Artist Patrick Dougherty is a certified badass. Case in point: He has created hundreds of monumental, site-specific sculptures out of nothing more than saplings in such places as Tacoma, Honolulu, Dublin, Brooklyn, Chateaubourg, and Tokyo. 

Never heard of the guy? Get your rear to a showing of Bending Sticks: The Sculpture of Patrick Dougherty. The documentary explores how the artist’s childhood—years he spent rambling through the woods and building forts and hideouts with his four siblings—inspired his incredible work.

Want to know how Dougherty transforms piles of sticks into energetic lines and exuberant forms? Check out this inspiring film on July 20. The show will play at 7 p.m. at SLOMA, 1010 Broad St. in downtown SLO. A suggested donation of $7 is appreciated for nonmembers. For more information, visit sloma.org.