exhibition, and how to submit your artwork for possible inclusion in the show, go to wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/2025art. The regular deadline for art submissions is October 28^th. The final deadline is November 30^th.