Re-Imagining Conservation: From the Ground Up
Swale House, Governor’s Island, NYC
Dates: May 5 - November 5, 2023
Open Saturdays and Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm at Swale House on Governors Island, NYC accessible by ferry https://www.govisland.com/plan-your-visit/ferry.
Opening Reception: May 20, 2023, 1-4 pm
An informal opportunity to view the work and mingle with artists, writers, and Creature Conserve staff
Artist-Led Events: May 21, 2023, 1-4 pm
Creature Conserve is delighted to partner with Swale House and the Urban Soils Institute to present Re-Imagining Conservation: From the Ground Up, an exhibition inviting viewers to imagine human-animal-soil interactions in ways that support healthier lives for all species.
This exhibition focuses on the role healthy soil plays in supporting a healthy ecosystem, which in turn supports healthy animals and healthy people. The artworks included in this exhibition present multiple lenses for viewing our relationships with soils, and prompts the viewer to ask: WHAT IF we imagine human-animal-soil interactions in ways that support healthier lives for all species? The exhibition includes works from 21 artists, 10 writers, and 2 performers from five countries.
Curated by Heather McMordie, Creature Conserve Arts Curator with support from Margaret Boozer (Co-Director, Art Extension Service, NYC Urban Soils Institute) and Mary Mattingly (Founder, Swale.)
Featuring artworks by Angela Baron, Chloe Bulpin, Donica Larade, Eileen Holland, Elizabeth Ellenwood, Emilie Houssart, Hayley Cranberry Small, Hernán Jourdan, Jeanne Dodds, Jenn Houle, Lee Fearnside, Lisa Schnell, Madison Woods, Mrinmayi Dalvi, Pamela Casper, Pooja Venkatachalam Kumar, Rachel Frank, Renee Crowley, Stephanie Garon, Uma Sharma
Performances by Kate Amrine, Kate Douglas
Writings by Adira Andlay, Catherine Fletcher, Catherine Raven, Derek Russell, Diana Renn, J. B. Moonstar, Juliana Roth, Mary Arnold, N Nitha Fathima, Uttama Patel, Lisa Schnell, and Susan Tacent.
Schedule of Events
May 20, 2023, 1-4 pm EST: Opening Reception
May 21, 2023, 1-4 pm EST: Artist-Led Events
Exhibiting Artists in Residence:
May 15 - 23, 2023: Rachel Frank, Artist in Residence at Swale House
June 12 - 18, 2023: Jeanne Dodds, Artist in Residence at Swale House
June 19 - 25, 2023: Emilie Houssart, Artist in Residence at Swale House
June 26 - July 2, 2023: Lisa Schnell, Artist in Residence at Swale House
August 1 - 6, 2023: Stephanie Garon, Artist in Residence at Swale House
August 27 - September 3, 2023: Kate Amrine, Artist in Residence at Swale House
September 4 - 10, 2023: Hayley Cranberry Small, Artist in Residence at Swale House
September 25 - October 8, 2023: Kate Douglas, Artist in Residence at Swale House
September 25 - October 8, 2023: Hernan Jourdan, Artist in Residence at Swale House
Additional Artists in Residence:
Our partners at Swale and USI are supporting residencies for artists, writers, scientists and others during Governors Island’s 2023 season as well. Visit their websites to learn more about their Artists in Residence:
2023 Swale Artists in Residence
Visiting the Exhibition
Swale is located in House #11 on Governors Island and is open Saturdays and Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm
Governors Island, NYC accessible by ferry https://www.govisland.com/plan-your-visit/ferry
About Swale House
Swale strives to enhance the quality and responsible use of public waterways and land; works to encourage New Yorkers to reconsider our relationships with environmental ecosystems; and changes perceptions and policies to increase the presence of edible perennial landscapes. Swale has been organized with the help of individuals, community groups, as well as city organizations in order to reinforce food and water as part of a cooperatively stewarded commons.
About NYC Urban Soils Institute
Recognizing the power of art to make abstract ideas visible and accessible, USI’s Art Extension seeks to:
Provide opportunities for artists and soil scientists to explore common interests and passions
Engender stewardship of our soil and ecology
Create an interactive community of scientists, artists, educators, and citizens
Promote soils education through fun, accessible, poetic, and unexpected means
Connect with other stewards of the earth
Our primary vehicles are residencies, symposia, and exhibitions in the United States and abroad.
About Governors Island
Governors Island is a 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor. Just minutes from Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront by ferry, the Island is a popular and unique destination with an award-winning park complemented by dozens of historic buildings, year-round educational and cultural facilities, a rich arts and culture program and 22-acre National Monument managed by the National Park Service.