THE RIVER WE HEAL WITH
Art Exhibition, documentary project
Healing Stories with the Yuba River
The River We Heal With is an art project that weaves together personal storytelling and the healing energy of the natural world. The River herself tells a story of resilience, remembrance, and restoration after generations of extraction and violence toward both the land and indigenous people. Alongside her story are intimate, transformative accounts from individuals who have experienced the healing properties of Uba Seo's water - The Yuba River - whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Visionary & Creator
Julie Romano
Julie Romano is a visual artist and filmmaker based in Grass Valley, California whose work spans cinematic storytelling, photography, and healing arts. Her practice explores presence, transformation, and relational connection through image-making that bridges personal narrative and collective experience. Working with both still and moving images, she creates intimate visual stories that emphasize emotional resonance, embodiment, and the subtle dialogue between people, place, and memory. Her work is informed by the landscapes and creative ecosystems she inhabits, with a focus on amplifying grounded, authentic stories that reflect lived experience, creativity, and resilience within local communities.
In 2024, Julie was awarded Best Photography at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival Art Exhibition, recognizing the strength and sensitivity of her photographic storytelling. In 2025, she was selected as a grantee of the Grass Valley Cultural District Mini Grant Program, supporting the development of her ongoing artistic and community-engaged projects.
Through a multidisciplinary approach, Julie uses visual storytelling as a tool for reflection, connection, and healing, creating work that invites viewers into deeper relationship with themselves, each other, and the natural world.
Artist Statement
My work is rooted in a deep listening to the natural world and a desire to give it voice through image. As a visual artist and filmmaker, I create cinematic and photographic work that invites reverence for the Earth and for our own nature as part of it. I see image-making as a form of translation—an attempt to render visible the intelligence, beauty, and fragility of the living world.
My practice moves between documentary storytelling, fine art, and the healing arts. I work with both individuals and communities, creating visual narratives that honor the relationship between inner and outer landscapes. Whether in commissioned projects or personal work, I approach the creative process as a space for presence, reflection, and transformation.
At the heart of my work is a commitment to community and connection. I am interested in how art can serve as a bridge—bringing people together around shared values of care, stewardship, and belonging. Through my projects, I seek to weave connections between people and place, encouraging a deeper sense of responsibility for the environments we inhabit.
My long-term vision is to continue developing work that acts as both witness and catalyst. I aim to create images and experiences that not only reflect the beauty and vulnerability of our ecosystems, but also inspire collective action and healing. By centering Nature as both subject and collaborator, my work aspires to support a cultural shift toward more reciprocal, heart-centered ways of living with the Earth and with one another.
