February 1 – February 28, 2019
Silver Center for the Arts, Lobby Gallery
Opening Reception: February 5, from 4-6pm
Cluster project exhibit. Co-curated by Rachelle Lyons.
Katama Murray brought the Museum of the White Mountains an exhibit where science meets art and design. This exhibit illustrated a comprehensive effort to map vernal pool resources within the greater Plymouth area. It also documented the presence and absence of amphibian species of special concern and species of greatest conservation need as identified by the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan. This exhibit was also a way to reach out to the community in an inclusive way to teach them about Vernal Pools and the amphibians that live in them.
Katama Murray
BFA Printmaking 2019, Plymouth State University
Vernal Pool: Local Action to Preserve Biodiversity
Q: What made you want to put on an exhibit about vernal pools?
A: Over the past couple of years at PSU there has been ongoing research and studies conducted by several students and faculty members. While we currently understand and know a great deal about vernal pools in general, there is still a lot that we do not know, and have yet to discover. By showcasing scientific and artistic work being done locally, both on campus and in the community, we are giving vernal pools and important wildlife a voice and a presence in our anthropocentric world. Vernal pools are directly affected by human existence; whether it is pollutants contaminating water resources that are essential for breeding and species existence, or roadways and urbanization creating dangerous migration pathways, we have the power to either hurt or help these species. Art is a great way to open others eyes to things occurring around them, and here in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, vernal pools are abundant and require our effort to preserve and protect them.
Q: What was your favorite part of the process?
A: The process of organizing and installing an exhibition is a rewarding experience because you literally get to see ideas come to life. It’s wonderful getting to work with multiple people from different backgrounds and with contrasting interests. It was also wonderful to work with students at the Blue Heron School at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Their enthusiasm for learning and making is what makes this project and work even more exciting. People at their young age are vital members of our community who will be able to create positive change in the future. To be able to assist them with their artwork, include them in the exhibit, and see how happy they were to be a part of it all was an honor. It reminds us why this type of work is important, and that we are helping to educate and inspire the next generation of artists and scientists.
Q: What was the most important part of this exhibit for you?
A: The most important aspect of this exhibit was not only combining art and science together, but the idea of having visitors walk away with a greater sense of knowledge and responsibility. It is our hope that after seeing the exhibit and the work many people have contributed, that they are more aware of their own role in this larger ecosystem, and they have the ability to be a citizen scientist. Citizen science is one of the most important ways people can be involved in important studies happening all around us. By submitting your own natural observations and findings you are adding information to an ongoing database of knowledge. This knowledge is used and will be hopefully be used hundreds of years from now to help us better understand our natural surroundings. Another important aspect of this exhibit is to send a message that awareness and communicating is crucial, even in a small community like Plymouth. By sharing information with others and advocating for the natural world, you can help inspire and motivate others to do the same.
Q: How did your art fit into this exhibit?
A: Ever since I can remember I have been intrigued by vernal pools and the miraculous creatures that inhabit and depend on them. I would always wait eagerly for early spring when the salamanders and frogs began to migrate and knew that I had the power as an individual to assist these species that are often directly affected by us. As an artist and a maker, it is a powerful feeling to know that I have the option to utilize my creative energy and knowledge to help others. It was about a year ago from now when I started to become even more interested and inspired by vernal pool life and the incredible annual migration they complete. At the time I was starting to experiment more with different screen printing techniques and modes of installing work, so I wanted to expand my work even more by printing approximately sixty different reptile and amphibian species with the idea of creating a migration journey, Vernal Migration. I was honored when Cynthia Robinson asked me to help with this exhibit and was interested in having my artwork showcased along with other student and faculty work. This semester I wanted to create another piece, Through the Seasons: Vernal Pool life, that not only illustrated some seasonal behaviors of certain species but that also textually displayed how they live throughout the many months of the year. They are mysterious creatures and a lot of information is still yet to be discovered about them and vernal pools in general. By sharing my own admiration and knowledge for them through art, I am hopeful that others will be inspired to act and create as well, continuing to search for more answers and ideas.
Q: Why did you include Karl Drerup into the exhibit?
A: During the planning process of choosing work to be included in this exhibit, we were reminded of the wonderful work of Karl Drerup (1904-2000), whose work and legacy holds a very special presence here at PSU. Drerup’s illustrative print and enamel work fit perfectly into the exhibit as a whole, and it was great to incorporate his whimsical pieces with current students, honoring his many years of hard work in the Art Department. Like so many who live here, Drerup was fascinated by the natural world, and it’s no surprise that vernal pool life was depicted in his colorful creations.
Q: How were you able to connect the science and the art aspects together?
A: Something that many people often forget it that art is connected to everything and anything. There is an art to everything, whether it is conducting surveys in the woods searching for vernal pools, creating an installation with handmade artwork, or spreading awareness about vernal pools to other people and communities. While words, graphs, lists, and other scientific information can be art in its own way, other types of art such as drawing, collage, and printmaking are great tools for conveying ideas in different modes of translation. In my own mind, art and science are one in the same.
