Land Art Exhibit
April 8 - May 6 during Garden hours
General Admission
A celebration of art, nature, and the environment.
The Garden serves the community as an outdoor gathering space. The Land Art Exhibit is an annual reminder that we can create, grow, and share our space while being mindful of our impact on the environment.
Land Art showcases the work of talented artists who use natural materials to create stunning sculptures and installations. These works of art are a reminder of the beauty of the natural world and the importance of preserving it for future generations. The Land Art Exhibit also provides an opportunity for visitors to reflect on the environment and the impact that humans have on it.
Join us this spring for a wonderful opportunity to celebrate local artists’ amazing range of talents. Attendees can expect to see a wide variety of art forms and interpretations of “earthwork.”
Sunny Dawn Freeman
"Through the act of gathering items from nature to assemble and display in a balanced and cohesive design, one enters into a state of oneness and peace with the natural world. It’s as if each item communicates to the creator its desire be chosen and included. The Earth Mandala emanates this energy and if the viewer is present with the artwork, will also sense this feeling of peace and oneness as they take it in.
The circle is a symbol of oneness and each item in the circle has its place and belongs. The Earth Mandala may also evoke from the viewer an appreciation for each unique and simple natural item, and at the same time recognize the value it adds to the completeness of the whole, in a way mimicking the individual and how each one of us in unique and seemingly simple, yet the landscape of society would not be complete without each and every one of us."
Mary Arnold
"I was born and raised on my parents’ Idaho farm, fiercely independent and in love with nature. My goal in my art is to emphasize humanity’s connection to nature and carry a message of conservation through my art. My art style, firmly seated in the Fauve tradition, uses color to project a mood and to establish a structure within the art piece.
I focus on depicting the geology, animals and wildlife of the west. When I paint to express nature, I seek to separate color from its descriptive, representational purpose and allow it to exist on the canvas as an independent element without having to be true to the natural world. "
Idahoan Mary Arnold grew up aware of the importance of land and animal stewardship and she never tires of capturing the concept of conservation in her visual art. Arnold holds a BBA from the University of Texas, an International MBA from Thunderbird/ASU.
Gabrielle Krake
"I come from meadows and mountains where dogs howl late at night to a smiling moon. My life was carved from the forests of the last frontier and doused in the light of the aurora borealis. The first time I went to a dentist I was a teenager. The man with a shiny office and handfuls of sharp tools marveled at how it was possible to raise a child in such contrast to modern society and not have any rotten spots, a social security number or more than one pair of shoes. That pristine space burned a notion in me about the wild things colliding with the machine molded things and how that relationship can inspire or terrify at any given moment. Looking closely at my work, from the very beginning, it has always asked, “how does the natural and person-made coincide, conflict, build-up and tear down? What does my own resistance or acceptance lend to this life of art?”
The threads woven into the tapestry of my life and work; the last 28 years have found me filling walls with magical lands, constructing mythical spaces to inspire children, exploring the depths of purpose through textiles, unearthing fears of commercialism and selling out. I’ve layered trash with glue until it resembles Art, raked soil into prize winning gardens and painted surfaces with whimsey & delight. I am perpetually compelled to lure myself in the game of creation. Nature and Person…
I make because I must."
Anneliese Krake
Anneliese Krake is a self-taught artist focusing on re-purposing common objects into art. She creates fantastic pieces from custom-painted clothing to magical gardens.
Michele Lesica
Michele’s work as an artist is greatly influenced by nature. She is fascinated by the forms, texture, and repetition found in nature.
Not only does she enjoy working with clay, wood, metal and natural materials, but she enjoys creating beautiful plant combinations and landscapes. Michele looks at plants as works of art.
She loves plant combinations that utilize the color and texture of plants to the fullest. Michele’s work reflects how she feels in nature: calm, reflective, refreshed, and revitalized.
Hannah Hegdahl
Hello! My name is Hannah Hegdahl and am currently the Greenhouse and Nursery Coordinator at the Idaho Botanical Garden. I grew up in the beautiful state of Utah, enjoying the outdoors as much as possible. From rock climbing to the great snowy mountains, I got to explore all the vast different landscapes Utah has to offer. This helped to find my passion for plants!
My love of horticulture and public gardens expanded when I attended University of Utah in Salt Lake City. I was lucky enough to acquire a work study job at Red Butte Garden and Arboretum. My job was to assist in anyway around the greenhouses. That beautiful place brought me to Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho. My journey at IBG started out as me volunteering within horticulture then proceeded to me working there! Happy to call this wonderful city and garden my home now.
Ada Fryer
The artist created this piece to bring awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Peoples movement (MMIW). The purpose of the piece is to raise awareness of the injustices that still occur on this land today and to encourage others to do things in a good way. This piece is meant to be a collective offering to memorialize all those taken too soon and as an opportunity for families to remember and honor their loved ones. Donations can be made to directly support local MMIW’s on this land at Indigenous Idaho Alliance.
Ada grew up in Kooskia, Idaho, on Nimiipuu land. She currently works in the mental health field, and is pursuing her Masters in Social Work. Ada is interested in utilizing holistic modalities to facilitate healing. She is specifically interested in how creativity and nature can be used to promote socio-emotional awareness. She credits her vivid imagination and respect for nature to growing up in the Idaho wilderness. Ada strives to create art that utilizes nature to inspire others to consider different perspectives.