UNCHARTED WATERS: ANN HOLSBERRY

David Brower Center, Berkeley, CA
JUNE 9 – AUGUST 31, 2022

UNCHARTED WATERS: ANN HOLSBERRY

David Brower Center, Berkeley, CA
JUNE 9 – AUGUST 31, 2022

Uncharted waters features Ann Holsberry’s  silk cyanotypes of sea kelp, her largest works to date. This immersive environment celebrates the beauty and fragility of nearshore ecosystems and evokes the mesmerizing experience of swimming underwater in the forests of the sea. Holsberry’s large silk cyanotype prints of sea kelp – as well as its predators – were hung in the two-story atrium of the David Brower Center, evoking the power and mystery of the ocean, while highlighting the fragile beauty of near-shore ecosystems. Kelp forests, and bull kelp in particular, form the foundation of California’s coastal marine ecology and are crucial climate regulators. This exhibition and the accompanying events aim to unite art and science, inspiring wonder and curiosity about sea kelp ecosystems as well as action to protect these “forests of the sea”.

On June 23, Holsberry participated in a panel discussion Forests of the Sea: Art + Science of Kelp with other members of the Above/Below Project, a group of women artists, scientists, strategists, and ocean advocates whose aim is to raise awareness of ocean stewardship.

A grant from the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission has allowed Holsberry to research and further develop this body of work, Earth, Sky, Water  and to fund the workshop.

The workshop culminated the following week in an art sale and group exhibition with open mic, music, live performance, and refreshments while supporting and showcasing 25+ emerging artists in Youth Spirit Artwork’s Shanice Kiel Gallery.

FORESTS OF THE SEA: ART + SCIENCE OF KELP PANELISTS:

Josie Iselin is a photographer, author and designer working at the confluence of art, science and ocean activism. Her newest book is The Curious World of Seaweed (Heyday Books, 2019). Rubber boots, an inquisitive eye and the use of a flatbed scanner have led Josie deep into the science of seaweed.

Dr. Kathy Ann Miller has been studying California seaweeds since 1976, when she took her first field course as an undergraduate. She’s dedicated to understanding our seaweed flora and maintaining the herbarium collections at UC Berkeley. She supports marine monitoring and conservation efforts in Northern and Southern California.

Ann Holsberry is an artist who creates large scale work in a collaborative process with nature, through the use of cyanotype – a cameraless photographic printing process. She works outdoors to capture the elemental power of sunlight and water. Raised on the Gulf Coast of Florida, she can often be found on Northern California beaches capturing impressions of sea kelp, sand, water, and other materials from her surroundings.

Holsberry also led a nature-based cyanotype workshop on August 6 at the David Brower Center in partnership with Youth Spirit Artworks to advance art opportunities for underserved youth.

EXHIBITION IMAGES

UNCHARTED WATERS: ANN HOLSBERRY

David Brower Center, Berkeley, CA
JUNE 9 – AUGUST 31, 2022

Uncharted waters features Ann Holsberry’s  silk cyanotypes of sea kelp, her largest works to date. This immersive environment celebrates the beauty and fragility of nearshore ecosystems and evokes the mesmerizing experience of swimming underwater in the forests of the sea. Holsberry’s large silk cyanotype prints of sea kelp – as well as its predators – were hung in the two-story atrium of the David Brower Center, evoking the power and mystery of the ocean, while highlighting the fragile beauty of near-shore ecosystems. Kelp forests, and bull kelp in particular, form the foundation of California’s coastal marine ecology and are crucial climate regulators. This exhibition and the accompanying events aim to unite art and science, inspiring wonder and curiosity about sea kelp ecosystems as well as action to protect these “forests of the sea”.

On June 23, Holsberry participated in a panel discussion Forests of the Sea: Art + Science of Kelp with other members of the Above/Below Project, a group of women artists, scientists, strategists, and ocean advocates whose aim is to raise awareness of ocean stewardship.

A grant from the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission has allowed Holsberry to research and further develop this body of work, Earth, Sky, Water  and to fund the workshop.

The workshop culminated the following week in an art sale and group exhibition with open mic, music, live performance, and refreshments while supporting and showcasing 25+ emerging artists in Youth Spirit Artwork’s Shanice Kiel Gallery.

FORESTS OF THE SEA: ART + SCIENCE OF KELP PANELISTS:

Josie Iselin is a photographer, author and designer working at the confluence of art, science and ocean activism. Her newest book is The Curious World of Seaweed (Heyday Books, 2019). Rubber boots, an inquisitive eye and the use of a flatbed scanner have led Josie deep into the science of seaweed.

Dr. Kathy Ann Miller has been studying California seaweeds since 1976, when she took her first field course as an undergraduate. She’s dedicated to understanding our seaweed flora and maintaining the herbarium collections at UC Berkeley. She supports marine monitoring and conservation efforts in Northern and Southern California.

Ann Holsberry is an artist who creates large scale work in a collaborative process with nature, through the use of cyanotype – a cameraless photographic printing process. She works outdoors to capture the elemental power of sunlight and water. Raised on the Gulf Coast of Florida, she can often be found on Northern California beaches capturing impressions of sea kelp, sand, water, and other materials from her surroundings.

Holsberry also led a nature-based cyanotype workshop on August 6 at the David Brower Center in partnership with Youth Spirit Artworks to advance art opportunities for underserved youth.

EXHIBITION IMAGES

NATURE-BASED CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP
AUGUST 6, 2022

Sunlight, vibrant youth, and many hands in the mix led to an exciting day on August 6 in my nature-based cyanotype workshop in partnership with Youth Spirit Artworks – an art job training program for underserved and houseless youth, committed to empowering the next generation of environmentalists through advancing art opportunities. A special thanks to the City of Berkeley for helping fund this program.

The workshop culminated the following week in an art sale and group exhibition with open mic, music, live performance, and refreshments while supporting and showcasing 25+ emerging artists in Youth Spirit Artwork’s Shanice Kiel Gallery.

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