Let nature in

EXHIBITION DATES: July 22 - August 16, 2025

RECEPTION: Thursday, July 24, 2025

Closing RECEPTION: Saturday, August 16, 4 - 6 pm

The Painting Center is pleased to present the exhibition Let Nature In, curated by Kathleen Beausoleil and Shazzi Thomas. The exhibition will be held in person and on Artsy from July 22 – August 16, 2025, with an opening reception on July 24. Let Nature In will feature contemporary artists who continue to engage with the natural world by offering fresh perspectives on our ever-evolving relationship with its environment. From the earliest cave paintings of trees and plants to the intricate floral motifs of 10th-century Eastern art, nature has been a constant source of creativity - an open invitation to reflect and create. In Western art, landscape painting did not emerge as a central subject until the 16th century, leading to rich pastoral scenes and floral traditions. Throughout history, depictions of nature have served both artistic and functional purposes—vast landscapes were once used to strategize battles, while the detailed botanical illustrations of the 18th and 19th centuries documented plant species for scientific study. Artists have let nature influence their work by bringing the outside in. Claude Monet immersed himself in his water lilies, transforming the play of light on the water into a dreamlike experience. Georgia O’Keeffe magnified the beauty of flowers, pushing them toward abstraction. Andy Goldsworthy works with natural materials, creating ephemeral sculptures that unfold with the elements. For Let Nature In, we invite artists to join this timeless conversation—to reinterpret, challenge, and deepen our connection to the natural world through works that don’t just depict nature but breathe with it literally and sometimes metaphorically, letting the outside seep into our consciousness.