Forest Gallery

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the ways an outdoor art exhibition might benefit the local community. I created a project; the goal was to make a successful outdoor exhibition event called Forest Gallery. The theme was meant to have a nature like quality with elements of sustainability. I documented and recorded the event via photographs, videos, and written notes to myself, my staff, and the people participating in the event. The purpose of this was to collect information on the outcome of the event, take all the positives and negatives, lay them out in an organized way so that this event can be repeated in the future.

The overall idea is to bridge the gap between urban-city art and rural nature art, bridging the gap between art-nature-society. The research method in this thesis is art-based research methods with experimental research. The conversation of the body of work on this thesis is: the correlation between art, nature, society and health, when combined they thrive. Goals of the event: Functionable, enjoyable and accessible, networking; bringing people together, and recognition for artists. Conclusions: Society needs outdoor nature related art shows on a local level. The findings indicate that the public and the community responded quite fruitfully to the event. Environmental Art is the future and is growing in popularity here in Finland.