A new exhibit in the city is combining art with plant science – highlighting the allure of our environment and the importance of protecting it. Artists with the Textile and Fabric Artists of Manitoba joined up with the University of Manitoba’s herbarium to access its collection of over 100,000 dried plant specimens to draw inspiration. “I think the sheer diversity in here is something that most people will never experience because although the grand majority of these plants come from Canada, we also have collections in here that come from other places,” said Carla Zelmer, an instructor of botanical courses at the university and one of the artists presenting in the exhibit. The artists went to the herbarium in January to gain inspiration for their work using microscopes and cameras to help break down the intricacies that make up nature. A description for the exhibit says this work helps bridge the gap between science and artistic expression. “Artists have been connected to botanical things for a very long time and you just have to walk into any hotel or public building and you’ll see these kinds of botanical arts because we find them appealing,” said Zelmer. “But they’re here in a scientific setting because they’re important to advance taxonomy, the study of genetics.” She believes artists are drawn to the herbarium because there is an art in itself to preserving these plants and there is a story to be told for each piece of the collection. The creations made from the inspiration of the herbarium will be on display starting Sept. 3 at La Maison Des Artistes Visuels Francophones. The exhibit is called Dry Media VIII: Plant Fibres and will run until Sept 19. “It’s really interesting the individual take on any artist’s expression of the materials and what they see here. You never know what you’re going to see and the artists are fantastic.”
