Nature in the City

Amy Martin's work for her exhibition, Nature In The City, began long before planning for this show. Her inspiration came from a piece she started about five years ago, What If We Let the Prairies Grow, which focused on her front yard's native plant rain garden and its transformation throughout the seasons. But things weren't piecing together as she envisioned. That is, until incorporating a new perspective, one given by the opportunity to showcase in the City Gallery, focusing on urban Indianapolis.

You might think themes of nature and the city are contradictory, but Martin stated simply, "they are not." With this approach in mind, she came back to What If We Let the Prairies Grow. She expanded her focus beyond her yard and into her neighborhood, giving the painting the context it needed. As she continued to work on her show, Martin found more and more "just how richly integrated nature is with our city." She shared: "Indy has so much natural beauty that it was hard for me to choose what to paint."

Martin drove around Indianapolis, taking hundreds of photos where she encountered nature: trails, parks, front yards, sidewalk cracks where flowers grow, and the sky. She "began to see the city as borrowing space from nature and not the other way around." On one photography trip, she went to Crown Hill Cemetery and was greeted by a large planter with flowers covered in monarch butterflies. "It was such a magical experience," she reflected.

Monarchs are powerfully symbolic for Martin. "I am fascinated," she shared. "These beautiful, delicate creatures migrate here all the way from Mexico, need certain places to lay their eggs, and represent returning souls of loved ones in some cultures. I think we can learn a lot from butterflies that migrate freely to provide for their families." Her piece, What If We Listened to the Monarchs, gives you insight into what she was thinking about while there and as she sculpted.

In a world that often operates with disregard for nature and our impact on it, I encourage you to sit with Amy Martin's show. Wrestle with what it stirs in you. "There really is no way of separating ourselves from nature," Martin emphasized. "When we take time to notice it, acknowledge that we are part of it, maybe it will be appreciated. People take care of what they value." Martin hopes—, and I share this hope with her—that you see how much nature adds to the beauty and life of our city.