Pollinator Playground
Marveling at plants and small creatures is a childhood fascination that continues to inspire my artwork today. My mural Pollinator Playground is meant to convey this sense of joy and wonder: giant plants dominate the horizon in a storybook landscape and the air is filled with enlarged pollinating species; life-sized people cohabitate this fantasy garden, inviting visitors to see their place amongst the plants and pollinators. If they so choose, guests can pose with a pollinator or giant mural plant, mimicking the poses or just standing alongside the silhouettes. Not all pollinating species can be included and neither can all the diversity of human identities. Still, an effort has been made to represent variety in plant, animal, and human experience: different cultures, ages, and ability have been considered. In this way, the hope is that a wide range of people will see themselves reflected against different types of pollinators and plants. I believe this speaks to an important message: pollinating species are valuable yet threatened. By working together, however, humans can choose to play an active role in helping pollinating species thrive; they can move from appreciation towards action to support these vulnerable species.
