Texas nature center exhibit reminds guests the world is our playground

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The popular Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin recognizes that some learning environments can be “places of nowhere.” Museums have many reasons to keep away from sensitive art, but that can create a barrier between the learner and the incentive. The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia teaches kids through tactile exhibits, and the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence, Italy also addresses the same issue for adults with touchable replicas of some of his statues.

A nature center has a more abstract task: to protect nature without saying too much “no” and to preserve the sheen of the plants while at the same time offering a human-made interactivity. Fortlandia, an exhibition open through January 30, 2022 at the Wildflower Center, explores how we create spaces to enjoy the outdoors, especially as children; We build fortresses.

The exhibition includes eight fortress areas, largely designed by Texan architects and designers, all interactive and focused on play. (Two more are on display at Lady Bird Lake.) Most will not be able to play, but those who enjoy playing on paper are provided field journals, including a map, imaginative prompts, and an artboard. The notes can also help identify a popular exhibit that can be voted on for a People’s Choice Award during installations. When they come down, the designers can do whatever they want with their forts, but many donate them to schools or other community organizations.

The Critter Café by Jodi Bade is currently at the top. A mini food truck and stage, which the fort describes as mostly made of salvaged materials, give kids their own chance to feel invited into a very Austin-centric space. Bade cites the usual play style of adult imitation as the inspiration for this sweet forest fantasy from the southwest. With kitchen utensils inside and simple instruments on stage, kids have all the clues they need to participate in surprisingly culturally relevant games.

Wildflower Center Marketing Coordinator Elizabeth Standley walks the arboretum that houses Fortlandia every day and notices how visitors interact with the forts. She has seen many appearances on this miniature stage.

“We like to refer to Fortlandia and our family garden as a place of yes,” says Standley. “Anything goes. It’s a place where children can be really independent and not too inhibited.”

One Fort, the first exhibition designed by a teenager, takes the idea of ​​freedom of action beyond freedom into active collaboration. Jack Wilson drew a sketch of the Connect Fort to do just that, with lounge chairs below and bridges in a honeycomb weave made possible by Reach Architects and real estate developer StoryBuilt. Wilson, who has Down syndrome, created a place where people can connect – even if at first they just seem interested in the unique structure.

Taking fortress building back to the basics doesn’t require working with an architect to get the job done. In one part, Fort Build, visitors can build their own structures out of bamboo. Another, Builder Boards by Rusty Keeler, offers innovative building options with slotted boards that look like flat Lincoln logs.

While the forts are primarily intended for children, adults can also get design inspiration and learn more about sustainability. A quote from architecture and design firm ColorSpace and the Texas State Wildlife Society highlights simple conservation methods in a tiny A-frame that would look and work great in any garden. While most playgrounds avoid bees and other crawling animals (creepy and different), this one creates little pockets for insects to come to life. Upstairs is a pollinator house full of tubes that requires just a little maintenance year round to clean, winter store, and predator control.

At night it’s even more so for all age groups when Silvana, a labyrinth made of etched acrylic glass from Spain, lights up. The Luminations exhibition throws night lights on the fortresses and trees, while lining the paths with luminarias (“little lanterns” in Spanish). Seasonal food and drinks are also offered. Large glowing swings provide visitors with a place to relax and are very popular on Instagram. Details about this year’s exhibition are still to come, but audiovisual art has also been part of it in recent years.

“We celebrate the winter season and are not holiday-specific,” says Standley. “We try to accept the change of seasons because the plants do different things [during] at different times of the year. “

Fortlandia is now open until the end of January. Entry is free for members or included with regular entry to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Make an appointment to visit wildflower.org.

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