2026 Art & Environmnet Exhibition
2026 Art & Environmnet Exhibition
The SLU Contemporary Art Gallery presented the 2026 Art & Environment closing Exhibition, a wide-ranging showcase of art from students and faculty exploring themes centered around the environment. The exhibition was inspired by the Art + Environment course taught by Associate Professor Lily Brooks and Professor Ernie Milsted at Southeastern’s field station Turtle Cove. Throughout the semester, students focused on creating eco-critical art and responding to the landscape of Southeast Louisiana. Curated by Autumn Smedley and Izzy Bradley, works in the Art + Environment Exhibition span mediums such as video, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and more.
Art + the Environment is an interdisciplinary, field-based studio art course based in the Manchac Swamp. Using Southeastern's Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station as a home base and studio, students pursue independently-driven, research-based visual art projects in a variety of media – from the traditional to experimental. Their work is informed by the history and ecology of this essential ecosystem, as well as the study of contemporary and historic eco-critical artists. Most importantly, the students' work reflects their real-world experiences throughout the semester, as they traverse the landscape by boat, by foot, and with a spirit of curiosity and creative innovation.