Rachelle Lyon
Research Assistant Professor Center for Business & Community Partnerships
Plymouth State University
Q: What exactly is the class description?
A: This class is titled Local Stewardship Action. The concept is that we can take action right here in our ‘backyards’ to address what seems like overwhelming global scale issues; such as the loss of biodiversity.
Q: How did the work that the class did fit into the exhibit?
A: There have been a few iterations of the course. The art aspects were truly the work of Katama Murray. She joined us in the filed last spring as we were mapping vernal pools and identifying migration hotspots. She was able to capture some great photographs.
Q: Have you ever done an exhibit like this and how did it change the work that you did in the field?
A: I have never been a part of an exhibit, but I have had the privilege of integrating art and science in several settings, both informal education and with creative K-12 educators. The practices of science and the discipline of visual arts offer rich ground for celebrating the wonders of the natural world.
Q: What is it like working with the kids?
A: There is a beauty in working with children that I relish. When we are witness to children exploring the world, encountering firsts, we are reminded of the power of a beginner’s mind, of just how wonder-filled the world truly is.
Q: Do you think that the art and science aspects of this exhibit work well together?
A: I think there is endless opportunity to cultivate stewardship of vernal pool resources through the merging of art and science. Katama and Hannah Bolstridge have additional activates planned to reach broader audiences with the message of Natural Resource Stewardship using this exhibit as the launching pad.
Exhibit Images and Text
Local Stewardship Action Class
This Plymouth State University course:
Explores biodiversity decline within the local context. It focuses on a comprehensive effort to map vernal pool resources and document the presence/absence of amphibian species of special concern and species of greatest conservation need as identified by the NH Wildlife Action Plan. Includes significant outreach and collaboration with stakeholders. Loss of biodiversity is well documented as a major concern in the Anthropocene. The highest rates of extinction appear to be among reptiles and amphibians. There is an expressed lack of data for amphibian species occurrence across the state of New Hampshire. Is an opportunity for students to apply their studies to significant ecological challenges while building field skills, engaging in transdisciplinary collaboration, and serving external partners.
PSU Student Solution:
In response to this need, PSU students launched the Vernal Pool Project-Local Action to Preserve Biodiversity. Through research, education, outreach and community engagement, this project has aimed to document critical aquatic resources, preserve wildlife habitat, inform management practices and cultivate active local stewardship. This is a multi-faceted project that continues to evolve and expand. Since spring of 2016, students have been conducting on the ground assessments to better understand how local amphibian populations are faring, and have worked in collaboration with state and municipal leadership, private landowners and K-12 students. The team mapped vernal pools and migration pathways, critical for successful breeding. They have documented both frog and salamander diversity and tested for Chytridiomycosis. Chytrid is a well-documented threat to amphibians in other locales, but its occurrence and potential impacts on NH amphibian populations are not well understood.
Vernal Pool:
Science meets design in this exhibit which illustrates a comprehensive effort to map vernal pool resources within the greater Plymouth area and document the presence/ absence of amphibian species of special concern and species of greatest conservation need as identified by the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan. In this PSU “cluster project” students and faculty have conducted outreach efforts to cultivate community wide stewardship of vernal pool habitats and the amphibians that depend on them.
Artwork:
Vernal Pool Life Through the Seasons
Katama Murray
Watercolor, ink, natural objects
2019
In December 2018, MWM Director Cynthia Robinson was invited to visit the Blue Heron School to work with students to create artwork about vernal pools. The group shared their knowledge about how vernal pools work, who lives there, and the colors and habitats. The two classrooms of students then worked together to create landscapes showing vernal pools with and without moisture. During a second visit in January, 2019, Cynthia was joined by Vernal Pool exhibit designer, Katama Murray ‘19, who worked with students to create salamander and frog drawings.
In Field Work… Skills & Data Obtained:
We surveyed various habitat types for amphibian (frog and salamander) species occurrence in the Plymouth area (on lands that are privately owned as well as public lands and multi-use areas). We collected >100 swab samples from anurans to test for the presence of Bd through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing; of which 37 samples show a positive result.
Through these studies, we practiced skills such as field sampling techniques, identifying and mapping vernal pools, proper handling of wildlife/specimen, minimizing disturbance/impact to the ecosystem, lab safety, and decontamination protocol, as well as communication and outreach. We obtained valuable data that contributes to understanding the conditions of our current environment and can be used in future endeavors to preserve local biodiversity.
Additional research is needed to analyze results for spatial and temporal patterns and trends and we have questions regarding the influential factors of the spread of Bd and amphibian population declines. These studies can impact local policy to employ best practice measures in land use changes and urban development while educating community members in stewardship and resource inventory/conservation. Hannah Kingston & Nora Robichaud
Artwork:
Vernal Migration
Katama Murray
Photo emulsion screen prints, fine art digital prints
2018