From Seed to Sanctuary

From Seed to Sanctuary shows how to collect seeds responsibly in nature, how to identify them by shape and texture, and the best ways to store them for planting. The exhibit also explains gardening zones and offers simple steps to start growing a thriving native garden right here in the Midwest. Guests will experience hands-on learning through touchable seed displays, interactive games, and colorful, engaging paintings that bring each native flower to life.

Whether you're curious about helping monarch butterflies, or looking to transform your own backyard into a floral sanctuary, this exhibit shows how small seeds can grow into big change for both people and nature.

My name is Tara Preston. I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, where winters stretch on for eight long months and spring always felt like magic. Watching plants push back through the frozen ground, alive again as if nothing had happened, is where my fascination with the natural world began.

My parents ran Preston's Landscape and Tree Trimming for more than 30 years, so I grew up planting flowers, tending lawns, and most of all, learning to sit still and watch things grow. I'm grateful for their obsession with plant names and growing conditions because they taught me how to notice a plant's basic needs—a skill that has shaped so many parts of my life.

Today, I live in Chicago with my wife, dog, and cat, and work as a graphic designer at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, where I bring science and art together to tell stories about nature. I've called Chicago home for more than 15 years. One of my favorite things to do here is collecting seeds—I love the tactile feel of sorting and separating them, and the thrill of searching neighborhoods and back alleys for plants growing in sidewalk cracks or along train fencelines. You never know what you'll find.

Creating this exhibit was so much fun. It brings together my need to constantly create, my lifelong love of painting, and my obsession with watching things grow. From Seed to Sanctuary depicts what I love about the Midwest, the beauty I just can’t get enough of, and the powerful lesson I’ve learned: that life begins again, year after year, even in the most uncertain conditions.

Learn more at Flip City Design.

THIS EXHIBIT IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL.