The Bennett Gallery will soon transform into a new immersive exhibit, the Wilderness Odyssey Art Show, displaying works from students, faculty, and staff. It is inspired by this year’s Otis Visiting Authors, Amy and Dave Freeman. 

     The Freemans wrote North American Odyssey: 12,000 Miles Across the Continent by Kayak, Canoe, and Dogsled, which chronicles their three-year journey across North America, from Alaska to Florida. The show invites the entire school community to submit artwork and poetry inspired by the natural world, connecting to the Freeman’s journey. 

     Student curator Rowan Kalar ‘27 helped develop the immersive experience while organizing the show. She described the exhibit as “[hung] in 3 rows, the river, with water animals, on the bottom, the land animals [in the middle], and the sky on top.” The bottom row will feature a blue vinyl floor, to mimic the path from Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota, to the St. Lawrence Seaway in Eastern Canada. This path will also guide visitors through the exhibit. 

     Designing the layout of the immersive experience has not been simple. “Finding a way to lay it out has been hard. With all the walls, it’s pretty hard to make it look like water because they’re so straight, and they don’t flow,” noted Kalar. 

     Lead curator Bill Colburn ‘88 explained how the immersive experience is designed to “make it feel like you’re going through the world.” The three layers will allow visitors to experience the artwork as part of a larger natural environment rather than as separate pieces on a wall. 

     Colburn also stated that, “the show is about wilderness and journeys, but at the same time, it’s art about the environment.” One of the projects featured in the gallery will be a collaboration of the printmaking and environmental science classes, which will connect the themes of wilderness and journeys to nature.” 

      Other student works that may be featured in the exhibit are canoe paddles built by 8th grade woodshop students, to pair with one of the exhibits most notable features: a full-size canoe. 

One of Colburn’s favorite parts of creating the exhibit is seeing the creativity of younger students: “It’s been pretty exciting to see the imagination that [the youngest kids] bring to their work.”

     The exhibition is expected to open in early April, with a reception with the Freeman’s coming after.