Celebrate our Springs
April 20th
at the Florida Museum of Natural History
Join us for an 11
a.m. panel discussion
featuring springs artists and writers
Learn more about the beauty, the whimsy
and the frailty of Florida’s ice-blue springs as part of the Florida Museum of
Natural History’s Earth Day observance on Saturday, April 20th.
Two current exhibits – Springs Eternal
and Finding the Fountain of Youth – celebrate Florida’s natural springs as they
also explore past history, document current threats and lay out Floridians’
role in their preservation.
Join the artists behind the exhibits –
John Moran, Lesley Gamble and Rick Kilby – for a panel discussion at 11 a.m.
Saturday April 20th moderated by journalist and author Cynthia Barnett.
The panel and the exhibits are free and open to the public. Families are
welcome – kids and adults alike will have the opportunity to question the
artists and find out what they can do to help protect our springs.
The Springs Eternal: Florida's Fragile Fountains of Youth exhibit is a
30-year retrospective of Florida nature photographer John Moran's love affair
with the springs of Florida. The exhibit mixes stirring text with then-and-now
pairings of photos that document dramatic changes to our springs. The project
channels joy and beauty and grief and anger and is a sobering wake-up call for
every Floridian who uses water. The exhibit also features an enormous,
60-foot-wide backlit translucent clerestory window photo of a pair of manatees
at Crystal River.
Based on
the forthcoming book by Rick Kilby, the Finding
the Fountain of Youth exhibit examines how the legend of Ponce de
Leon’s quest for restorative waters shaped the Sunshine State’s image as a land
of fantasy, rejuvenation and magical spring-fed waters. Rich in images, this
exhibition shows how the myths surrounding the discovery of “La Florida” influenced
perceptions of the state that still echo today.
Reaching beyond the museum walls,
Lesley Gamble’s Urban Aquifer bus
project and Springs Eternal website
lend additional public engagement including a fleet of Regional Transit System
buses soon to bring stunning visions of Florida’s springs to the streets of
Gainesville.
During the panel discussion, the three
artists will show some of their favorite images, talk about the role of art in
saving natural places, and engage the audience in a lively discussion about the
springs.
The exhibits run through Dec. 15th. The Florida Museum of Natural History is located in the University of Florida
Cultural Plaza off SW 34th St. and is open six days a week from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m.
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| Mock-up of Urban Aquifer bus |
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