Category: Environmental Art
Introducing #StormSnakes – A LandLab Project
August 20, 2014By LandLab Resident Artist Leslie Birch
For my LandLab residency, I’m working on the issue of storm water run-off here at the Center. Part of being a LandLab artist means working to re-mediate a problem using art, which is harder than just creating an installation that provides education. My hope is not only to have an artistic intervention, but also a scientific device to measure the amount of storm water run-off. In the past month, I’ve been in conversation with Sean Duffy, Director of Facilities, and Christina Catanese, Director of Environmental Art, about how the run-off from surrounding roads and…
Why Photography Camp?
July 24, 2014 By Elisabeth Zafiris, Manager of Public Programs
When you think about sending your child to a nature-based summer camp, you probably picture them frolicking among trees, worms, and birds, but do you see photography as a way to build a relationship with the natural world?
At the Schuylkill Center, we do. Last week we offered a nature photography camp for our eight- and nine-year-olds, culminating in their very own gallery show.
Engaging with nature through art offers a unique way to connect with the natural world, using all five senses. It’s a direct, yet play-based, experience that encourages critical thinking…
Gazing upwards to see backwards: A look at local vines and their origins
July 8, 2014By LandLab Resident Artists WE THE WEEDS, Kaitlin Pomerantz and Zya S. Levy
Look up on any summer day and your eyes are bound to come into contact with climbing, clambering vines. Clinging to treetops and fences, tumbling across buildings, these robust and intrepid climbers adventure always upwards, using structures natural and manmade to achieve great heights and lengths.
On the Schuylkill Center premises alone there are dozens of vine varieties. Natives include moonseed, wild yam, grape, green briar, and poison ivy. Even more abundant are the invasives: oriental bittersweet, mile-a-minute, Japanese honeysuckle, porcelain berry, and wisteria. Where did these…
What’s the bbuzzz?
June 6, 2014By LandLab Resident Artists Maggie Mills, B.H. Mills, and Marguerita Hagan
Colony Collapse Disorder
The LandLab installation by Marguerita Hagan, B.H. Mills, and Maggie Mills addresses colony collapse disorder and the devastating global loss of honeybees. At present in the United States alone, 1/3 of the honeybee population has been lost to this disorder. These mini, mighty pollinators make every third bite of food we take possible. Ironically, it is human behavior that is responsible for the honeybees’ catastrophic disappearance. Our installation provides a chemical free, native pollinator garden for the bee population on the grounds of the Schuylkill Center.…
First Day as a LandLab Resident
May 14, 2014By LandLab Resident Artist Leslie Birch
I’m Leslie Birch, and I’m very curious about Philadelphia’s water. Last Thursday, I felt a bit nervous as I headed my car down the long driveway towards the Schuylkill Center. Having looked at records online for water quality in this watershed, I’ve seen mixed reports. We are located downstream from some heavy-duty coal and energy industries and also share our waters with many manufacturing industries. What hope can there be? Well, after meeting Sean Duffy, Director of Land and Facilities, I was assured there actually is a shining star – apparently the Center has…
Meet the LandLab Resident Artists
April 21, 2014By Christina Catanese, Director of Environmental Art
We are thrilled to announce the four resident artist projects for our new LandLab residency program. Launching this spring, LandLab projects will create innovative, art-based installations that prevent or remediate environmental damage while raising public awareness about our local ecology.
LandLab is a unique artist residency program that operates on multiple platforms: artistic creation, ecological restoration, and education. Our residency offers resources and space on the Schuylkill Center’s property for visual artists to engage audiences in the processes of ecological stewardship through scientific investigation and artistic creation. We’re excited at SCEE to offer…
Meandering with Stacy Levy at Swarthmore
March 31, 2014By Christina Catanese, Director of Environmental Art
I recently got to attend a lecture at Swarthmore College's List Gallery given by Stacy Levy, one of the most exciting environmental artists working today. Titled “Constructing Nature: What Art Reveals,” Levy’s talk (video here) touched on her approach to environmental art, some of her past pieces (including one we’re lucky to have onsite here at the Schuylkill Center), and two new pieces that were unveiled that night at Swarthmore. (more…)
How Do You See Nature? Winners and Runners-Up
March 5, 2014We were thrilled to see over 150 entries to the photo contest, and we thank all of those who shared their photographs with us. Three winners were chosen by a panel of Schuylkill Center staff.
Winners:
[gallery type="circle" ids="522,516,592"]
We're also happy to honor six runners-up. Christina Catanese and Anna Lehr Mueser comment on the runner-up photographs below.
Runners-up:
From Christina Catanese, Director of Environmental Art:
[caption id="attachment_595" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lea Gooneratne-Riedi[/caption]
In the winter woods, we can often find evidence of animals in the landscape even when we can’t see them, and I love that this photo shows…
How does your community see nature?
February 18, 2014These are just some of the many great photos submitted to the How Do You See Nature contest so far.[gallery type="circle" ids="505,517,513,508,516,507,509,518,511,512,504,522,523,524,525"]
There is still time to share yours! Send us a photo by February 27th. Details are here.
Getting Creative with Communications
February 11, 2014Cross-posted from Healthy Waters for EPA's Mid-Atlantic Region, February 6, 2014.
By Christina Catanese, Director of Environmental Art
During my time at EPA, I’ve learned so much about water protection, from permits to enforcement, from regulations to partnerships, from large national actions to things anyone can do to protect their waters. Managing the Healthy Waters Blog, along with other digital communications, I’ve also thought a lot about how best to communicate the work EPA does in water protection outside our agency’s boundaries. I’ve found that, consistently, our most effective communications have been those that make visible the real impacts of…
