Respect Your Sisters!

One day out of the year, many people take the time to celebrate our wonderful planet by observing Earth Day. However, some honor Mother Nature and her many children year-round. Frostburg State University has shown much dedication to environmental sustainability and this week the campus exhibited these efforts with Focus Frostburg. The event, held on April 18, gave students, faculty members, and the community a chance to learn about climate change and what can be done to protect our natural world. Many of the presentations were lecture-style and held in the Lane University Center. However, there was also an opportunity for more visual and artistic learners to gain environmental knowledge.

As much as we celebrate Mother Nature through these sustainability events, we must also honor our “siblings” of the Earth. This is the concept of the visual art display, Our Sisters the Trees. Coordinated by FSU visual arts professor, Susan Dodge, and created by students, the outdoor artwork is set up to “convey a sense of respect for nature and the environment”. The students designed and constructed sculptures on the various trees around campus. These sculptures are made of various materials and illustrate the importance of nature, as well as ways in which we can protect the environment.

Below are just a few of the beautiful and meaningful works of art:

These sculptures, adding a burst of color and texture to the trees of campus, definitely catch the eyes of FSU students as they travel back and forth between classes. When asked what single word comes to mind, several students had very interesting responses about the art projects. Tikki Harding, a junior liberal studies major from Frostburg, commented on a particularly colorful tree, pictured left in the line-up. “RNA. It illustrates sustainability because RNA can rebuild from new proteins which is like when people can grow a tree from their food, like an apple!” She explained how the bubbles on the tree resembled RNA and that this is an example of sustainability because we should reuse the seeds from our food in order to grow more. “Recycle.” This was the word spoken by Shayna Kramer, a junior communication studies major from Bowie, Maryland, when she saw the tree-art pictured in the center. She clarified, “We should and need to recycle to help the environment.” The last tree, viewed by Veronica Morris, a freshman elementary education major from Hagerstown, Maryland, reacted with the word “shield” when she saw the tree pictured in the right of the array. “To me it seems like a superhero trying to save the environment.”

Rebuilding, recycling, saving. These are all words that are definitely relevant when discussing environmental sustainability. Our Sister the Trees brings an appealing art exhibit to campus while evoking thought and awareness. For those of you who are interesting in the protection of nature, but unenthusiastic about learning through a lecture, this is the perfect exhibit! If you would like to see these lovely sculptures, they are located in the area surrounding Echo Circle (between the library and Dunkle Hall). Also, if you are interested in the FSU visual arts department, you can visit their website at the following link: http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/art/