Invasion of the Forest Artists
Raven Nature Trail Art Exhibit
By Barbara Suozzi

About 4 miles from downtown Minocqua on a secluded trail in Woodruff stands an unlikely Northwoods sight – an art exhibit. Pull into the trail head of the group of trails known as Raven and you are immediately struck by its distinction – a trio trees dressed in white French cuffs stand on either side of the parking lot entrance. This is artist Mark Nelson's "White Collar Woods" and is a definite sign that you are indeed in for an unusual treat. And the 28 artists presenting their works are part of Forest Art Wisconsin and they are hoping it makes an impact in a variety of ways.

Forest Art Wisconsin (FAW) – Native/Invasive is presented in a secluded part of Woodruff, which boasts some of the nicest lakes in the area. FAW chose this site for their international artists symposium, which was held for three weeks in May 2007 and culminated with the exhibits you see on the trail. Also involved was a summer session class from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The exhibit is modeled after an art path in Darmstadt, Germany, which has different themes every other year. The theme of this particular exhibit is “Native/Invasive” and it explores the relationship between the nature of the woods and how we as visitors, affect this green space. Forest workers, experts, and artists came together to formulate the theme “Native/Invasive” Artists, working with naturalists, foresters, and biologists, use the forest as a laboratory. The three main themes of Native/Invasive for Forest Art Wisconsin are ecological, social, and artistic and the creators of the exhibit invite the visitor to contemplate invasiveness, sustainability, and equilibrium of nature as part of life. Artists from around the world are involved. The installation of the exhibit commenced on May 29 and concluded on June 15.

About the Raven Trail
Part of the North Highland American Legion State Forest, the Raven Trail features a mix of intermediate and expert loops that meander through woods and twist around Hemlock, Inkpot and Clear Lakes. The 1.5-mile nature loop, along which the exhibit is presented, also has interpretive signs with interesting bits of information about that part of the forest. Benches are provided throughout for those who wish to take their time and contemplate.

What to expect

The ongoing exhibit includes surprises around every corner. You might see an enormous basket woven around a tree trunk – with the artist’s apology to the tree on a laminated stand in front of the exhibit. Or glance into a moss-covered tree trunk and you may see a beautiful lily constructed out of wood.

Another interesting exhibit includes wooden chain saws hung up in the forest coated with suet and seeds so the birds, chipmunks, and other creatures can feed on (a symbol of) the very objects that felled their habitat.

Two must-see pieces are:

Wolfgang Folmer’s 25-ft basswood trunk at the beginning of the trailhead, which he dyed black and then carved designs in the wood, including a “beetle trail” down its length, and then carved into the blackness whatever struck his fancy: birds, beautiful women, even two figures that look characters from the classic children’s book “The Story of Babar [the Elephant]”

Jennifer Angus' “Big Blue Bugs Bleed Blue Black Blood”, another downed tree with what looks like a bright blue mesh net.

A walk down this trail will provide a very different type of entertainment that you won't soon forget. Go there; enjoy the smell of the woods, the sights of nature, and a bit of interesting art. The exhibit will be running until the end of summer or beyond, if it is well received. Further information on the exhibit and the organization that sponsors it can be found at www.forestartwisconsin.com

What to expect
Guided tours are held:
June 23–September 30, 3 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. Sundays

For group and K -12 special tours contact Megan Lotts,
mclotts@wisc.edu

This resident’s favorite: about 2/3 of the way through the trail you come upon some tree stumps. Embedded in some of the crevices throughout the bark are pieces of colorful maps.