Bending Nature' exhibit a warm escape from winter chill

Kimberly Snodgrass/The Lantern
The ‘Bending Nature’ exhibit at the Franklin Park Conservatory is running through March 29. The display showcases artwork inspired by horticulture.

The exhibit displays works in sculpture, photography, film, drawings, installation and video. The art expresses the artists’ connection to nature and illustrates how they have been inspired by plants and plant growth.

This is the first large-scale group exhibition at the conservatory and was organized by contemporary art coordinator Robert Stearns. From the outdoor courtyards to the indoor biomes and atriums, both inside and outside spaces are used to display the art, Stearns said.

The conservatory’s warm climate makes it different from other museums and made choosing the art something of a test.

“We take excellent care of the artwork, but because this isn’t a traditional museum it’s definitely more challenging,” said Megan Mathie, curatorial assistant at the conservatory, in an e-mail.

“Because some of the art is living plants, our horticulture staff plays a major role in looking after the work.”

Setting up the exhibit was another obstacle the exhibition team had to hurdle. Finding time and a place to creatively display 15 artists’ works is much like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle.

“There were so many artists and installations to coordinate, and our exhibits team is quite small,” Mathie said. The advantage was that I got to work so closely with artists I admire.”

Some of the international artists built their pieces in the conservatory.

“Shigeo [Kawashima] stayed in Columbus for three weeks in September building his sculpture with a team of volunteers and we really got to know him, despite the language barrier,” Mathie said.

The intrigue from the exhibit comes from its emphasis on audience interaction. For her piece. Laura Stein had the conservatory’s resident macaw trained to take photographs of the visitors.

“It was pretty hysterical,” Mathie said.

Sculptor Herb Parker created the Whispering Caves, a pair of caves that project sounds between each other. Visitors can sit in one of the caves and communicate with anyone in the other cave via a whisper.

Visitors to the conservatory can plan on a pleasant surprise. The exhibit takes its audience to a different world that breathes the life that winter lacks.

“The conservatory is a more playful atmosphere than a traditional art museum or gallery,” Mathie said. “I think playfulness is a great attitude to have when you encounter art, and I hope this show stirs curiosity.”

Tickets are $7.50 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, and $4 for children. The exhibit is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Kimberly Snodgrass/The Lantern
The ‘Bending Nature’ exhibit at the Franklin Park Conservatory is running through March 29. The display showcases artwork inspired by horticulture.

Kimberly Snodgrass can be reached at [email protected].