Avant Gardener by Lisa D. Watson will be available for viewing through May 5th in the Main Gallery, weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Watson is both an artist and a gardener, and in this show her concern with human sprawl fuses with her love for plants and animals, pushing her to create multilayered artwork that sparks a deeper awareness of the human impact on nature. Since 2019, with the help of biologists, rangers, and regional naturalists, she has ventured into the surrounding landscapes of the Southeast to study endangered, threatened and rare plants.
Watson’s work attracted a big turnout at the opening reception. Trinity Episcopal’s Green Team set up a station for visitors to pot plants in repurposed or reused vessels. The touring show has been displayed previously in Savannah, at Sulfur Studios and at the Coastal Discovery Museum in Hilton Head. People of all ages can enjoy and learn from this interactive exhibit.
Avant Gardener is a joint venture with Georgia Southern University. Watson has some pieces exhibited at GSU’s Interdisciplinary Academic Building (IAB) on campus. She will be participating in GSU’s Sustainability Week and giving a lecture entitled How to See a Hidden Forest at the IAB on April 12 at 5:30 p.m. The Main Gallery at the Averitt Center is sponsored by sponsored by Burney Marsh & John Tucker, Bill & Virginia Anne Franklin Waters, Lawrence & Kathleen Smith, Drs. Patrick & Theresa Novotny, The Statesboro Regional Art Association, and Frazier’s Flowers. For more information about the exhibit visit www.art-ldw.com/#/avantgardener/.
