Pollinator Habitat Sculpture: Digital Reception

Attend Digital Opening Here

Sculpture Location:

2024 McCormick Blvd, Evanston IL 60201

About ​the ​Meg Chilidae, Prairie Sanctuary 
With support from the Evanston Arts Council, Chicago Sculpture International, and Horigan Urban Forest Products, artists Janet Austin and Emily Moorhead-Wallace, have created a pollinator habitat sculpture ​Meg Chilidae, Prairie Sanctuary​ for the Evanston Ecology Center. The main purpose of this project is to create an interactive sculpture that functions as a pollinator habitat and artwork thereby joining art and science. Named after the genus species, megachilidae,​ of the native pollinator Leafcutting Bee​, t​he artwork is intended to meet the optimal dwelling needs of indigenous pollinators, solitary bees, and other insects. Members of the Evanston community assisted in the creation of the habitats through programming at The Evanston Ecology Center. The main structure of the sculpture is fabricated in steel with wooden boxes for these habitat cells. Through the creation and maintenance of these pollinator habitat cells, community members will become educated on the proper needs of pollinator insects.

About The Evanston Ecology Center ​
The Evanston Ecology Center is a City of Evanston Facility, striving to foster a greater appreciation, awareness and knowledge of the natural environment and our interdependence with it through educational programs and services. The offerings of the Center range from introductory natural history classes covering areas such as plant identification and animal study, to popular summer camps that engage kids in environmentally focused outdoor activities.

The facility was built on the grounds of the Ladd Arboretum in 1974 and serves as a focal point for environmental education and volunteerism in Evanston and the surrounding community. The Evanston Environmental Association (EEA) helps supports the Evanston Ecology Center, the Center's educational programs, and the Ladd Arboretum.

About Chicago Sculpture International ​
Chicago Sculpture International is a 501(c) (3) membership organization established in 2004, devoted to championing sculptors and the creation of sculpture. Its members seek to expand the understanding and appreciation of sculpture through exhibits, workshops, and collaborations. Chicago Sculpture International brings sculpture to the community and promotes a community for sculpture and sculptors.

About ​Janet Austin​ ​http://www.janetaustinart.com/
Janet Austin received her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado and her Master’s degree in Printmaking and Art History from Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Fine Art in Florence Italy. Austin creates in sculptural media, including glass, mosaics, concrete, bronze, and steel. Her work has graced public spaces across the country, including parks, zoos, botanic gardens, plazas, and transportation hubs. Her pieces explore the relationships and connections between humans and nature on a monumental scale. Her sculpture “Attached” of a wasp on a nest with a poem is installed in Evanston on the Lakefront trail near Dempster. Currently she is president of Chicago Sculpture International.

About Emily Moorhead-Wallace ​https://emoorheadwallace.com/
Emily Moorhead-Wallace is an art and artist advocate in Chicago, Illinois. She earned a BFA in sculpture from Miami University of Ohio and a MFA in interdisciplinary fine arts from Washington University in St. Louis. Moorhead’s work is exhibited nationally, predominately in the central U.S. She has been a featured instructor at various institutions including Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois among others. She has been an artist in residence at The Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia, FugScreens in Chicago, Illinois, and the Springer School & Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Recent projects include her “Stationary Effort” series of kinetic, performative sound sculptures which have been exhibited at the Cincinnati Arts Association Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Gallery, the Miami University Art Museum in Oxford, Ohio, and The Cube Gallery at VAE Raleigh, North Carolina.