“Inspired By Nature,”
an ecosystem installation at the
Helen Millard Children’s Gallery at Woodmere Art Museum
In summer 2022, a diverse group of young artists I taught at Woodmere Art Museum and Mindy Flexer Art School came together to create this ecosystem. They ranged in age from 8 years old to 20 years old, and worked individually and collaboratively to make real and imagined plants and animals from the past, present, and future. Making this work gave these artists a chance to think and talk about climate change and the ways it is changing our world and the living things in it.
Creating this ecosystem also created a collaborative artistic community. The artists in it got to be themselves, while being part of something larger than themselves. They became an interdependent system just like their ecosystem: everybody made room for everybody else, and everybody influenced everybody else. No one could have been added or subtracted without changing everything.
These young artists ventured into the unknown, and were delighted to create a magical world together that no one of them could have imagined or created alone. They were able to go beyond what they thought was possible when they connected to their own creativity and to each other. They experienced the kind of creativity, synergy, and teamwork that will be required to find solutions to climate change. This is essential for young people growing up in our rapidly changing world.
“Inspired By Nature” illustrates the truth that everyone belongs, a precious and irreplaceable part of the whole. This is true of every living thing. I hope this show is a step towards collaboratively creating a sustainable future for our imperiled planet that honors this truth.
![Our installation started with a flower-breathing dragon and a tree of life.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1670361494815-AYBCMYTNRSLEGAEP3MOQ/1000pxl+woodmere+entrance.jpg)
![This gallery view shows the forest wall.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663355420339-0QUC1RIG4RPSJY7YN4RJ/woodmere%2C+1000pxl+giraffte+%2B+tree%2C+IMG_0072.jpg)
![Liam had a clear vision of a transparent tree at the heart of this ecosystem. It was the first piece that was built, and set the tone of ambition and imagination for the whole show. They were ingenious in figuring out a way it could come apart for t](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663355971583-888FFX1OHZ2HHDSD7SZL/1000pxl+6.+Liam+and+Zivia+engineering+the+armature+and+outer+ksin+of+the+free-standing+tree%2C+IMG_9333.jpg)
![Morgan and Levan, along with Emile, prototyped the bas relief tree.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663355846907-5N6P9CG2K26CDXW62IRE/1000pxl+7.+Morgan+and+Levon+building+the+protype+tree%2C+IMG_9404.jpg)
![They were pleased and amazed to make something taller than they are.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1660946469926-APRBD7H308V4QJ6NWC0P/IMG_9453%2C+100pxl+morgan+and+tree+and+lavon.jpg)
![Indie did a lot of work to solve the tricky engineering problem of how to get a tall vertical structure to stand on four legs. It gave her a real appreciation of all the balancing mammals need to do in order to stand up. Thanks to Molly for her assi](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663356118017-3UZOF7HIVTED2HZ8HUUZ/1000pxl+6.+Molly+helping+Indie+with+her+armature%2C+IMG_9612.jpg)
![Liam built this animal and handed it off before returning to college. Babacar and Damian were delighted by seeing by the way their color scheme transformed it into a whole new mythical creature.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663355847807-RL1FQKG19K91JVESP4PH/1000pxl+4.+Babacar+and+Damian+painting+their+creature%2C+IMG_9912.jpg)
![Rae was endlessly patient in creating each leaf for her plant.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663357422451-D6CFTO750DGJBPDKVI4R/1000pxl+full+rae+painting+leaves%2C+IMG_9649+%281%29.jpg)
![This gallery view shows the ocean wall.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663356246801-XY6P0MZG4FSBJHN7DROU/woodmere%2C+1000px%3B+tree+%2B+ocean%2C+IMG_0063.jpg)
![Eamonn and Elliot were excited about doing the “great reveal” to see how the tie dyes we made to be the ocean turned out.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663356354915-WCQP7UW3ZOHAS1D0589V/1000pxl+9.+Eamon+and+Elliot+revealing+their+ocean+tie-dyes%2C+IMG_9946.jpg)
![Eamonn and Amon, along with Elliot, had many elaborate negotiations about how they would paint their flying rainbow dolphin, and they were really satisfied with the result. Jessica worked independently, following her own vision for a bloom of jellyf](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663355846914-X90D52Q9D2739LO2OI0P/1000pxl+5.+Eamon%2C+Amon%2C+and+Jessica+painting+their+creatures%2C+MG_9892.jpg)
![Rae and Logan making their big sea turtle.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663357878657-4LHQ2JCORTX0XLXY9OE4/1000pxl+rae+and+logan+building+their+turtle%2C+IMG_9822.jpg)
![The gallery view shows the deep ocean.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7ca7f4cd39c3ad2a6819b6/1663355396881-JC6MRR9TFR1250H9FT5Q/woodmere%2C+1000pxl+deep+ocean+%2B+hall%2C+IMG_0073.jpg)