Earth Week activities continue Wednesday, April 24, with featured Artist in Residence Conary Nicholas Howard-Rogers. Together, we will craft mini ecosystems in the MakerSpace and witness our ability to shape the environment firsthand.
Howard-Rogers will guide us in creating contained ecosystems using recycled jars, native plants, soil, and water. Families and children will engage in hands-on environmental education while exploring their artistic processes. Microcosms can be taken home to observe their growth over time or added to a collaborative installation in MakerSpace.
In addition to creating these miniature worlds, Howard-Rogers will address environmental challenges specific to Maine, including those related to climate change. Throughout the experience, short activities will delve into topics such as the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, native species, and broader themes of sustainability and environmental awareness. Don't miss this creative environmental learning experience!
If you are able, please bring clear, clean jars with screw-top lids that are free of labels to use for your terrarium. Ideal examples are peanut butter, ketchup, or coconut oil jars. Please note: we cannot accept glass jars for this project.
Included with Admission.
Location: MakerSpace, 2nd Floor
About the Artist: Conary Nicholas Howard-Rogers is a Maine based artist, whose large-scale sculptural installations utilize scientific discovery and preservation techniques to explore the effects of time on the natural world. Howard-Rogers’ work bridges the gap between art and science and creates new perspectives surrounding climate change . His current work and research is being done in response to Maine’s quickly changing ecosystems with a specific focus on beneficial ecological action. Howard-Rogers received his degree in Biochemistry and Visual Art from Wheaton College. He has worked with galleries and businesses throughout New England to create site-specific work. In 2022 he received the Portland Museum of Art’s Tidal Shift Award for his artwork “Microcosms” which touched on the first hand effects Maine farmers experience as a result of climate change. Recently he has created work for Chestnut Hill Square in Boston MA, and for Wheaton College. Howard-Rogers is a founding member of the Staycation Collective based in Rockland ME, which aims to promote creative opportunities throughout the state.