With the assistance of Robby and his high school colleagues, Staab used nettles growing along the river to create 100 foot-long natural cables that were draped over branches of tall trees to create a massive, suspended, swaying sculpture.
“The experience of working with [Staab] has stuck with me through all these years ... I just wanted to let you know that my experience working at the UEC in high school has turned out to be more formative than I could have possibly imagined at the time, and has truly set me on my current course through life,” wrote Robby.
Painters, sculptors, printers, photographers, graphic designers and many more visual artists are an important part of our mission. Their works help deepen our understanding of nature and the world around us. Science and art together can tell the story of an ecosystem, which is why we incorporate art into some of our Neighborhood Environmental Education Project classes and Summer Camps. In addition, each branch displays art that was an integral part of its opening — a giant mural in Washington Park’s classroom by Eriks Johnson, a series of murals at Riverside in the slide, camouflage room and room dividers by Kitty Dyble Thompson and a large mosaic by Leann Wooten and community members at the Menomonee Valley. Robby’s story reminded me how important all of those works are.
While the experience of working with Staab was a unique one, the opportunity to learn through art continues at the Center. As our current Art Committee Chair, Nancy Aten, shared, “It has been my hope to have the art program be more than just ‘art on the wall’ — yes, art for appreciating nature and giving insight — but also art as a tool for teaching ecology, a conduit for understanding ecology, and a collaborator in studying ecology.”
The Art Committee strives to not only provide venues for artists, but opportunities for community participation in the creation process. For example, last summer Plein Air artists painted in the Menomonee Valley, encouraged onlookers to ask questions about Plein Air techniques and showed their work in our Menomonee Valley branch gallery. We thank Nancy and the members of the Committee — Sally Dubackm Barbara Manger, Juan Lopez, Kristin Gjerdset and Jamie Bruchman for their dedication to the Center.
This winter as snow brightens our short days, tree trunks show off their reds, browns, greys and greens, I encourage you to explore outdoors and then stop in to each of our Centers for to warm up in the presence of this amazing art. On January 14th, an art opening for Cynthia Brinich-Langlois and Ken Vonderberg will be in the Riverside Park community room gallery and on February 11th the Menomonee Valley’s gallery will highlight a collection of local artists’ work.
Perhaps an experience with ecology and art at the Center could change your life, too. Why not come see for yourself? Visit urbanecologycenter.org/art.
