Conservation Trust and Fivesparks create ‘Destination:Nature’

Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature. —Marcus Tullius Cicero

The Harvard Conservation Trust and Fivesparks have collaborated on “Destination:Nature,” a kickoff celebration of the trust’s 50th anniversary. A juried exhibit of artworks, each inspired by one of the trust’s 36 conservation lands, is on display at Fivesparks until Dec.17. Cash prizes and honorable mentions were announced at an artist reception Nov. 5, and a public reception will take place Saturday, Nov. 12, 3 to 6 p.m. Throughout the duration of the show, visitors are invited to vote for the People’s Choice award, the winner of which will be announced at the close of the exhibit.

The show calls attention to how integral both the trust and the arts collaborative are to the unique character of Harvard. Perhaps the best way to appreciate the Conservation Trust’s efforts is to imagine the town without its 4,000 acres of protected land. Since 1973 the volunteer-based, nonprofit land trust has been acquiring land, protecting resources, and maintaining trails for the education and enjoyment of the town. Fivesparks, the nonprofit community arts collaborative, provides opportunities for diverse cultural and social experiences in the greater community. Since 2017 it has brought vitality to the town center through classes, art exhibits, musical events, storytelling, and lectures.

The idea for “Destination:Nature” came from Ana Hedberg, a trustee and artist, who said she loves walking and painting on the town conservation lands, becoming “one with the surroundings.” The months-long collaboration evolved into a juried art show—the first organized by Fivesparks—open to artists throughout the region, working in a diversity of media. A crowning addition is an immersive video installation created by Bearwalk Cinema of Harvard.

In talking about “Destination:Nature,” trustee Gina Ashe said the trust is excited to be celebrating the hundreds of acres of protected land in Harvard and to have had submissions from more than 50 artists from surrounding areas, each inspired by some aspect of one of those lands. Fivesparks president Mark Mikitarian sees the exhibit as a way to “connect people in both directions.” Those already engaged with Harvard’s outdoor resources can see how artists have interpreted those same places, and they can go back to the land with a new perspective.

A juried show

Sarah Montross, senior curator at deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, a property of The Trustees of Reservations, was the juror for the show. She chose entries from among online submissions and worked with Mikitarian on the final choices for the galleries. They ended up with a total of 53 works, each accompanied by an artist statement and brief description of the land’s inspiration. Fivesparks board members Mamie Wytrwal and AnaMaria Nanra hung the show—an art in itself—on Oct. 31, and on Nov. 3 Montross came to Fivesparks to make her award selections.

“Woods,” a work of fiber art by Johanna Tiemann of Lowell, won first place.(Courtesy photo)

Montross told the Press she judges three or four shows a year and is always happy to have the opportunity to learn about artists in the area. She sees it as part of her role to know about what’s happening in communities close to Lincoln. She said the number of entries for “Destination: Nature” showed how the event stimulated creativity because all entries were new works—it was “a reflection of the community.” Nineteen of the artists are from Harvard; others are from as far away as Marblehead, Watertown, and Kingston. All works in the show are for sale.

It was exciting to see the diversity of both media and approach, said Montross: “One can see what is possible.” She said the majority are paintings in the landscape tradition, which is a process of observation that requires focus and absorption in the landscape. Because the entries are in so many different media, she said there are no absolute criteria for judging; each one has to be judged on its individual merits, on how inventive the piece is. Montross described some of the things she looks for. She said she is most drawn to pieces through technique, those that have creative command of the brushstrokes or inventive materials. For Montross, an artist stands out who can “take the familiar in an original way—and make you pause.”

In the large gallery she pointed out three different pieces to briefly show what stood out for her and how her process works. In one she pointed out the delicate lines of a wire fence—very hard to do with watercolor, she said—and the “modern” feel of the painting. In another she remarked on the inventive use of paint on silk and the unusual shapes that make a kind of mosaic. A drawing in the tradition of the botanical print has “its own stamp,” using felting in a naturalistic way. Looking around, she commented, “I love how many people we’re seeing, how many creators are here around us.”

Shades of green dominate the walls, from the rolling hills of the Williams land to the fields at Powell-Reed-Abbot to the lily pads at Bowers Springs. There are the vistas at Fruitlands: the sunset and the soft fog settling on the mountains. And views across Delaney wetlands, sunlight through the bare trees on a winter’s day at the Oxbow, and the stone steps at the Shaker herb drying shed.

There were three cash prizes announced on Nov. 5 (see sidebar). The first-place winner received $500 and an invitation to have an exhibit at Fivesparks at a future time. Five works received honorable mention. Montross’ comments are posted next to the winners’ works, and viewers may compare their own responses with those of the professional juror.

An immersive video installation

One of the most inspiring aspects of the exhibit is upstairs in the loft area. The open wall has been blocked off from below by a cloth with a painted woodland scene. The darkened room is filled with greenery. Nanra, Fivesparks exhibits manager and volunteer coordinator, said what fun it was to help figure out how to transform the room, making the disclaimer that “it was the only time I’ll accept fake plants.”

Showing on two screens, 11 feet wide and 5½ feet high, is a looping video lasting about 18 minutes. It shows scenes of Harvard’s conservation areas in all times of the year, and through time-lapses, the same spot in different seasons. Viewers are drawn into each site as they follow a path farther into autumn grasses, move slowly up the trunk of a huge tree into branches above, skim over a peaceful pond, or watch oncoming snowflakes being driven through the woods. The viewer is immersed in shifting moods and colors, close-ups and vistas. The film captures how extensive and varied the town’s protected lands are—and how beautiful. Nanra said she has overheard visitors having fun trying to identify the various sites.

The installation is the work of Bearwalk Cinema, whose founders, Daniela Goncalves and Brian Tortora, live with their toddler on Littleton Road. Of their move to Harvard a few years ago Goncalves wrote in an email, “The first aspect of the town that drew us in was the amount of green space all around. Here was a town that cares deeply about preservation. That moved us.” They became involved with the Harvard Conservation Trust. “While the video took a while to film, over a couple years, the idea of it was quite simple: showing others the beauty we see in these protected lands. When it’s right in our backyards, we might forget to look but it’s there, there’s beauty all around us.”

Exhibit hours

The show is on display Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 6 p.m.; Friday, noon to 3 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 12, the gallery is open for a public reception from 3 to 6 p.m. only.