A Healing Arts Project
The Nest Project, Inc. is a nonprofit that explores the transformative power of art, turning life’s wounds into experiences of renewal and wholeness.
How we work
We brings individuals and communities together to build human-sized nests as spaces to hold our bodies and our experiences.
Through photography, written & spoken word, we compose multimedia installations as tools for change, giving voice to unheard stories.
“It brought me to a happy place, where it’s just me.”
“I made a decision of embracing and loving the person that I am, the looks, the marks, the race and again, you’re in a nest!”
“I felt that I was actually manifesting a new me... I was allowed to feel and move through the pain of losing a child from my entire life. It was very life-giving.”
ACTIVE NOW
ACTIVE NOW
Centering survivors of domestic and sexual violence, The Portland Nest is a multi-partner art exhibition currently in production. Created in collaboration with the Washington County Police Department, the Family Justice Center of Washington County, and the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts.
The project was made possible through community support from Kickstarter donations, and will be on view at The Reser from April 3 – May 16, 2026.
Founder & Creator
DEBBIE BAXTER
Debbie Baxter is a Fine Art Photographer, Somatic Art Therapist, author of NEST, and the creator of The Nest Project, Inc. Her work merges installation, portraiture, and social practice to explore safety, exposure, and transformation. Through her handmade nests, she invites us to slow down, meet our wounds, and reimagine vulnerability as resource.
Make a donation
The Nest Project is active worldwide, collaborating with cultural institutions, communities, small groups, and individuals. We offer retreats, events, and both public and private installations and exhibitions.
We are currently accepting donations to help ensure cost-free participation for projects centering survivors of crime and trauma.