Sown
2025-
For several years, I have wanted to experiment with exhibiting my artwork outdoors. In the summer of 2025, I used the upcoming Apple Cider Festival at Spirit of the Lake Community Arts (SOLCA) as motivation to create a piece for display outside. The project involved making paper, embedding the finished sheets with pollinator seeds, infusing the pages with encaustic wax, and then cutting and sewing about 100 seed pods. For the Apple Festival, the seeds were “planted” on the grounds and on view for event visitors. The longterm goal for the piece is for it to dissolve into the soil so the pollinator seeds can take root and grow into plants for SOLCA’s garden. In a way, it’s an opportunity to collaborate with a nonhuman - the seeds will decide the next steps in the design.
Up to now, I have hesitated to exhibit outside because my materials tend to be lightweight and ethereal. Wanting to preserve this aesthetic, I’ve been experimenting with biodegradable materials suitable for outdoor display. Making my own paper with studio scraps and trialing natural dyes led to Sown. Through the process, I’ve learned about logistical challenges, managing expectations, and planning for an artwork’s future. The original location in these photos is not ideal for the pollinator seeds as they’d have to compete with the grass and weeds. As a result, the seeds were moved to a small garden bed. As of this writing, the seeds lie under a pile of snow. I will update this page as the piece evolves.
Sown is supported in part by a state grant: Susanna Gaunt is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals Grant front the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
