Members of the UW–Madison, Madison and broader community are invited to celebrate the grand opening of Allen Centennial Garden’s art exhibit Archipelago on Tuesday, September 24, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at a free, on-campus event. Tory Tepp’s Archipelago features three lifeboats carrying plants that will help humans adapt in a changing world. Each boat contains a different plant — Kernza®, silphium or teosinte — as well as a message and soundscape to bring viewers into a deeper understanding of the selected species. The exhibit will be on view from the opening through the end of 2025.
Kernza®, also known as intermediate wheatgrass or Thinopyrum intermedium, is the world’s first perennial grain crop and can be used in place of wheat and rye. Silphium (Silphium integrifolium) is a drought-tolerant prairie plant being bred as a perennial oil crop like its relative sunflower. With deep roots, Kernza® and silphium help store carbon and prevent soil erosion. To create these modern crops, plant breeders went back to wild relatives. Teosinte (Zea mexicana), on the other hand, is believed to be the wild ancestor of corn. It represents the ongoing research on wild relatives and their relationship to modern crops.
Archipelago’s grand opening will be a chance to celebrate the new exhibition and the height of the garden in full season. Artist Tory Tepp will be on hand during the event to share more about his process for creating the exhibit. He will discuss the instruments he used for the audio soundscape and how each boat draws on imagery from small religious shrines. This is to increase the emotional and spiritual connection to the natural world.
Attendees will be able to try a sample of Kernza® and talk to current researchers in the Picasso Lab at UW–Madison about their work studying Kernza®, silphium and other perennial grains. They can also learn about current ACG sustainability initiatives.
Free tote bags provided by the UW Office of Sustainability will be available to tint. They use natural dyes made from garden plants or food waste. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own 100% cotton, linen, wool or silk items to dye.
Students from Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) will be on hand to share their projects. One ESW team has been building homes for native bees in collaboration with ACG staff, campus bee experts, and student organizations Bees Please and The People’s Farm. Another team is adding solar panels to the roof of a little free library. During the grand opening, visitors will be able to talk with the students. They will also build a small bee hotel to take home.
Allen Centennial Garden is located at 620 Babcock Drive. Free parking is available after 4:30 p.m. in Lot 34 at 1480 Tripp Circle. As well as in Lot 40 behind Babcock Hall. Paid parking is available in Lot 36 just west of Steenbock Library.
Allen Centennial Garden will make a reasonable effort to provide accommodations for participants. Questions about disability accommodations can be sent to Ryan Dostal at AllenCentennialGarden@wisc.edu. Efforts will be made to meet same day requests to the extent possible.
This event is sponsored by the Office of Sustainability. The exhibit has been sponsored by the Center for Culture, History, and the Environment. As well as the Friends of Allen Centennial Garden.
