Chicago Botanic Garden Spring 2020

chicagobotanic.org 15 for information on prairie remnants and restorations. He got to know re- searchers, scientists, and those doing the restorations. en it was o to the sites. “What I’m trying to capture is that sense of experi- encing the place itself…a composition that will convey that holistic view of the landscape,” he said. He responds to what is around him. “If I’m walking on a trail and there is a wonderful assembly of foreground ma- terial that frames the composition into something that’s interesting further be- yond, that’s where I stop and take pho- tographs. Or I begin a small eld paint- ing to capture my immediate physical response to the place.” He has fond memories of his Illinois visits. Nachusa Grassland is “a phe- nomenal story of restoration.” Grigsby Prairie is “absolutely gorgeous.” One of his favorites is Fults Hill Prairie, which “has this amazing topography and his- tory and the added advantage of being on a high cli above the Mississippi River Valley.” e challenges? “Finding a landscape that has enough scale so I can convey that sense of experiencing the place,” he said. Underlying his work is the importance of these landscapes—and preserving their future. “Decisions you make about whether something deserves to be conserved or not are based on whether you care about it in the rst place. And that’s really what I’m after,” he said. “It takes more than luck to pre- serve and restore these grasslands. It takes people caring.” Picturing the Prairie: Paintings by Philip Juras When: May 8 – September 20; Joutras Gallery Learn more chicagobotanic.org/picturing_prairie His interest in Illinois stemmed, in part, from his mother, who spent her child- hood years in Pekin and high school years in Glencoe. On visits to the Prairie State, “probably the strongest impression I had was the endless miles of corn elds as we drove down the interstate. at was something I had never experienced be- fore,” he said. During one of his exhibitions, he met lo- cal educator and conservationist Wendy Paulson, who suggested he look at prairie restorations being done around Chicago. “ at’s what tipped the scale and kicked o this current body of work,” he said. Before Juras starts any project, there is a process he likens to “setting the stage, then playing out the role on the stage.” For the Illinois series, he dug into the state’s history and searched the internet Uncovering the mysteries and magic of the prairie Picturing the Prairie: Paintings by Philip Juras in Joutras Gallery is just one part of the celebration of prairies and their vital role in our midwestern heritage and at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Picturing the Prairie is a program, May 8 – September 20, that will also reveal these rare, complex, diverse natural habitats and the conservation, restoration, and stewardship work at the Garden and elsewhere to protect prairies. Look for events at the Garden’s Dixon Prairie, as well as horticultural elements, After Hours Buzz cocktail and learning events, interpretive pro- grams, and more. Explore other Picturing the Prairie events and exhibitions with the Bobolink Foundation, Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Field Museum, the Nature Conservancy, and Openlands. chicagobotanic.org/picturing_prairie Galloping Hill Prairie, by Philip Juras Artist Philip Juras