Northwoods artist Mary Burns quickly became known for her talented depictions of nature and Northwoods leaders within the fibers of her jacquard loom.
Burns has found joy in preserving the efforts of conservationists, water protectors, and figures working to keep our natural environment clean. She depicts both local and globally recognized leaders who have worked to bridge the relationship between humans and nature.
The inside of her cozy studio tucked away near the Manitowish River in Mercer, Wisconsin, was quiet, but the collision between the natural world and the creative process was loud.
Swatches of naturally dyed fabrics lined the wall, and eco-printed shawls hung from hangers, being admired by the portraits hanging from the opposite side.
Burns is best known for her Jacquard weavings. A specific style of weaving that for much of it’s history was inaccessible to the average hand weaver. Jacquard looms move threads indivually versus moving groups of thread to create intricate images.
“The threads that I put on the loom, which are the warp threads, I can individually control every single thread," said Burns. "If I want to include, say, a leaf in a weaving, I can draw that leaf in, put weave structures in the design, and then as I'm weaving, that leaf will emerge with the interaction of the warp and weft.”
. Her studio walls are covered in her work. Burns stopped and explained the story behind some of the work, including a portrait that depicts a woman created with blue and green yarn hung high on the display racks.
“The woman is Victoria Buschman," said Bruns. "She's the first Inuk doctor of conservation biology in the world, and she works in the Arctic and I wanted to blend her with the northern lights, so that's how I came up with this particular weaving.”
Her exhibit, Women and Water, highlights women working to advocate and protect water around the world. It features local leaders such as Tinker Schuman of the Lac Du Flambeau Tribe and national names such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who worked to protect the Florida Everglades.
“There's so many issues surrounding water, to a general public, who might not be familiar with actions that these different women are taking," said Burns. "My big hope is to inspire people to take their own action to protect water.”
For Burns, her work is a way to bring people in and introduce them to the work being done to protect the environment.
“Sometimes that information just doesn't register with people, but if you can use art as a means of opening people's hearts to, say, environmental issues, it goes much more easily," said Burns.
And that’s not where her work mixing art and the natural world comes to a stop. Burns loves seeing her work make a local impact. For the last three years, she has been working with North Lakeland Elementary School to give students an idea of the work that goes into creating one of her women and water pieces.
“The students all have to choose one of the women and do a presentation about her, and the students all get a small loom, one of these," She said while motioning behind her to show a small laser-cut, wooden loom. "They learn how to weave, so they have an appreciation for the technique and the how much it takes to actually do one of these weavings, and it's been a wonderful experience for both of both of them and me.”
Her work has even grabbed national and global attention and has been invited to be shown at a United Nations art exhibit in March for World Water Day and International Women’s Day. Burns has begun thinking about fundraising possibilities and how to transport her work while waiting for the organization's final approval.
"One of the things I really like about all of this is, so we have this big platform of the United Nations, and then we have small cities where the exhibit has been or is going to, such as Rhinelander." said Burns. "It's in Petoskey, Michigan, right now, and next summer it's supposed to be in Ironwood. I mean, I love the mix.”
For Burns, art is a big part of how people advocate for the environment and its conservation.
“There are lots of people doing really great artwork that's inspired by our environment and trying to nudge people and our governments to start taking better care," said Burns
Burns continues to create more works to add to her exhibits, always looking to expand the collections of inspiring stories to spread the word of their work.
Maria Peralta-Arellano is a reporter covering water quality and the environment for WXPR and a Report for America corps member. Report for America recruits, places and supports talented journalists in local newsrooms across the United States. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work and Report for America will match it dollar for dollar. Donate here.
