This fall, Belwin Conservancy invites the public to experience art and nature together at Belwin’s Savanna Center. From September 10 through October 4, Worlds Within Worlds, an exhibition of paintings by Twin Cities artist Suyao Tian, will be on display in Belwin’s gallery. During gallery hours, visitors are also invited to hike the Savanna Hills trails. Over four miles of trails, typically closed to the public, wind through restored prairie and oak savanna.
Location:
Belwin Conservancy Savanna Center
795 Indian Trail S, Afton, MN 55001
Gallery Hours:
September 10 – October 4, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, 12 – 4 p.m.
Artist Reception:
Sunday, September 20, 5 – 7 p.m.
Artist Talk:
Sunday, September 27, 3 – 4 p.m.
Working primarily with water-based media, Suyao Tian creates abstract paintings that embrace fluidity, chance, and intuition as active elements in the creative process. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is included in the permanent collections of the North Dakota Museum of Art, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, the University of Minnesota, and Fidelity Investments, among others.
The artist describes Worlds Within Worlds as “ultimately about connection—between visible and invisible realities, between humans and nonhuman life, between imagination and memory, and between the intimate and the infinite.”
Tian says her artistic language was deeply shaped by growing up as an only child during China’s one-child policy in the 1980s. “For me, the absence of siblings, the inability to have pets, and limited social interaction led to isolation and a lack of confidence. Nature became my primary source of communication and emotional expression.”
The exhibition is also part of Take Me to the River, a month-long celebration of art throughout the St. Croix River Valley organized by ArtReach St. Croix. The regional event includes galleries, studios, and special events.
Belwin’s Savanna Center is a renovated mid-century building surrounded by more than 250 acres of restored oak savanna and wetlands known as the Savanna Hills. Improvements made through Belwin’s Inspiring Through Nature campaign have expanded the building’s capacity and accessibility, creating new opportunities for the public to experience art, nature, and community together. The facility is fully wheelchair accessible, and accessible parking is available.
