Cultivator Offers Chicago Art Exhibits & Farm Projects at Bray Grove Farm in Grundy County; See the Latest on Monday, 5/27/24 from 2-5 PM...Details Here

From Susannah Papish's current exhibit, OVA ANIMA, on handmade paper by Melissa Potter during Bray Grove Farm's Spring Farm Day. Details below about the work of Susannah and Melissa, along with their Memorial Day exhibit.

Cultivator is pleased to present Susannah Papish’s painting exhibition, Ova Anima, during Bray Grove Farm’s Spring Farm Day. This exhibition coincides with Melissa Potter’s presentation of Dung Paper with Annabelle and Loretta. Susannah will exhibit egg tempera paintings sourced from the farm's duck eggs on handmade paper made by Melissa.

Please rsvp and join us on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th from 2-5pm for art, conversation, light refreshments, and a day on our small holistic farm. Bray Grove Farm is located 70 miles southwest of Chicago in Grundy County. To confirm your attendance and receive directions and parking information, kindly email joanne@cultivatorarts.com.

For this exhibit at Cultivator, I created egg tempera using dry pigments and duck eggs from Bray Grove Farm. Using Melissa’s handmade paper, I made paintings with the tempera and in some cases, watercolor, gouache, and casein paints. Egg tempera is a stable paint that has been used for hundreds of years, and mostly maintains its depth of color. Color has been an important aspect of my research and paintings for many years. I gleaned the imagery in these paintings from my native garden, Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millenium Park, and other native gardens in the Midwest. The basis of this work was guided by the ethos of Bray Grove Farm, the elemental connections to my observations of flowers and plants, and the sensuous qualities of hand-crafted materials. 

- Susannah Papish

Melissa Potter

Dung Paper with Annabelle and Loretta

Cultivator at Bray Grove Farm

Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 20242pm - 5pm

Cultivator is pleased to feature Melissa Potter’s project, Dung Paper with Annabelle and Loretta, during Bray Grove Farm’s Spring Farm Day. This presentation coincides with Susannah Papish’s exhibition, Ova Amina.

Please rsvp and join us on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th from 2-5pm for art, conversation, light refreshments, and a day on our small holistic farm. Bray Grove Farm is located 70 miles southwest of Chicago in Grundy County. To confirm your attendance and receive directions and parking information, kindly email joanne@cultivatorarts.com.

For my Cultivator project, I created sheets of handmade paper from composted dung sourced from Annabelle and Loretta, Bray Grove Farm’s mules. Each mule produced a distinctive paper differing in color and texture offering a “portrait” of their digestive systems, diet, and temperament. The waste herbivores produce is essentially raw cellulose—the foundation of paper—and is used around the world as a source material for micro-industry and waste remediation projects. Dung Paper with Annabelle and Loretta introduces the public to a surprising form of reuse and a tree-free alternative to one of the most environmentally toxic methods of industrial paper production. It also offers a window into their digestive systems as a different kind of farm labor.- Melissa Potter