The 2021 issue of The Bear marks a re-visioning of the magazine (bigger! new papers! new printing techniques!), and an experiment in decentralizing our editorial model to connect more deeply with creators engaging with environmental justice and place-based art. Cultivated and woven together by designers Kristin Rogers Brown and Ryan Brown, five creators were invited to sponsor five folks who inspire them. This conversation drove the editorial voice of the issue.

A/PART was developed during 2020-21, a time when we wanted to connect in new ways and deepen connections within and between communities. Read the introduction to the issue here.

The cover includes photography by Chad Brown and textures from art by Maya Vivas.

Co-Creative Directors: Kristin Rogers Brown and Ryan Brown