Collaboration with Jillian Sico
Jillian Sico is a printer, papermaker, and bookbinder. We collaborated on her MFA thesis titled Mycorrhizae as part of the Book Arts program at the University of Alabama. Mycorrhizae explores connectivity and loss from a personal and ecological perspective through an examination of mycorrhizal fungi. Together, Jillian and I wrote the text for a letter pressed pamphlet. The cover of the pamphlet is made from Alabama kozo paper inoculated with chanterelle spores. If you would like to see more of Jillian’s work click her name below.
Collaboration with Alexis Elton
Alexis Elton is an artist working with site-as-material to form connections with plants, soil, and other living beings. Alexis’s artistic practice includes the generation of hydrosols or aromatic waters, steam distilled in small batches with wild foraged or sustainably grown plants. As part of a project exploring root trait diversity of hardwood tree species, Alexis generated a hydrosol scent experience by distilling tree roots from Liriodendron tulipifera and Quercus rubra, allowing Morton Arboretum staff and researchers to experience the hidden botanical scents of these trees. If you would like to learn more about Alexis’s work click her name below.
Collaboration with Maria Whiteman
Maria Whiteman is an artist in social practice at Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute. Maria is inspired by the fungal diversity in the hardwood forests near Bloomington. Together we experimented with processes and techniques to grow fungi as part of Maria’s living fungal BioArt. Maria’s photographs of fungal hyphae and BioArt were included in the 2020 Exhibition “Picturing Indiana's Biodiversity,” a traveling exhibition Curated by Betsy Stirratt, Director of Grunwald Gallery of Art . If you would like to see more of Maria’s work click her name below.
Collaboration with Michael Benson
Michael Benson (pictured above) is a tree ecophysiologist currently pursuing his PhD in the Novick Lab at Indiana University. Michael and I are currently exploring the effects of drought on above and belowground carbon allocation in hardwood tree species native to Indiana. More to come!
