During November and December, photographs by Dana Utman will be on display at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center. Shows featuring local art and photography are sponsored by Friends of the Arcata Marsh. The Interpretive Center, located at 569 South G Street in Arcata, is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (707) 826-2359. Statement from the photographer: Photography is a wonderful way for me to hang out with nature. I take my camera every time I walk, hike, or explore the outdoors. I first became excited about the art while visiting an Israeli kibbutz at age 17. Since then I have learned though practice, workshops, and university classes how to hone my abilities as an artist. Perhaps the most important knowledge I learned is that creativeness is found within oneself, not from a book or a set of rules. It all starts from the heart. Art should be unique, personal, and soulful. I know it helps me to understand the world around me. I have used photography in almost all my work: as a North Group Sierra Club executive committee member, a national Sierra Club coach, for my climate change column in the Mad River Union, as a California state park interpreter, a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, and a union official with the National Association of Letter Carriers. Photography is a tool that can be used to help tell any story. My show will take you on a day’s journey to meet some wildlife in the Jacoby Creek watershed, then at the Arcata Marsh, and finally at Mad River Beach. To view more of my work, visit [email protected].