Moving art made to move hearts at the Planting Fields Arboretum

Oyster Bay’s Planting Fields Foundation is set to launch its most immersive Catalyst program yet, with a weeklong series of art workshops culminating in a unique performance on the historic grounds of Planting Fields Arboretum. This year’s program, titled “Follies: A Botanical Backstory,” will be led by Processional Arts — a nonprofit dedicated to preserving processions such as parades as an art form — and promises to blend art, community and history in a dynamic, interactive experience.

The Catalyst 2024 workshops, July 19 to 25, will offer participants the chance to work closely with artists Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles. Known for its large-scale, community-driven art parades and performances, Processional Arts will guide workshop attendees in creating puppets and props that will be showcased in a final performance on July 27.

Kayla Cheshire, the Planting Fields Foundation’s communications and marketing manager, and Emily Leger, its collections and exhibition manager, explained that this will be the largest and most ambitious Catalyst program the foundation has ever held.

“We are very, very excited about this program,” Cheshire said. “It’s going to be a really great combination of just about everything that Planting Fields has to offer.”

Since its inception in 2020, the Catalyst program has invited contemporary artists to create site-specific installations at Planting Fields. Artists such as Courtney Leonard, Mark Dion and David Brooks, have left their mark with memorable stationary outdoor art installations. This year’s program marks a departure from that format, with Processional Arts introducing a mobile performance that will traverse the grounds of the arboretum.

“One of the core values of Processional Arts is celebrating community and what makes different communities unique, so having the Planting Fields community be so hands-on in the installation of this catalyst, it’s really important to us,” Leger explained. “We want the public to feel like they’re a part of it, and while it’s wonderful to come and see beautiful artwork, having the public being able to participate is equally important to us.”

Workshops will be held twice daily over the course of seven days, with sessions from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m., except on July 24, when sessions will run from 2 to 5 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Participants can register for individual sessions or multiple workshops, and each session building on the previous day’s work. The workshops are geared toward adults and teens, though children 8 and older are welcome to attend with an adult.

“Every workshop will introduce different artistic techniques,” Leger said. “From papier-mâché to decoupage and lightweight sculptural assemblage, participants will see their creations evolve throughout the week. By the end of the series, the elements they create will be part of a larger narrative that comes to life during the performance.”

The Catalyst program honors the legacy of the Coe family, the original patrons of the arts at Planting Fields, by helping visitors connect with the site’s history. Gina J. Wouters, president and CEO of the foundation, emphasized the importance of community involvement in this year’s project.

“By inviting Processional Arts to engage directly with our community, we hope to open the Catalyst program up to a wider audience than ever before,” Wouters wrote in a statement. “This event will activate the landscape and highlight hidden histories of the site.”

Kahn and Michahelles said they were excited about working at Planting Fields. Michahelles even has a personal connection with the park: Her great-great-uncle was an artist who helped made murals for the Coe family, the original owners of the property, a century ago.

“We were intrigued by the way structures like the Tea House and the Playhouse balance the extravagant with the intimate, and the functional with the fanciful,” the artists said in a statement. “We are excited to engage the Planting Fields community in helping us translate the stories behind its orchids, camellias, succulents, and other plants into translucent hothouse follies.”

The performance on July 27 will be a culmination of the week’s workshops, featuring ambulatory artworks that will move through the gardens. Attendees can expect a captivating blend of art and history, with mobile illustrated hothouses and translucent puppets that assemble and disassemble as they progress through the landscape.

A free craft session will precede the performance, allowing visitors to engage further with the art and themes of the workshops. The workshops and the performance are free as well, though there is an $8 parking fee. Registration is required for the workshops, with a cap of 25 participants per session to ensure a safe and productive environment. Registration is available online, at PlantingFields.org/happenings.

This year’s Catalyst program promises to be a landmark event, inviting the community to see Planting Fields in a new way and take participate in a unique creative journey. For more information, contact info@plantingfields.org or call (516) 922-9210.