Through installation, prints and sculpture, Shilin Hora explores ideas about our relationship to place and the natural environment. In Seed Museums, she presents some of her most recent sculptural work, inspired by natural history museum displays and 19^th century Wardian cases used by botanists to import foreign plant species to Europe. Seeds are dried, arranged, and placed behind plexiglass, emphasizing their unique inherent qualities.

Hora has strict commitments to sustainability, utilizing repurposed and sustainable materials to house these collections. And each seed museum tells a story of the relationship she has with a specific place. The seeds dance across a threaded grid-like network with organized precision, inspiring viewers curiosity for the things found freely in nature.

About the Artist

Shilin Hora is a visual nature artist who presents seeds in a delicate, elegant and methodical way.  She pokes, prods, bends, dissects, harvests and sorts in order to build unique artwork that exhibits her keen eye and knack for observing and making evident the magnificence of seeds.

Shilin believes it is crucial to instill in the next generation a deep sense of respect and appreciation for nature. This has become one of her defining values. Hence, not only has she taught nature curriculum in schools in the Chicagoland area, but she founded Growstudio.org to provide educational programs she has delivered in the US and Canada.  

Born in St. Joseph Michigan, Shilin studied and worked at Kendall College of Art and Design, and Grand Valley State University (B.F.A. 2002). She is an American-Canadian artist who has lived and worked in Canada and in the United States over her 15 year art career.  She has exhibited her intaglio prints and nature art installations throughout Canada, United States and England. Her work is housed in private collections, along with university and museum collections.

Grow Studio

GROW STUDIO began in 2007 as a public art project in the urban Montreal, Quebec forests. Grow studio has become an innovator in nature education fusing arts and science practices for 13 years. Its mandate is to foster partnerships within disciplines in educational organizations, promote nature awareness in the city and facilitate workshops that explore dendrology, fine arts and the practice of observation and exploration.

The underpinning philosophy of Grow Studio: we CAN and WILL preserve the power of observation, exploration, contemplation and communion with the botanical presence in the city.

Resources

To find out more about Shilin Hora and her work visit:

• Grow Studio
• Shilin Hora artist page

To inquire about purchasing a piece, contact the artist at 312-772-0800 or [email protected]

Opening Reception

In coordination with artist and GVSU alumna Shilin Hora, the Department of Visual & Media Arts and Alumni Relations, the GVSU Art Gallery will be hosting a reception for Seed Musuems: Viewing and Using Nature. The event will take place at the West Wall Gallery on the 2nd floor of the L. V. Eberhard Center on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus. Complimentary Parking is located in the Fulton Street Parking Lot, which has a street address of 312 Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

For more information visit the Art Gallery events page.

Hours and Location

GVSU West Wall Gallery
L.V. Eberhard Center
Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Grand Rapids MI, 49504

Admission is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are reflective of the L.V. Eberhard Center, including changes made due to semester, holiday, or campus-wide events.

Closed on holiday weekends:  
New Years, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,Thanksgiving, and Christmas.