We All Come Home Someday

Artwork by Buffy Nelson

April 4 -June 1

Our current exhibition features the artwork of Buffy Nelson. Nelson’s vibrant subjects reflect a respect for death and life, and also bring awareness of the impact of human presence on delicate ecosystems.

“My focus for my work revolves around my own innate desire to connect to the natural world. I focus on subjects in nature that I personally find beauty and calmness in. In 2020, like a lot of people, I started growing plants. What originally began as something that helped me deal with my anxiety, became a way of reconnecting to nature.

It started with some houseplants and led to trying outdoor gardening. Then I found the North American pitcher plant. There are a total of 66 species of carnivorous plants that grow in North America, in a wide variety of climates. Utricularia minor is one that can even be found in small pockets of wetlands in Nebraska. The North American pitcher plant Sarracenia is a genus dominant in many parts of the country. It has been so rewarding growing and experiencing these plants, it quickly became my favorite plant to grow. While not native to Nebraska, Sarracenia are a cold hardy perennial, Sarracenia purpurea can be found growing natively as far up north as Canada.

My current body of work is a focus on frogs and carnivorous plants, and their place in our ecosystems. Both frogs and carnivorous plants are considered indicator species, and their presence or absence in their respective ecosystems is representative of the health of those ecosystems. With the state of the world, global climate change and habitat loss has greatly impacted their native ecosystems, both species are suffering the consequences. Frogs in particular are very sensitive to changes in their ecosystems. Amphibians have a unique morphology that allows for nutrients to be delivered across their skin through transdermal uptake, and unfortunately due to this they are especially vulnerable to the increased rates of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as well as chemical contaminants such as pesticides and herbicides. Carnivorous plants are most susceptible to habitat loss, as well as poaching. The species known as Darlingtonia California is endemic to California and Oregon, but due to human development they are now secluded to small ranges in those states. With my paintings I hope to inspire people to reflect on their ecological impact, and how our modern capitalist society has affected our natural ecosystems, as well as gain an appreciation for animals and plants they may not see in their everyday life.”