The Hidden Wonders of Native Sunscapes

This immersive exhibit guided visitors through the curiosities of these habitats, their destruction, the methods of revival, and culminated in a spectacle of the vibrant, hidden wonders of Native Sunscapes.

These four sections were designed in a documentary structure to share the history and context of Native Sunscapes with emotional appeal and exploration of the sense to develop a memorable experience.

Rather than telling others to care, I showed them why they should.

First - Curiosity: Designed as an ecologist’s study to place visitors into the boots of a scientist studying the creatures, plants, and systems which make this habitat. A vast collection of information and resources were provided in this section about the life forms, maps, studies which were used in the research of this project, and other interactions from looking through the microscope to smelling the coneflowers.

Second - Death: The Curiosity room angled visitors towards a dimly lit, cramped hallway placed under large trees. This simulates woody encroachment of the Sunscape. Inside, I developed posters which describe the major destroyers of habitat, and then one large poster describing all the data of species and habitat loss. This poster was placed at the pivotal point between Death and Revival, forcing visitors to face reality.

Third - Revival:‍ ‍After taking visitors through the high of Curiosity, and the low of Death, they encounter a hallway of projected fire around them. Within this walk of fire, posters describe the indigenous legacy of these habitats, as well as the natural methods of disruption from fire & flood to beavers & bison. Some additional posters detail the conservation practices used to sustain these habitats, with a final poster “By Our Hands” serving as summation for the complete exhibit thus far. (Viewable on next page)

Final - The Hidden Wonders of Native Sunscapes: Leaving the fire walk, visitors were left in the remaining portion of the room. After walking through the history and perspectives on these habitats, they are now left only with projected footage surrounding them on all surfaces. Sandhill cranes, bison, eastern massasauga, hummingbird moths, monarchs, thirteen-lined ground squirrels. As I am personally inspired by a lifetime of witnessing the natural world through documentary footage, I figured there was no better way to resolve this exhibit than to let the life speak for itself.