Art, Land & Future

Opening Reception: Friday, November 6th, 5:00 to 7:00 pm

2nd Chapter Presenting Artists:

Kelly M O’Brien creates luminous installations that explore ecological interdependence, material responsibility, and more sustainable ways of making. Botanica Lucida leaves delicate botanical traces held within translucent forms that capture light and cast shifting shadows along the Unison Arts gallery walls. The Trees Might Save Us extends this exploration through suspended elements suggesting groves or vines that invite visitors to move among them. Both installations incorporate new elements made with botanical specimens gathered from Unison’s grounds, connecting the work directly to the landscape beyond the gallery.

Laurie Sheridan’s VISITORS stand tall at the far entrance of the sculpture garden. Each sculpture reaches 7–8 feet in height, constructed from welded steel armatures and giant palm sheaths, with shredded coconut baskets heads. These figures question the differences between human and animals, land and objects, transcendent mirage or looming omen.

Lexa Walsh presents newly wood-fired ceramic relics as epaulettes, burdensomely heavy shields, and flowering swords nod to regalia while critiquing the institutions that uphold it. These handmade, oversized forms take on the multiple meanings of “decoration,” simultaneously addressing grief and despair while grasping for humor and joy as expressions of resistance. These installations can be stumbled upon as one traverses the Unison Arts grounds, and it is supplemented by the rebloomed and reclaimed sites of Rosenow’s and Medeiros’ summer installations.

The first chapter of Art, Land, and Future featured eco-futurist installations by Jordan Rosenow and Mike Medeiros alongside a socially responsive performance by Agustin Diocares. This next chapter will feature three new artists presenting unique installations and semi-permanent sculptures alongside the installations present this summer.

Unison Arts is proud to launch its inaugural Triennial: Art, Land & Future, a landmark initiative celebrating both the 50th anniversary of Unison Arts and the 250th anniversary of the United States. Bringing together 20 artists working across sculpture, installation, social practice, and performance, the Triennial explores the evolving relationship between art, land, community, and the future over the next three years (2026 - 2029).

Crafted in collaboration with guest curator Jaime Ransome, the Triennial brings together artists whose practices engage questions of ecology, memory, migration, public space, and collective futures. Rooted in the Hudson Valley yet engaged with broader national and global conversations, the exhibition invites artists and audiences alike to reflect on the histories that shape us and the futures we are actively creating.

At a moment marked by environmental urgency, cultural transformation, and shifting ideas of belonging, the Triennial asks: How do we imagine the relationship between creativity, heritage, and sustainability? What role can art play in building more connected, equitable, and resilient communities?

Through exhibitions, performances, installations, and public programs, the Triennial serves as a platform for dialogue, experimentation, and collective imagination. Honoring Unison’s longstanding commitment to artistic innovation and community engagement, this inaugural edition looks both backward and forward—celebrating five decades of creative practice while envisioning new possibilities for the years ahead.

Follow the journey of the Triennial by visiting our Calendar, where you’ll find a continually evolving schedule of installations, performances, conversations, and artist-led events taking shape over the next three years.