Cincinnati Nature Center - Rowe Woods

Forest Portals, 2024-2025

For the Cincinnati Nature Center portal’s project funded in part through the National Endowment for the Arts, and Artswave, Burke and Gorgen wanted to invite viewers to find whimsy and fantastical moments with the sculptures, but also have opportunities to learn about the flora, fauna, and terrain of Ohio. Each sculpture has hidden seek and find elements, or reveals something about Ohio, or the history of Cincinnati Nature Center itself. 

Portals have been reworked into 4 themes that relate to the Cincinnati Nature Center

Each portal contains visual elements related to the nature center, either in three-dimensional form or two-dimensional form that will function as a “seek and find” for visitors. 

Site 1 - Krippendorf Paw Paw Grove 
Theme: Pawpaws and honoring Krippendorf Lodge

Krippendorf Paw Paw Grove draws on influences from the Krippendorf Lodge interior and exterior and the pawpaw grove nearby. A reinterpretation of paw paw trees supports a glass panel etched with the artists drawing of a low relief wall mural located in the lodge. The mural is not always visible to park attendees. Numerous woodland creatures and native plants are located in the imagery. How many can you find? 

The leaves of the portal’s pawpaw are made of stained glass and resin so that light can pass through. The structure is made from wood, glass, metal, paint, resin, and Hydrostone. 

Site 2 - Fauna 
Theme: Old forest, trees, and animals 

Fauna is inspired by abandoned stone structures that are happened upon in forests that were once inhabited by residents and then left to be reclaimed by nature. The oval at the top contains sandcast, sculpted, and stained glass elements. The optic display will change with the light of the day. The gray bark and stone like sections of the portal contain numerous forest fauna. How many animals, insects, and flowers can you find? How many are native and are there any that do not belong? 

The structure is made from wood, Hydrostone, glass, metal, resin, polystyrene, and vinyl. There are reflective glass beads incorporated into the surface of the gray sections, and will glow if a light is shining on it at dusk or dark. 

Site 3 - Field Flora
Theme: Field Flower/Pollinators

Field Flora is inspired by Queen Anne’s Lace, a flower that commonly invades open fields and meadows. The heads of each flower contain insects, flowers, or creatures found at the nature center. Meadows are important to support pollinators and native creatures, and Field Flora honors those connections through the interconnected structures and imagery. The structure is painted with phosphorescent paint and will glow in the moonlight. It is constructed out of wood, metal, Hydrostone, paint, and a reclaimed chandelier. 

Site 4 - Tributary
Theme: Water, streams and forest

Tributary is a whimsical take on a tree that has been windswept as it sits near a stream. The broad flat sections of the tree canopy contain a carved map of the Ohio river basin that has been filled with resin and holographic elements to mimic water. The chosen colors of the tree take you through each season. The portal is constructed of wood, paint, metal, and resin.