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Nature, Art, and Wellness: A Conversation Inspired by Jennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie
Nature, Art, and Wellness: A Conversation Inspired by Jennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation inspired by Jennifer Steinkamp’s digital installation Madame Curie, exploring the intersections of nature, art, and well-being. Leah Diehl, Director of Therapeutic Horticulture at Wilmot Botanical Gardens and Lecturer in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida, will share insights into the therapeutic benefits of horticulture, including creative activities like nature mandalas, foliage bouquets, and kokedama, as well as wellness strategies and research findings from her programs. Kali Rabaut, botanical artist and lead designer of Tampa-based Blue House Florals, will examine the evolving recognition of floral design as an artistic medium, its historical ties to women’s work, and the resurgence of locally grown flowers as a source of healing and creative expression.
They will be joined in conversation by Joanna Robotham, the Tampa Museum of Art’s curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, as they explore the intersections of digital art, nature, and the human experience.
Every Thursday from 4 to 8 pm, the Tampa Museum of Art offers Art on the House where admission prices change to pay-as-you-will, and visitors choose whatever admission price they want to pay.
Talks at the Tampa Museum of Art are free with the cost of Admission.
- Art+ Museum Members: Free
- Not-Yet-Members: $25
- College Students: Free
Elizabeth (Leah) Diehl, RLA, HTM is Director of Therapeutic Horticulture at Wilmot Botanical Gardens and Lecturer in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida. She is a landscape architect, master gardener, and professionally registered horticultural therapist. She teaches a certificate program in horticultural therapy at UF, conducts research, and runs therapeutic horticulture programming for diverse populations, where she coordinates clients, students, and volunteers. Her current research project is on the connection between plants, nature, and the mental health of college students. Leah serves as consultant and educator for the National Parks Board in Singapore on therapeutic horticulture programming, research, and garden design in Singapore. She also collaborates with the Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, China on the development of nature-based health interventions. She began her work in horticultural therapy in Chicago in 1993, and has given lectures, workshops, and trainings on horticultural therapy, healing gardens, and related topics throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Kali Rabaut is a botanical artist in Tampa, Florida. She draws inspiration from her organic cut flower garden in Tampa Heights, as well as from native plants and local farms. Kali is a farmer and florist who designs floralscapes large and small throughout Tampa Bay as the lead designer of Blue House Florals. Kali uses locally grown botanical elements to connect us to the seasons, our place, and each other more deeply.
Image Caption: Jennifer Steinkamp (American, b. 1958), Madame Curie, 2011-2023. Eight channel, synchronized projection. Dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London.