River Restoration Project Combines Art & Science
The Nature of Art: Watershed Sculpture Installation begins near Truckee River
[RENO] As The Nature Conservancy in Nevada celebrates its 30th anniversary, it is partnering with the Nevada Museum of Art’s Center for Art + Environment and environmental artists, Daniel McCormick and Mary O'Brien, on an innovative project, The Nature of Art. Beginning in November, the San Francisco-based artists will create and install a sculpture made from native vegetation that will blend with restoration efforts at the Conservancy’s McCarran Ranch Preserve on the Truckee River near Reno. The artists, scientists and hundreds of volunteers completed the first installation at River Fork Ranch Preserve in the Carson Valley in May.
“In the West, Nevada's tradition of earth art will now include environmental works designed to give advantage to natural systems,” says Daniel McCormick. “We consider the collaboration an ingredient of our art process, and we’re pleased to become a part of the community in this way,” says Mary O’Brien. The sculptures will help direct water when it floods, create habitat and stabilize riparian areas in the Truckee and Carson River systems.
The Center for Art + Environment at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno will showcase The Nature of Art project during a four-month exhibition. Watershed Sculpture: Daniel McCormick and Mary O’Brien will be on view at the Nevada Museum of Art, Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts, E. L. Wiegand Gallery, December 6, 2014, through April 5, 2015. Additionally, the artist’s work will be archived.
Bill Fox, Director of the Center, says “‘Art that walks in the world’ is a phrase we use to describe interventions by artists that seek to address real-world problems. The work that Daniel and Mary do is unique, but also part of a worldwide movement that uses art to address environmental remediation.”
“This is an exciting project because it offers an opportunity to engage the entire community – from school children to corporate volunteers – who want to be a part of something rare and special,” says Mickey Hazelwood, the Conservancy’s Truckee River program director. “Not only does this collaboration add beauty to the area, it also supports wildlife and improves water quality.”
During the fall, there will be limited community and corporate volunteer events with expanded opportunities in the spring. To learn more about volunteering for The Nature of Art and other events, visit nature.org/volunteerNV.
Community members are encouraged to visit the preserve to witness the creation of these beautiful habitat and restoration sculptures. The first of two Truckee River installations will be built near the preserve’s trailhead. Visitors can also go hiking, trail running, horseback riding, bird watching, biking and fishing. Construction of the second Truckee River installation will take place in the spring.
About Watershed Sculpture Artists Daniel McCormick and Mary O’Brien:
Daniel McCormick and Mary O’Brien collaborate on ecological art installations that have remedial qualities. Working in both urban and agricultural watersheds McCormick and O’Brien respond to environmental issues by moving away from an anthropocentric view of nature to create ecological sculptures that work with natural systems. Their work is often ephemeral and temporal. When their interventions are completed and a restoration cycle is established, they intend that the artist presence become no longer apparent. More information on the artists at watershedsculpture.com.
Media Contact:
Amanda Horn/Nevada Museum of Art
[email protected] or 775-398-7228
