he Truman Alumni Association - Alumni - Truman State University

morel mushroom, wild blackberry, wild onion,
goldenrod and lowland brittle fern. To accurately
represent the plants, she conducted extensive
research studying both the physical nature of the
plants as well as the human relationship to each one.
In addition to learning about the medicinal uses and
edibility of the plants, Wiskirchen found out about
their historical significance including the many artists
throughout history who have dealt with plants as
subject matter. “From ancient Greek architecture to
the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci to modern
botanical illustration, art history is filled with a
fascination with plant structures,” said Wiskirchen.
“I was surprised to find out how many artists who,
like me, were interested in the mysterious root
systems of plants.”
For her art project, Wiskirchen dyed fabric to get the
exact color she wanted for each of the eight plants,
then sewed the fabric over a wire structure she had
designed for each plant. Information about the plants
was also screen-printed onto the fabric.
To showcase the three-dimensional representations,
each plant was displayed on an individual wooden
shelf, with the root system hanging below.
Wiskirchen also made detail boxes that held an
enlarged detail of a specific part of the plant, such as
a leaf or the head of a flower, and the plant’s
scientific name was included on each display.
To incorporate her childhood experiences with
nature, Wiskirchen added a special personal touch to
each work of art. “Since the
works were inspired by my
encounters with these plants
as a child, I wrote a brief
memory that related to each
one that was also displayed
on the wall,” said
Wiskirchen.
Creating such a large series of artwork for the
exhibit was a new experience for Wiskirchen that
provided some valuable lessons outside the
classroom. “With the help of a committee of art
professors and Truman’s gallery director, I
learned how to plan for the entire exhibit,” said
Wiskirchen. “From the initial conceptualization,
to the research and writing, creating the actual
art, displaying the body of work in the Art
Gallery, to advertising and planning for an exhibit
opening, the entire process was a learning
experience.”
In the future, Wiskirchen hopes to be in
position where she can help
cultivate other students’ passion
for art. She received her bachelor
of fine arts degree from Truman last
year and is currently pursuing a graduate
degree at Arizona State University.
”After I finish graduate school, I
hope to have the honor of being
on the opposite end of that
relationship teaching other art
students,” said Wiskirchen.
Nature Lesson
To accompany the three-dimensional fabric representations of plants she created, Kelsey
Wiskirchen wrote about some of her childhood memories in relationship to the plants featured
in her art exhibit. In the following story, she recalls an encounter with poison ivy.
If you scratch it’ll only get worse!” The day had been a grand exploration, brimming with adventure. I had spent the entire afternoon
hiking around the old city lake that rested snug in the middle of Grandma’s farm, careful to avoid the prickly burrs and jutting branches.
I stopped occasionally to observe dancing butterflies, sketch wildflowers, and eat the lunch Grandma had packed. In some places, the trees
hung so low over the water that I had to crawl through the brush on my hands and knees.
Now I perched on the tub’s edge, wincing as Grandma dabbed pink calamine lotion on my skin with a Q-tip. I distracted myself by counting
backward from a hundred. When that didn’t work, I tried holding my breath. Patches of itchy bumps ran from my neck down to my ankles.