All take place at MING Studios, unless otherwise noted.
June 19 - 7PM - Beaver Mnemonics with Ellis Locke
We will be making mnemonic objects that will draw us closer to beavers and their role in the environment.This workshop is being facilitated by Ellis Locke, who contributed a beaver mnemonic of his own as a sculptural installation in RIPARIA. Ellis’ keen observation of the beaver chipped wood below beaver hewn trees led the Ecogeoglyphic Observatory’s thinking about the beaver as a spirited force of nature in contact and tension within the strictures of development. We continue to be astonished and amazed at what beavers do.
June 27, 6-8PM - Explore + Remix: Guided Tour + Workshop for Mary K Johnson’s Dioramas
An evening workshop and guided tour through the interactive dioramas and sets that grew out of the New SUM game. People will learn how to use QR codes to draw scenario-based cards, reflect on the stories each space holds, and contribute their own ideas. Participants will be welcome to move most elements (informational signage will be right there), add new ones, or simply take inspiration home and return with something to share next time.
July 3, 6-8PM - Game Night! 1 of 2 Special Sessions of New SUM with Mary K Johnson
Have you ever walked away from a session of New SUM thinking, “We should actually do this…”?
Join us at Riparia for a themed Game Night where we bring our boldest scenario outcomes closer to reality. Surrounded by interactive dioramas, you’ll draw inspiration from the very spaces holding the game’s questions, conflicts, and collaborative futures.
This isn’t just gameplay—it’s a space to imagine what if and to explore what next. Guided by scenario prompts, we’ll test ideas, refine them, and build on shared visions. Whether you’re a returning player or jumping in for the first time, this night is designed to stretch possibilities and ground them in dialogue.
Bring your curiosity, your creative spark, and your “what if we tried…” mindset. This is one of only two Game Nights during the show—see you there!
July 6, 6:30-8:30 PM - Headwaters with Tim Andreae and others
Just as one can use mindfulness to bring attention to different areas of one’s body, we will use breathwork, storytelling and poetry to bring attention to different parts of the body of the Boise River, from her headwaters to her lush riparian zones, considering the Boise River from the standpoint of her various flows and rhythms.
On Sunday July 6th we will meet from 3:30 to 5:30 at Labyrinth Breathwork studio @ 910 W Main St. Suite 314 where we will explore breathwork and the rhythms of our bodies. We will trace a particular rhythm, (the son clave) from her headwaters in Sub-Saharan Africa to her entrance into mainstream American culture. We will break for a light picnic-dinner by the river and will meet again from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Boise River off the Greenbelt near the Boise Zoo and Friendship Bridge (listen for voices, rooster crows and crow calls.) At the river we will celebrate with storytelling, poetry and contemplations with themes of headwaters, ancestors and healing.
July 7, 7-8:30 PM - Beaver (re)Makes the World…
Join ecologists from BSU and a few special guests in a conversation on how Beavers engineer riparian landscapes, and what scientists are learning from restoration efforts involving Beavers.
July 10, 7:30-8:30 - Drone Bath with Ryan Simmons and Claire Quade
Join us in exploring the Boise river and Boise’s water systems through Drone Bath. Drone Bath is a sound and video work by Ryan Simmons, who has been engaging with the Boise River through approaching the water as a collaborator. Drone bath is a layered sound environment that translates the rhythms of moving water into musical tones.
July 13, 12-2PM - Rewilding & Weaving Water with Claire Quade
Create your own woven imagination of Idaho’s water ways! We’ll explore the idea of rewilding dams and waterways in Boise and take a historical look at Boise’s past before human manipulation and control of our water. We’ll engage in a beginner discussion of rewilding, create mindfulness around Boise’s water systems, and finish with creating a weaving of our rewilding dreams. All materials provided. Optional donation of $5.
July 14, 6-8PM - Voices of Water with Hannah Rodabaugh
Join us on July 14th for Voices of Water, a free drop-in writing workshop at MING Studios that invites participants to write in response to the themes of RIPARIA, a multimedia collaborative art exhibit that explores our relationship with water. Through guided prompts and playful experimentation, we’ll reflect on the Boise River, riparian habitats, and the futures they carry. Come ready to reflect, imagine, and speak the language of water. This workshop is open to writers of all levels.
Hannah Rodabaugh is the author of Lost Cathedral (forthcoming, Cornerstone Press/University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point) and four chapbooks of poetry. Her poetry is featured in The Indianapolis Review, Camas Magazine, Glassworks Magazine, Plant-Human Quarterly, The Westchester Review, EcoTheo Review, and Berkeley Poetry Review. She is the recipient of a Literature Fellowship from the Idaho Commission on the Arts and has twice been an Artist-in-Residence for the National Park Service. She teaches at Boise State University, the College of Western Idaho, and The Cabin. When not writing, she volunteers for the Golden Eagle Audubon Society and collects rare desert plants from around the world.
July 16, 7-9 PM, RUNOFF with Cydney Covert, supported by Teal Gardner
Suggested donation of $5
Join Cydney Covert A guided movement activity that builds nonverbal space for communicating with, reflecting, and interpreting the RIPARIA, outside the gallery.
July 17, 6 PM -8 PM - Assembly Workshop with Mary K Johnson
Join us for a collaborative workshop where imagination meets craft. Drawing inspiration from the New SUM game’s scenario cards, participants will create new pieces to add to the diorama sets—miniature scenes that hold space for wild ideas and community visions.
Using collage materials (bring your own or use what’s available), you’ll assemble small cutout-style additions—think cardboard characters, signs, plants, creatures—each mounted with a toothpick base so they can be placed directly into the sets. Whether symbolic, whimsical, or solution-driven, these new pieces help evolve the landscape and invite fresh interpretations.
Come shape the possibilities. No experience needed—just curiosity, select materials if you have something specific in mind, and a sense of play. Prior gameplay is not necessary, but New SUM players are encouraged to attend.
July 23, (TIME), Bathtub River Songs with Ryan Simmons
July 24, 6 PM -8 PM - Game Night Part 2, Return to Play at RIPARIA, with Mary K Johnson
Back by demand—or by design. This second Game Night is your next chance to dive into the imaginative strategy of New SUM, set within the evolving diorama landscapes of Riparia.
Guided by fresh prompts and familiar tensions, we’ll revisit scenario cards that sparked bold ideas during previous sessions. Whether you were there for the first night or just arriving now, this themed evening invites players to refine, remix, and challenge what was imagined—moving a little closer to what could be.
Use the interactive sets for inspiration, revisit outcomes worth pursuing, or try a new path entirely. These nights are for anyone who’s ever said, “We should do this,” and meant it.
One last play before the sets are still again—don’t miss it.
July 31, 6 PM -8 PM - Story the Scenario - Creative writing workshop with Mary K Johnson
Join us for a generative writing session inspired by the world of New SUM. Guided by an experienced facilitator, participants will use established game scenarios as creative prompts to begin outlining a short essay, story, article, or reflection.
Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just curious, this circle invites you to explore the deeper currents behind the game—its characters, conflicts, choices, and what they mirror in the real world. We'll provide structure and support to help you shape your ideas, with room to continue developing them after the session. This is a great opportunity for anyone who’s felt drawn to a scenario and thought, “That deserves a story.” Bring your notebook, your favorite pen, and your perspective. All are welcome.
Aug 2, 7-11 PM - RIPARIA Closing + Bog Rave
Last chance to see the show! Bog Rave.