08/22/2026
This project is an intergenerational collaboration between my mother and me, rooted in shared observation of land and the ways we each translate what we see.
Using the arboretum as our shared point of reference, we’re bringing together two distinct visual languages: my beadwork floral designs and my mother’s painterly studies of ground, dirt, foliage, and earth.
Rather than depicting flowers directly, my mother’s paintings focus on the soil that sustains them as a reflection on texture, nourishment, and a mother’s role as nurturer. In response, I’m creating small beadworked floral pieces inspired by the flowers growing around the arboretum, bringing Ojibwe floral design into conversation with her paintings.
Her paintings become both physical and conceptual foundations for my work. Together, the pieces reflect how knowledge is passed between generations, how we grow from our familial foundations, and how two people can look at the same land and see it differently.
These work-in-progress photos offer a glimpse into that process. We’re creating a series of small paired works that honor land, lineage, and the relationship between mother and daughter.
The arboretum has become more than a place of study—it’s become a shared teacher.
