Tending to Plants and Grief with Angela U. Drakeford

Join artist Angela U. Drakeford in this workshop at Mead Library focusing on tending to plants and grief. She will guide us in cultivating awareness of changes in ourselves as well as in plants that surround us every day. The workshop includes exploring processes of wellness, communication, and self-love as we too grow and form roots. Each of us will be provided with plants and soil to participate in the workshop and to take home.

This workshop is being held in connection with Angela U. Drakeford's immersive installation, In bloom at the end of the world, at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Drakeford's installation is an evocation of a sanctuary space that calls forth stillness and rest. With books, comfortable seating, bird song recordings, and an abundance of plants that fill the gallery, Drakeford prioritizes an atmosphere that allows for processing grief of all kinds—including loss of memories, cultural traditions, and communal support. Workshop attendees are encouraged to visit Drakeford's installation before or after they engage with the artist in this workshop. Her exhibition will be on view from November 12, 2022 - March 12, 2023.

In bloom at the end of the world is part of JMKAC’s Ways of Being theme, wherein artists ask, “What if?” Through the interplay of invitation and engagement, Drakeford posits, “What if we took respite?”

_{Photo Credit: Angela Drakeford, In the Mood for Love, 2017–19; multi-media installation; dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Angela Drakeford.}

Angela U. Drakeford
Angela U. Drakeford is an interdisciplinary artist from Omaha, Nebraska. She received her MFA in Fibers and Material Studies from Tyler School of Art and her BFA from University of Nebraska at Omaha. Drakeford has been in residence at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art and Oak Spring Garden Foundation. Her work has been shown in various museums throughout the country, including Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Museum of Nebraska Art, and Joslyn Art Museum. Drakeford’s work is in various public and private collections across the country including Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the University of Nebraska Foundation.