Curatorial Statement

Jean Caslin and Diane Griffin Gregory

Seven visual artists find meaning and insight through their explorations of nature. In viewing their art, we are asked to open our minds and hearts to their wondrous experience of the natural world. Monica Cheon returns us to a primordial time in her otherworldly landscapes. On a journey of personal growth, Matt Adams explores the vast and shifting gypsum mounds of White Sands National Monument. Live oak trees undergoing the natural process of waxing and waning, becoming furrowed and gnarled with age, are the nominal subjects of Betsy Siegel’s work. Lyn Sullivan focuses on the bits of urban green that enhance the porches and lives of apartment dwellers in New York City. Joan Son reflects on the beauty she sees and the mystery she feels in nature. She looks for harmony, balance, and the stream of clear thought that grounds her work and connects her to a greater flow. In Memory Garden, dedicated to those who lost their lives in 9/11, Anna Strickland “represents much of what is remarkable about our time here on earth.” Exotic flowers are the passion of Elizabeth Kleinveld, who began this series after photographing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.