Arts strategies will support and promote the Boone County Arboretum as a living museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: David Benninger (president@bcarboretum.org)

UNION, KY — The Friends of the Boone County Arboretum, a non-profit organization, announced the inaugural Artist-in-Residence Program of the organization on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Boone County Arboretum. The non-profit has selected Lindsey Kiser to fulfill the volunteer position of Artist-in-Residence for the next twelve months.

The board recognizes that an arts program will create a dynamic platform for community members to actively engage with both the artistic process and the natural world, fostering a deeper connection and appreciation for the study of plants and the preservation of the natural environment. By launching this program, the Friends of the Boone County Arboretum expects to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of art, conservation, landscape design, gardening, and horticulture. The organization seeks to encourage collaboration between the members of the community, horticulturalists, landscapers, hobby gardeners, and visual artists, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and innovative approaches to landscape design.

Kris Stone, director of the Boone County Arboretum, shared, “It’s fitting that Lindsey is the inaugural Artist-in-Residence since she painted the cover of our map at the arboretum’s inception in 1999. I look forward to reading Lindsey’s articles on what she finds inspiring at the arboretum to create artwork over the next year. It is my hope that the new Artist-in-Residence Program of the non-profit will raise awareness of our unique arboretum.” The Artist-in-Residence Program is expected to enhance the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of the community while promoting environmental awareness and stewardship.

There are few places in the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area where you can see such a unique arrangement of diverse plants. Encompassing 121 acres, the Boone County Arboretum is also known as Central Park, and was the nation’s first arboretum within an active recreation park setting. The Arboretum is Accredited at Level IV (the highest level) by the Arbnet Accreditation Program, a recognition held by only forty arboreta in the world.

Lindsey Kiser expects to investigate the plantings at the Arboretum as part of her research and development to inform a new body of work around the topic of indigenous plants and pollinators. She shared that the biological function of “cross-pollination” provided by pollinators metaphorically represents the dynamic interplay of diverse concepts. She explained, “This concept fosters a garden of intellectual exploration and innovation, aligning with my interest in rich dialogues that transcend boundaries. As a former patent attorney turned full-time fine artist, I am passionate about themes that encourage community-wide conversations about ideation and innovation; the environment and agri-business; education; and the arts.”

After graduating from Larry A. Ryle High School, Lindsey Kiser earned her undergraduate degree in art with minors in biology and chemistry from Georgetown College. She studied art history and drawing at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Lindsey earned her juris doctor (J.D.) from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. To follow Lindsey’s artistic journey, the artist encourages you to join her mailing list.