Art Installation
Christine Wang, an MFA student at Indiana University’s School of Art, Architecture and Design, was selected to receive an Indiana University Bloomington Public Arts Grant funded by the office of the Vice Provost of Research and the Arts and Humanities Council at Indiana University Bloomington. Her project, titled “Wishing Tree Project,” aimed to raise environmental consciousness by exploring the relationship between paper, people, and nature.
To do this, Wang would create a large seed paper painting and host weekly papermaking workshops over the course of the 2020 spring semester. Seed paper is unique in that it will sprout when left outside, allowing the artist’s work to become a part of the earth and maintaining a cycle of creation and decomposition. Students and faculty that participated in the workshops would be encouraged to write a personal message, wish, or thank you on their seed paper and hang them in a public place. In doing so, Bloomington residents would not only cut down on paper waste but also foster an appreciation for art and nature within the community.
Unfortunately, these workshops were cancelled due to COVID-19. However, Wang was able to install her art in the gardens of the Wylie House Museum and took pictures so that her art and message could still be shared with the public.