Dust to Apples: The Colors of the Eastern Plains
In a world increasingly disconnected from the land, Dust to Apples: The Colors of the Eastern Plains was a powerful art project that sought to heal our relationship with the natural world. In collaboration with Adams County Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Arts, artist Melody Epperson explored her family’s history and challenges as farmers during the Dust Bowl, what it means to “work the land,” and guided us on a journey of reconnection with the earth.
Photographer Jimena Peck accompanied Melody across Adams County to capture the beauty of the Eastern Plains, and Melody’s process, through photography. To learn more about the project and to view the process first-hand, visit the link below.
Dust to Apples: The Colors of the Eastern Plains was on show at Taza Gallery and Coffee House at the Adams County Government Center from December 2025-March 2026.
Community Engagement
Throughout 2024 and 2025, Epperson immersed herself in the farms of eastern Adams County and Historic Splendid Valley to talk with farmers, learn their stories, and collect natural materials from their lands to create pigments and inks.
Known for its sunflowers and wheat fields, Adams County is home to many native plants, and many more plants that were brought here by humans. Melody worked with landowners to safely and sustainably gather plants for her art making.
Berry Patch Farms, Red Daisy Farm, Flying B Bar Ranch, LazyB Acres Alpacas, and Sakata Farms all dedicated time and knowledge to Meldoy as she explored their fields.
Participating Farms and Collaborators
Berry Patch Farms
Adams County CSU Extension
Curious Farms Market
Flying B Bar Ranch, Strasburg
Historic Splendid Valley
LazyB Acres Alpacas, Bennett
Red Daisy Farm, Brighton
Sakata Farms, Brighton
Town of Bennett
Town of Strasburg
Art, Agriculture, and Our Changing Relationship to the Land
While Dust to Apples: The Colors of the Eastern Plains was on exhibit, Melody was joined by farmers and ranchers from Berry Patch Farms, Flying B Bar Ranch, and LazyB Acres Alpacas for a panel discussion moderated by KUVO Jazz host Abi Clark. The panel explored the stories of farmers, their challenges, and their everchanging relationship to the environment.
Dust to Apples Media Features
Melody Epperson is a passionate storyteller and land artist dedicated to exploring the complex relationships between people and the natural world. Drawing on personal history and collective memory, Melody Epperson creates immersive art that reflects both the beauty and fragility of our connection to the land. Learn more about Melody Epperson at www.melodyepperson.com.
Jimena Peck is an independent documentary and editorial photographer originally from Argentina, currently based in Denver. Her documentary work focuses on the lives of rural communities in Latin America and the Western United States. Her work explores the complexities of the human experience and sheds light on the beauty that exists in even the most ordinary moments.
