Friday, September 11, 2020
Aqua art Alicia Young “The State We’re In Water” exhibit is led by artists Marguerite Perret, Robin Lasser and Bruce Scherting.
By Christopher Sneed The OSU Museum of Art’s newest exhibit intends to dazzle and prompt deep thinking. About water. Artists, scientists and community members came together to create a free waterthemed exhibit at the Museum of Art, scheduled to run until May 29. The State We’re In Water: Constructing a Sense of Space in Water, displays the combined efforts of artists Robin Lasser, Marguerite Perret and Bruce Scherting. With help from various scientists, professors and engineers, the artwork creates an experience for diverse visitors. Kristin Duncan, the marketing specialist for the museum, said that there is something for everyone: whimsical pieces, digital art on screen and poetry readings as part of five installations. “This exhibition can be heavy in terms of science and really you can get out of it what you are interested in, but it also is just beautifully put together,” Duncan said. Perret took objects found along waterways and sealed them in ceramic to create The Tangled Strangled Bank exhibit. Works
such as the combination of feminine hygiene products and seashells, transforms the area into a dreamlike space. The artist’s intention is to get people talking about water and how it is impacted by humans, Duncan said. The Stillwater Wastewater Treatment Plant assisted with locating many of the objects such as toothbrushes, pill bottles and bullet shells. Going beyond the visuals, the exhibit encourages thoughts about the environment and even human disposal in terms of how the things we take into our bodies make their way into water sources, sometimes with harmful consequences. “When I take birth control or ibuprofen, it gets into the water stream and it affects the ecosystem, fish reproduction, species of frogs and things that rely on the water,” Duncan said. In addition to scientific and artistic inspiration, a few of the works are emotional. Lasser displays an homage to her mother in a series titled “The Weather Report.” Inspired by her time in Japan during a typhoon, the work is a mix of kaleidoscope and assembled symbolism. These are a study of how water interacts with surfaces. However, the more personal aspects are inspired by her mother. Lasser discovered a book of poetry written by her mother after her death. Coincidentally, the writings were poetry-themed. The book sits among the artwork in the exhibit. One piece is a direct tribute to her mother, which visitors can locate under the screen showcasing Lasser’s moving digital art. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com
Erin Williams The Horticulture Resource Center.
Tree Thoughts By Annemarie Chaney After more than 10 years in the making, the horticulture club’s project has finally come to fruition! The club for years has wanted to document each and every living tree on the university’s campus. Few have taken on the task, but one student, in particular, has figured out how to do that exact action. Could you imagine naming, measuring and categorizing every single living tree at Oklahoma State University? Although it would be an overwhelming task, this is exactly the undertaking that university arborist Caitlin Gipson recently tackled. We now know that the total value of all of the more than 3,000 trees on campus is estimated at over 9 million dollars. Without a doubt, that is an extremely secure investment! Gipson got to leave her mark on the crowd at the first meeting of the Horticulture Club, bringing to light an interactive map of campus on OSU’s official website that identifies every single tree we got! Horticulture is the art or practice of garden cultivation and management and is an incredible necessary party of society in terms of studying plants and helping manage the environment. As you can imagine, a lot went into the project. With trees and seasons changing the “tree map” is nearly a constant job, and it’s not the only thing that Caitlin Gipson inherited as our new orange arborist. At the meeting, Gipson got in touch with her roots by naming her favorite tree, which is the sycamore outside of Old Central. This was the tree that her grandmother sat under during her time at OSU, as old as it is, the sunset of its lifespan is approaching quickly. If you have a moment while you are walking by, give a little bit of time to observing this piece of still living history. She ended her presentation with the offer to provide five selected students from the Hort Club with the chance to plant three trees on campus. Gipson is perfect with handling any questions for those who have interest n arborist opportunities. She was the first of a slew of professionals to come speak on behalf of Hort Club, providing for students real-world experience and opportunities in the field of horticulture. The Horticulture Club is still open to new members and meets on the first Thursday of every month with free food, a guest speaker and the opportunity to take home real scholarships for your involvement.
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Alicia Young ter’ a w l l i t Dr. Lavanchy’s “Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water” class touring “The State We’re S SIn Water.”
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