What do giant metal instruments, a geodesic dome and people in amazing costumes on stilts have in common? The 2008 Arts-in-Nature Festival was held at Camp Long in West Seattle August 23rd - 24th. Fire performers, string quartets, dance troupes and an outdoor museum of sound were all part of an incredible array of talent blending art, seen, produced, and made interactive all in a natural setting.

The festival showcased many local performing artists, sound artists and ensembles including: Lelavision, Phffft! Dance Theatre d9 Dance Collective, Dexter Street Stompers, Musicians Emeritus Symphony Orchestra, Christian Swenson, Beaver Deceivers, Da Capo Chamber Players, Modern Gentlemen Quartet and more.

This was the 10th anniversary of the event and was produced by the Nature Consortium. The Nature Consortium is a grassroots, community-based organization whose mission is to teach environmental lessons through the creative arts and hands-on conservation projects. They also produce a Youth Art Program, and an Urban Forest Restoration Project.

Performances took place in 5 different venues throughout the park: the Lodge, the forested grove by the Pond, the climbing Glacier, the Meadow and the Geodesic Dome near the Fire Circle _Camp Long's rustic cabins housed the "museum of sound" where artists tool up residency for the weekend and created installations that blended sound, auditory arts, music and visual arts. Most of the cabins had an interactive, hands-on component, that allowed attendees to enter and interact with the artists' work. This year's Museum of Sound artists included Hollow Earth Radio, Ela Lamblin, Perri Lynch, Kristin Tollefson, Dean Moore, Mike Shannon, Ben Smith and NC Youth Art Program students. Food was provided by Vashon-based Tahini Genie.