Five large-scale sculptures fashioned from reclaimed tree branches and other natural materials by Polish-American artist Olga Ziemska will debut May 26 in the newest outdoor exhibition at The Morton Arboretum. Of the Earth, the first major sculpture installation by a woman artist at the Arboretum, is Ziemska’s largest exhibition to date anywhere in the world. The exhibition will be free with advance purchase of daytime admission and will remain through spring 2025. All five sculptures — Strata, Oculus, Ona, Hear: With an ear to the ground and Stillness in Motion: The Matka series — pay homage to the Arboretum landscapes while exploring Ziemska’s central and reoccurring theme, “We are nature.” The sculptures are made of both organic and man-made materials, including steel and glass-fiber reinforced concrete necessary to withstand the Midwest’s weather variations, and range in size from 5- to 14-feet tall and 45 feet in length. Arboretum volunteers spent several weeks laying the groundwork for creation of the unique pieces by collecting, pruning and preparing natural materials such as fallen tree branches from sugar maple, hackberry, linden, willow, elm and wild black cherry trees at the Arboretum.  The exhibition will open to the public at noon May 26, following a members-only preview event beginning at 7 a.m. For tickets, visit mortonarb.org/visit-the-arboretum. 

Photo Credit: Morton Arboretum