Join us for an artist talk by SCP Artist-in-Residence Sarah Nelson and St. Thomas Pollinator Path co-founder, Doreen Schroeder, and an exhibition reception for Symbiosis.
 
Artist talk will begin at 6:30 PM.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:
Symbiosis invites you to explore the interactions of species, environments, organizations, research, and art. This exhibition features two Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) Arts collaborations, Pollinator Pathways and Mississippi River Experiences, with original artwork by Sarah Nelson and Jessica Turtle and photography by Doreen Schroeder.

SCP Arts at St. Thomas develops course-based collaborations with SCP partner organizations, students, and local artists. Through the interaction of research and art, SCP Arts collaborations seek to bring to life partner-identified goals that foster interconnected human and ecological well-being in the Twin Cities. 

Located in the O’Shaughnessy Educational Center at the University of St. Thomas, the Department of Art History Gallery is committed to providing an exhibition program that fosters dialogue centered around the issues of contemporary and historical art and architectural topics to encourage paths of inquiry and intercultural understanding to advance the common good.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Sarah Nelson’s drawings concentrate on environmental concerns, ranging from endangered species, pollinators, symbiotic relationships between species, to the interconnectivity of ecosystems. She is passionate about research and uses what she learns to inform her work. Using drawing methods that communicate both realistically and conceptually, Sarah works to preserve the anatomical accuracy of the species and environment, and to encourage curiosity and greater care for our environment.

Sarah is the current Artist-In-Residence for the University of St Thomas’ Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) Arts Program. This includes turning student research into visual works that are more accessible to the general public and useful to SCP partners. The most recent example is a fully illustrated interior and exterior Green Line light rail wrap for Metro Transit’s 2019 Earth Week Celebration.

Sarah has also been accepted into the Arctic Circle Artist and Scientist Residency program for the June 2020 expedition. She will be working alongside and collaborating with international artists and scientists at the Arctic circle on a barquentine sailing vessel throughout all of June 2020.

Doreen Schroeder
I cannot remember a time when I did not love flowers. I have been, and still am, fascinated with their shapes, colors, scents and why plants have such extravagant displays of beauty. My love of flowers has also drawn me to the art of Georgia O’Keefe whose powerful paintings of flowers opened up a whole new way of seeing them (and other aspects of Nature) long before I even considered studying Biology.

What started out to be a simple photographic record of the different pollinators on the Pollinator Path has evolved into a visual exploration of one of Nature’s most fundamental relationships, that of plant and its pollinators. I hope that by sharing my way of seeing the world of insects and flowers, others begin to notice and appreciate the role that pollinators play.