Located at the northern edge of Ridgefield, Washington where the Lewis and Columbia Rivers meet, Plas Newydd Farm quietly nurtures a growing arts community with deep connections to the land. This 1,600-acre property, one of the largest privately owned pieces of land in Clark County, houses a farmhouse dating back to 1850 and serves as the backdrop for the Plas Newydd Farm Arts Initiative.
Founded by Abby Braithwaite, whose husband David Morgan’s family has owned the property since the 1940s, the initiative welcomes artistically inclined guests to engage creatively with the surrounding environment.
What makes the Arts Initiative unique is its foundation in environmental transformation. For the past 15 years, Plas Newydd has been working on a large-scale conservation project to convert lowland pastures back to wetlands and salmon habitat. This environmental work sparked Braithwaite's vision for an artistic component. She began to invite artists to create “aesthetic data sets,” chronicling how the land was before conservation began, then again during the process, and finally - whenever the work concludes - at the end when the “rewilding” has occurred.
In addition to this long term project, the Arts Initiative offers monthly workshops ranging from poetry to printmaking to pen-making and ink-making using natural materials from the property. Participants create while in dialogue with the landscape. Sometimes this is overt (as in creating a sculpture made from a fallen log) and sometimes it’s just simply being present on the land that is the root of inspiration.
Beyond paid workshops (scholarships available!), the initiative hosts free events like monthly walks called "Canopy Time," drop-in writing circles, and open house events. The property also hosts gallery shows featuring Clark County artists.
While the program has grown organically since its 2020 inception, Braithwaite remains open to how it evolves. Rather than rigidly planning its future, she embraces what naturally emerges from artists' interactions with the land and what interests the growing community. She’s also growing her Board and volunteer committee; those interested in helping to sculpt the future of Plas Newydd are encouraged to reach out.
The journey to Plas Newydd - driving through the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge and increasingly rural landscapes - becomes part of the experience, allowing visitors to slow their pace and shift their perspective before engaging with their creativity.
