In February, the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) held the Force for Nature Gala & Art Auction, an event to celebrate its Force for Nature campaign. The effort will leverage financial contributions, land donations and $50 million in public funding to protect more than 9,000 acres of land and other critical natural resources in our area. The gala was held at The Umstead Hotel & Spa. The art auction included work by notable artists including Patrick Dougherty, Chuck Rose, Mark Hewitt, Damian Stamer and more than a dozen others.

This article originally appeared in the April, 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.