School of Natural Resources and Environment

Art & Environment Gallery

Middy Potter

Middy Potter is a self taught as an artist, and has always realized the connection of science and art. His formal training includes a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, a form of art in itself. Influences include traveling throughout the United States and Europe while experiencing new cultures, art, buildings and people. Materials for my sculptures have included wood, cloth, glass mosaics on three dimensional forms, stone, metal, cast stone, and found objects.

Valerie Mann

Valerie Mann is a professional artist, living, working and teaching in Michigan.  She earned a BFA in painting from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and an MFA in sculpture from Michigan State University .  After Michigan State, she married and settled in the Ann Arbor area. She has been making art, exhibiting and selling her work in the U.S. and abroad for over 20 years. She has taught students in pre-school age programs, through all levels of K-12, including at-risk and alternative high school programs, as an adjunct college professor on through to multi-age adult classes in various media.  She is an evangelist for the use of hand tools and power tools at a young age.

Adlerstein on the 'Green Room'

Sara Adlerstein, an associate research scientist at the University of Michigan, uses quantitative modeling to investigate ecosystems. But she also embraces art as a way to reflect on nature.

She was interviewed recently by SNRE alumna Barbara Lucas, who is the host of the 'Green Home," a show that appears on Ann Arbor Public Access.

Sadashi Inuzuka

Sadashi Inuzuka has been teaching at the University of Michigan since 1996. He holds the position of Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design and is Faculty Member, Center for Japanese Studies. "This work is about my appreciation for and celebration of materials and my interpretation of nature. When I think of the future I know my work will be part of nature and that makes me a little happier about what I do," he states.

'River Blues,' by Sara Adlerstein

The third exhibit in the Art & Environment Gallery is "Water Blues," featuring work by Sara Adlerstein, an associate research scientist at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. "In my world, art and science belong together as naturally as air and water. Both inform my work influencing my approach," said Adlerstein, an accomplished artist with many gallery showings to her credit. "Observation, experimentation, improvisation, making comparisons, searching for patterns and answers all come together within the creative process. As such I have developed my own mixed media techniques and my research influences the subject of my paintings. The process has been magical, nurturing and informative."

The second exhibit in the Art & Environment Gallery is "Drawing on Nature," featuring work by Joe Trumpey, a U-M professor. He is an associate professor of art at the School of Art & Design and an associate professor of Natural Resources at SNRE. He also serves as director of international engagement for Art & Design. Trumpey earned his A.B. in art and biology from Wabash College and his M.F.A. in medical and biological illustration from the University of Michigan.

Sara Adlerstein. Photo by Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography

Adorning the brick walls of Sara Adlerstein’s office are two large canvases she painted in dark earth tones, reminiscent of rustic cave paintings. "I have gone through a journey to understand how the natural sciences and art complement each other,” says Adlerstein, a research scientist at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Receiving her first Master of Science degree in Chile, Adlerstein initially was unsure what type of degree to pursue. “I’m somebody who is in love with too many things. I applied to programs for journalism, biology and visual arts but I decided to study biology and do art on my own,” says Adlerstein, whose artwork primarily consists of oil paintings with vibrant colors, sharp edges and thick textures.

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