For several nights at the end of October at the Red Oak Rain Garden on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, 57 jack-o’-lanterns glowed and smiled or snarled in their way, while a nature-based art show celebrated the temporary aspects of seasons and memory.
Around 400 visitors joined in to help celebrate Halloween and explore “Illuminating Art in Nature,” a whimsical exhibit of 16 art student-created sculptures evoking fleeting childhood memories and nostalgia that were displayed around the garden’s fall foliage. The student artists represented two university classes in the Department of Fine and Applied Art and they were involved in both creating art and curating it.
The jack-o’-lanterns lining the garden border were created by students living in Unit One Allen Hall, a nearby dorm, showcasing a diverse array of designs. While some pumpkins drew inspiration from the Red Oak Rain Garden’s native plants and the wildlife that benefits from the garden, such as owls and bats, others featured traditional jack-o’-lantern faces and a variety of creative themes. A winning pumpkin was chosen on Halloween.
“The entire event was designed to use and promote sustainable practices,” said Eliana Brown, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant stormwater specialist and the garden director. “It incorporated biodegradable materials, including pumpkins and the sculptures’ natural elements, which have been composted.”
“Illuminating Art in Nature” was presented by the University of Illinois Extension, specifically the Red Oak Rain Garden team. The garden’s mission is to be a venue for exemplary rainwater management and to provide outreach, education and service learning as well as opportunities for on-campus research.
You can learn more about “Illuminating Art in Nature” by visiting the Red Oak Rain Garden blog or see photos of the art in the event guide.
Photo by Fred Zwicky/University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, education, outreach and technology transfer. In partnership with the University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant brings science together with communities for solutions that work.
