Suspended in Water or Air by Emma McClellan



Centre College environmental education students reflect on a winter visit to JSP.

"We left our mark by writing our names on one of the walls, but we also left our mark on nature by just being there." - Juliette Gagliardi

Juliette Gagliardi reflected: "The piece I felt the most moved by was GRAPHOLOGYHENGE [pictured above, by Peyton Scott Russell]. It consisted of multiple walls that could be written or drawn on, surrounding letter statues all stacked together. I really enjoyed the interactive aspect of this area. Not only was the art really fascinating, but it allowed each individual person that visited to also be the artist which is very inspiring. People could leave large, spray-painted figures, or just sketch a smiley face with a pencil, but both are equally art and appreciated. Part of the description said to "leave your mark" which can be in relation to both nature and art. We left our mark by writing our names on one of the walls, but we also left our mark on nature by just being there. Whether it be walking around leaving footprints or carrying a leaf from one area to another, our mark was left on the area. It was so interesting and beautiful to see all of this represented in the art."

Grace Malone reflected on the experience via sketch:

Winter is a uniquely beautiful time to visit the Park: the sculptures stand out sharply against the bare trees and frost-heavy grasses, overwintering birds are easy to spot dancing in and out of the young forest and edge habitat, and the cool temperatures create a sense of calm and presence.  The Park is free and open every day - from the coldest to the warmest of days - from dawn to dusk. Plan your visit and come enjoy the Park, where art meets the earth.

We extend a special thanks to Grace and Juliette for sharing their journal entries, and Dr. Prusinski for making this visit possible for students.