Visual Arts Program at Warhol Preserve Starts This Month

The Nature Conservancy in New York has announced the 2024 Andy Warhol Visual Arts Program artists. Selected from a record pool of applicants, Michele Brody, Jasmine Gutbrod, Christie Jones and Ria Rajan will each lead art-making workshops this fall at the Andy Warhol Preserve in Montauk. Free and open to the public, these hands-on, art-making workshops steer participants to nature for contemplation, inspiration and creation, according to a press release. The program takes place at the Andy Warhol Preserve, an ocean-front nature preserve in Montauk that was donated by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts to The Nature Conservancy in 1992. 

“We are proud to kick off the fourth decade of this program, continuing the rich tradition of arts and nature on Long Island’s East End,” said Bill Ulfelder, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in New York. “Montauk is special. The dynamic coastline and vibrant ocean, coastal forests and meadows and wonderful people have long inspired and attracted artists, surfers, outdoor enthusiasts and others with a deep connection to the ocean. But it’s also a place facing serious climate challenges, including sea-level rise and storm surge. Nature has an important role to play in making Montauk more resilient. And art can connect us to nature. The Nature Conservancy is grateful to the Andy Warhol Foundation for continuing to make this program possible.”

The artists are Michele Brody, a mixed-media, environmental artist whose work thrives on the interaction between communities and environments, weaving connections that deepen one’s awareness of nature and understanding of the surrounding ecology.

Jasmine Gutbrod is an artist, designer and educator researching the intersections of climate science and social justice. Through physical object-making, she studies ecological processes and how natural material properties influence behavior, often conceptualizing the borders between inside and outside spaces.

Christie Jones is inspired by personal encounters with environmental degradation, especially its impacts on shellfish and kelp farming, and the haunting reality of coral reef bleaching.

Ria Rajan is an intermedia artist and visual designer working across analog and digital mediums, focusing on the intimate relationships between people, places and technology.

A total of four workshops will be offered consecutively on Saturdays starting October 26, and concluding on Saturday, November 16.

The first session is titled “Creating With Nature: Handmade Watercolors and Eco-Art” led by artist Christie Jones, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Participants will learn to create watercolors using sustainable, earth-friendly materials. After a brief orientation, participants will explore the Andy Warhol Preserve and use their own digital camera, such as one on a smartphone, to capture photos of textures, colors and other inspiration. The walk will be followed by a hands-on session where participants use handmade watercolors and compose watercolor sketches. Once the paints are ready, participants can create artworks that reflect their connection to the preserve and capture the textures, colors and essence of the landscape around them.

Next up is Polaroid Emulsion Lifts With Ria Rajan on November 2 from noon to 4 p.m. Rajan will demonstrate how to create Polaroid prints from photographs taken with a phone. Participants will create their own Polaroid emulsion lifts, removing the thin gelatinous layer that contains the photographic image away from the plastic of the Polaroid film, to transfer it onto a new surface. After a short introduction, participants will explore the preserve and take pictures using their phone’s camera. After images are selected, they will undergo the emulsion lift process.

“Using Milkweed To Create Paper: with Michele Brody is on November 9 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Participants will transform milkweed plants (the host plant for the monarch butterfly) into handmade paper sheets. Participants will also create uniquely cast handmade paper butterflies with locally gathered flora. Workshop participants will have the option to take part in a range of activities, including getting their hands wet by learning how to pull a sheet of handmade paper, and writing down a migration story onto a sheet of handmade milkweed paper, which will later be folded into an origami butterfly. Younger participants will be invited to help pound fresh milkweed stalks into pulp for processing into paper. Participants are also invited to join for a cup of mugwort tea while discussing the relationship of native and nonnative plants in a world greatly affected by our changing climate.

The final workshop is “Using Eco-friendly Materials To Create Art” with Jasmine Gutbrod on November 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. Participants will use simple eco-friendly materials such as Sumi ink, rice paper and botanical specimens to create unique works of art. The workshop starts with an introduction to the Japanese art of paper marbling by floating mesmerizing ink patterns on water and then preserving the pattern on rice paper. While the marbled paper is drying, participants will join Gutbrod for a nature walk to search for plant specimens, such as dried leaves or grasses, to use in their work. After students have collected botanical samples, they will practice printing the plant samples directly onto paper. Students will then have the opportunity to create a collaged composition of prints using their marbled rice paper.

All workshops are free to the public. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. Most programs welcome all ages. Participants under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian. To register and learn more, visit nature.org/nyevents.