As Albert Einstein once said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” To look deeply is to learn. To slow down and attune ourselves to the world’s rhythms—its shifting patterns of land and water, its delicate layers of life—is to recognize our place within it. 

The Art of Ecology exhibition series brings together three distinct explorations: Rhythms of Timbre by Leah Wilson and Sally Finch; Predictions by Jerri Barthol0mew, Svea Bruslind, Aliya Jamil, and Vaishnavi Padaki; and The Depth of Perception by Joe Cantrell. Each artist observes, records, and responds to the living systems that surround us. In their work, observation, research, and reflection intertwine, data transforms into emotion, and art becomes a language through which we can understand our changing world. 

Through stacking, layering, drawing, and sculpting, these artists trace the movement of time and the subtle choreography of ecosystems, microscopic, and vast. They capture fleeting moments of transformation, where the ephemeral meets the eternal, and where beauty exists alongside destruction. 

Their investigations, whether through long-term studies, backyard observations, or collaborations with scientists, illuminate the interconnectedness of all things. Each work offers a chance to reconsider what we know, to ask new questions, and to see the familiar anew. 

Art of Ecology artists invite us to connect, to find belonging, and to feel the resonance between ourselves and the natural world. Within these works, we encounter reflections of our shared origins—the terrain, rushing rivers, and the plants and animals that shape our oceans and homes—and are reminded of our responsibility to nurture and protect what sustains us. 

Artists: Leah Wilson, Sally Finch, Jerri Bartholomew, Joe Cantrell, and 2022 OSU Art-Sci Fellows: Aliya Jamil, Svea Bruslind, & Vaishnavi Padaki 

Supported by The Reser Family Foundation

IMAGE: Bloom by Leah Wilson

INSIGHTS:

2/6 First Friday Artist Reception

2/11 In the Quiet, This is What They Said*

2/21 The Beauty of Structure*

3/6 First Friday Art Walk

3/7 Confluences: Interdisciplinary Explorations*

*Free with a reserved ticket