Decaying log known as “The Mothership” at Mountain Lake Biological Station
I was an artist in residence at Mountain Lake Biological Station in Pembroke, Virginia in late July/early August 2023. I was in residence with five other artists, a writer, biologists engaged in research, and biology and art students from the University of Virginia. The biologists were studying forked fungus beetles who make their home on decaying logs in the woods near the station. The intensity with which they were engaged with these beetles was fascinating to me.
Work in progress: The Mother
I worked on several projects while I was in residence. One is an ongoing project titled “The Mother.” She is a life-scale figure made of wool felt with hand-felted components. She represents Mother Earth birthing the creatures of our planet from her belly.
I also created two outdoor installation projects left on the site for other residents to interact with and perhaps take. The first was a collection of marker flags that were altered with long streamer tails to catch attention. I wrote messages on the flags that were my reflections of the people I met at the residency, some touching, and others humorous. They were sunk into the dirt in places, visible and hidden around the station.
For the second installation project, I put messages in bottles that I tacked to trees around the station. The messages were quotes from women naturalists, poets, and scientists. Some of the quotes were thought-provoking, “Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day.” - Shira Tamir. Some were more whimsical, “Just let go and fall like a little waterfall.” - Bob Ross. I was told that after I left two little girls that were living at the station had great fun locating the bottles.
Open House at Mountain Lake Biological Station
The station hosted an open house for the surrounding community towards the end of our residency time. I was asked to put “The Mother” on display even though she is a work in progress. It was beneficial for me to see how people responded to her. These young girls told me my project was their favorite thing (besides the snakes) they saw that day. Snakes are hard to top so this was quite an honor!
Visit to “The Mothership” log
The artists in residence ended our time here with one last visit to “The Mothership” log. Pictured are Ashley Williams, Matt king, Suzanna Fields, Stephen Vitiello in the distance, and Meredith Leich just out of the frame. I felt so fortunate to be in the company of these other artists as we all explored the station and responded to the environment in our own individual ways. I was deeply affected by the old growth woods, and the people at the station and I’m still processing how this experience will reveal itself in my work.