Sustainability exhibit at Ohio State Marion campus opens in time for Earth Week

The Wayne & Geraldine Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery in Morrill Hall is presenting the informational gallery exhibition “Sustainability Stories” through May 31.

The idea for the inaugural sustainability exhibit came from a Jan. 1 New York Times article on climate museum pop-ups in SoHo, a neighborhood in Lower Manhatten, according to Leslie Beyer-Hermsen, Ohio State Marion assistant dean and exhibit organizer

“With the wealth of information that The Ohio State University has available to present on such a timely topic as climate, particularly in the context of sustainability, it made sense that we might want to create our own pop-up museum in our art gallery − just in time for Earth Week,” Beyer-Hermsen explained.

“I approached our faculty and staff to which I received an overwhelming response including providing student research, art and literary pieces, as well as their own," she noted. "In addition, we have one community partner this year, The Marion Microfarm Project, who contributed information for the exhibit."

“We've been thrilled at the outpouring of support and participation putting this exhibition together. It speaks to the culture of sustainability that exists on this campus and even outside of it,” said Ben McCorkle, exhibition collaborator and Ohio State Marion professor of English. “Ultimately, we hope people come away from this experience mindful of the role they play in cultivating sustainable practices in their larger communities."

Art, pottery, research and documentation

Organizers said visitors will experience a collection containing various artifacts, including art, poetry, research and documentation of community projects − all of which address sustainability.

While each display might come from a different perspective − anthropology, the biological sciences, fine art, poetry, the citizen agriculture movement − these are all, in their own way, stories. Stories of possible futures grounded in sustainable practices. Stories of quiet inspiration borne out of observing nature. Stories of exploration into the problems plaguing our biosphere. Stories of purposeful hands turning soil so that we might better feed the bodies and souls of ourselves and others.

"Sustainability Stories" is curated to reflect a series of loosely interconnected themes. As visitors continue clockwise along the opening west wall of the gallery, they will first encounter the section called “Laying Down Roots,” a group of pieces reflecting the history of our interactions with the land and the impact those practices have on us today and in days to come.

Turning the corner, guests next see the section called “Spreading Seeds,” a notion to be taken as both metaphorical (the movement of people, idea, cars and bicycles) and literal (as in the practice of making seed bombs), resulting in changes to our habits and our natural spaces.

As gallery guests move toward the recessed corner of the gallery, they’ll encounter “New Growth,” a collection of pieces depicting the idea of rebirth and new beginnings. Exhibit attendees will then find the section “Digging Our Own Future,” which showcases displays of how we have taken matters into our own hands, so to speak, to produce our own food while helping maintain healthy soil, water and wildlife. Lastly “Watershed,” hopes attendees will contemplate a critical point marking a change in course of our mindset and habits regarding our use of natural resources.

"The goal of the 'Sustainability Stories' is to inform, inspire and call to action,” Beyer-Hermsen said. "The hope is that the exhibit will inspire individuals who come through the gallery to find ways to insert themselves over the next year and into the future in some of these initiatives.

“Our intention is to build next year’s sustainability exhibition off of the said initiatives, including highlighting campus and community sustainability collaborations,” she added.

The exhibit is funded by The Ohio State University Sustainability Institute.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Ohio State Marion presents 'Sustainability Stories' gallery exhibit