The Open Circle Foundation supports those whose art celebrates the natural world and it traces its own genesis to such a marriage. In 1975, Dorothy C. Weicker purchased two sculptures by the Spanish artist Antonio Lopez Garcia. By the end of the 20th century, the two life-size nudes, “Hombre y Mujer,” had become important examples of Garcia's work and national treasures to Spain. Weicker arranged their sale to a Spanish petroleum company, which donated the sculptures to the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid. The proceeds, in turn, funded Open Circle.

15 years ago, the Open Circle Foundation was seeded by an incredible vision and a significant work of art. Over its history, the Foundation has invested in schools, organizations and artists in the East Bay with a unique intersection between art and environment.

This year, we begin to close down the foundation and are excited to document the impact and thinking behind our work through a monograph. Trusting What we don't know: Lessons from an Experiment in Art, Environment and Philanthropy in California's East Bay by Dr. Maribel L Alverez.
Click here to view the monograph.

We hope you find this a good read and that you will share our learnings with others.

This website will remain live until 2017.

Thank you for joining us on this journey,
The Board of the Open Circle Foundation

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Online tutors talk about the connection between English and Nature lessons

Published in October 2022

The Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE, pronounced "AZ-lee") is a group of academics who are interested in green language arts, or the study of the natural world and how it is reflected in literature and culture. In order to promote multidisciplinary and cutting-edge approaches to the study of environment and culture, ASLE and online English language tutors from LiveXP (https://livexp.com/skills/english) use a variety of media, including poetry, music, creative writing, cinema, and ecocritical research.