Juliet Whitsett reimagines native plants and animals and co-curates Really Small Museum ATX

Browsing the well-curated plot store astatine Barton Springs Nursery recently, I stopped to respect a twelve framed graphic prints of cacti, butterflies, snakes, salamanders, and different Texas flora and fauna. The creator down these joyful works is Austinite Juliet Whitsett, and they are portion of her “Threatened Texas” good creation prints featuring Texas plants and animals connected the threatened and endangered taxon list.

I visited Juliet astatine her location not agelong after, wherever she introduced maine to different of her projects, Really Small Museum ATX. Together she and chap creator Marianne Newsom installed 2 micro-museum displays successful each of their beforehand yards. Reminiscent of a Little Free Library, each RSM is simply a achromatic cube atop a post, with a plexiglass model displaying a teeny tiny artwork by a section artist. The creation connected display, curated by Juliet and Marianne, changes each period oregon so, giving passersby an ongoing accidental to admit caller creation and larn astir the artists.

Juliet and Marianne dubbed each RSM with a sanction that plays disconnected a well-known Austin creation museum. The 14th Corner Contemporary, aka The 14th — with a humorous motion to The Contemporary Austin — greets visitors astatine 1311 Harvey Street. The Banton Road Museum of Art, aka The Banton — chapeau extremity to The Blanton Museum of Art — tin beryllium viewed astatine 3509 Banton Road.

When Juliet and Marianne launched the Really Small Museum ATX installation, they expected to extremity it aft a year, successful November 2022. But its popularity keeps it going. I visited The 14th — the much ecologically focused of the 2 — successful aboriginal March 2023, erstwhile a enactment by Tammy West called Ghost Seeds — Prayer for Our Trees was connected display. From @reallysmallmuseum_atx, here’s a statement of her work:

“Ice storms, utmost vigor and drought are stressing our trees. As the clime warms it volition yet beryllium excessively blistery and adust for immoderate trees. Older trees, particularly successful the West, are producing little seeds and immoderate mature forests aren’t regenerating aft fires. Tammy’s installation speaks to this conception with fragile and bladed shade mesquite beans made retired of achromatic clay, arranged connected drought ridden cracked earth. Pine trees person had a hard clip nation-wide owed to drought and beetle infestation. Our Loblolly pines successful Bastrop person been capable to accommodate to 30% little h2o than their eastbound cousins, and debar beetles truthful far, but volition they proceed to bash so? To code this; supplication flags, made retired of pines needles, nonstop wishes to our trees.

You’re invited to assistance regenerate our fallen trees from the caller crystal storm. In the boxes below, delight instrumentality immoderate histrion seeds and works them successful your gait oregon connected nationalist land, arsenic good arsenic leaving seeds for others.”

In a tiny container connected the ground, mesh jewelry bags incorporate histrion seeds, offered for escaped successful the anticipation of replacing trees felled by Austin’s February crystal storm.

Juliet’s cactus creation print

I’m ever wowed by the creativity of Austin’s artists (see my caller station astir Shawn Smith’s “Ommatidium”), who are moved by the quality and fragility of our satellite and compelled to stock that knowing with others. Check retired Juliet’s personal work and her co-curated Really Small Museum ATX to immerse yourself successful an creator vision.

Read much astir Really Small Museum ATX astatine Glasstire.

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Digging Deeper

Shop for autochthonal Texas plants astatine the Wildflower Center’s outpouring Native Plant Sale. Held connected Fridays done Sundays, March 24 to May 7, from 9 americium to 1 pm. The archetypal play is conscionable for Wildflower Center members, truthful join to bask this perk, positive get escaped admittance each twelvemonth and more.

Experience the Surreal Garden astatine Zilker Botanical Garden, an enchanting neon-art show passim the gardens, with nutrient and drink, euphony and dancing, surreal performers, and interactive creation sculptures. Surreal costumes encouraged! 25% of lawsuit proceeds payment the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy. Runs April 6 (VIP Night), April 7-8, and April 13-15, from 6:30 p.m. to 11 pm.

Add to your succulent postulation astatine the Austin Cactus & Succulent Society Spring Show & Sale connected April 15 and 16, from 10 americium to 5 pm, astatine Zilker Botanical Garden. Come bask the works show, store for unsocial plants and pottery, and enactment successful a soundless auction and raffles. Free with paid admittance to Zilker Botanical Garden.

Tour 9 decorator landscapes connected the 2023 Austin Outdoor Living Tour on May 6. Designers and builders volition beryllium connected manus to reply your questions. Cost is $33.85 for adults and $17.85 for kids aged 12 to 17. For safety, nary 1 nether 12 years of property but for carried infants.

Come larn astir plot plan from the experts astatine Garden Spark! I signifier in-person talks by inspiring designers, scenery architects, and authors a fewer times a twelvemonth successful Austin. These are limited-attendance events that merchantability retired quickly, truthful articulation the Garden Spark email database to beryllium notified successful advance. Simply click this nexus and inquire to beryllium added. Season 7 starts successful August. Stay tuned for the lineup!

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