Gallery Opening - The Language of Water: Art, Ecology, and Engineering by Lindsay Olson

Join us in celebrating the opening of The Language of Water: Art, Ecology, and Engineering by Lindsay Olson!

Lindsay Olson's textile art, inspired by the wetlands and waterways of Chicago, offers a dynamic look at an important ecosystem. Lindsay will be joining us along with partners from the Wetlands Initiative to celebrate the opening of this exhibition at the Nature Museum.

Event Itinerary:

6:00 Doors Open

6:15, First Floor Gallery: Lindsay will officially open the gallery with a talk.

6:35, Second Floor South Gallery: Lindsay, as well as representatives from the Wetlands Initiative and the Nature Museum, will participate in a panel discussion revolving around our region’s wetlands, their biodiversity, the science going into their restoration, and the role art can play in communicating the value of nature and science. This discussion will feature a Q&A with the panelists.

7:15-7:45, The Entire Museum: Guests can explore the Nature Museum and talk with Lindsay in her gallery.

The event will feature light hors d'oeuvres throughout, including fruit, cheese, and crudités; as well as bar service.

About Lindsay Olson

Lindsay Olson’s artistic practice grows out of an intense curiosity about the ways our society is supported by science and technology. She is currently serving as the first artist in residence with the Wetlands Initiative. She has worked with Fermi National Accelerator’s, with Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the Field Museum, and the Center for Acoustics Research and Education at the University of New Hampshire. Her work has been shown at the Schingoethe Museum of art, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Zhou Brothers Art Gallery, the Field Museum, and the University of New Hampshire. She speaks about her projects widely including at the International Conference on High Energy Physics, The American Physical Society National Conference, World Ocean Day at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the Textile Society of America 2020 symposium, Studio Arts Quilt Associates International Conference, the Field Museum’s Women in Science lecture series, and other venues. Her work has been featured in Scientific American, Physics Teacher Magazine, Sci/Art Magazine, and Surface Design Journal. Lindsay taught in the Fashion Studies Department at Columbia College Chicago for over 20 years. When not visiting a lab or working in the studio, she can be found canoeing with her husband on one of Chicago’s many waterways.

The Language of Water: Art, Ecology, and Engineering also includes photographs by Dr. Gary Sullivan, outgoing Senior Ecologist at the Wetlands Initiative and lifelong nature photographer.

About the Panelists

Jill Kostel, Ph.D., is the Water Resources Program Director at the Wetlands Initiative (TWI), a non-profit based in Illinois that designs, restores, and creates wetlands. TWI innovates, collaborates, and employs sound science to improve water quality, habitat for plants and wildlife, and our climate. Jill is responsible for the development and implementation of projects that require expertise in engineering, ecosystem services, and environmental markets. She is the project manager for TWI’s “Smart Wetlands” program, which advances the use of small, farm-based tile-treatment wetlands to naturally reduce nutrient runoff in tile drainage. In 2024, Jill received the Soil & Water Conservation Society’s Harold and Kay Scholl Excellence in Conservation Award that is given in recognition of individuals who work on the ground to provide direct and personal delivery or conservation planning and technical assistance. She has served as Chair for both the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership’s Board of Directors and the One Mississippi Steering Committee. Jill received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Ohio Northern University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University.

Katie Kucera joined the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) as an Ecologist in 2023. With a background in botany and plant research, Katie leads the ecological research components of TWI's restoration projects by coordinating plant material purchases, conducting surveys and analyzing data, and helping plan restoration management activities and volunteer events. She also promotes TWI's work through presentations and scientific publications. Katie has helped organize annual meetings for the Society for Ecological Restoration-Midwest/Great Lakes Chapter since 2023 and serves as a newsletter editor for the Illinois Native Plant Society. Prior to her work with TWI, Katie held roles at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Pollinator Partnership, and the Illinois Natural History Survey. Katie earned her B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her M.S. in Plant Biology and Conservation from Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Nature Museum Scientist TBD