Gruter knows Wisconsin residents will enjoy this type of art, but also stresses that they should. Beyond its aesthetic beauty, the whole experience is worthwhile.

“There’s something so inviting and engaging about seeing art in places you don’t expect it,” she said.

Andy White

Pieces of white cloth create a spiraling web of art among the trees of Raven Trail.

Art involving nature offers a dual pleasure: Nature enhances art’s physical beauty, while the art draws people closer to nature. The unrestricted setting adds a matchless element to the interpretation.

“I think my main aim is that people learn to see differently when they go through nature, that they have a new experience,” Ritschel said. “We always have to deal with environment. It’s our main concern. All people have responsibility to deal with it. I think people of Wisconsin … should use the chance and come out and see their beautiful landscape. We want to make them go there and enjoy this by giving them a new impact in their human experience, in their emotional experience, in their everyday life.”

Finding the meaning
Environmental awareness has been on the minds of artists for many years, according to Jane Simon, curator of exhibitions at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and it has transformed with time and carries meaning relevant to the here and now.

“I don’t think it’s obvious to people how environmental issues intersect with artistic practice,” Simon said.

But that could change as the idea of branching off from more traditional art forms catches on among Wisconsin’s artists.

“I think it’s a little cult out there,” LaBrosse said. “Maybe people got sick and tired of painting—all these rules and stuff. When I saw this assemblage stuff, I thought, ‘Oh my God, rules are just out the window, and this is for me.’”

Audiences, too, have become increasingly aware of environmental issues and evermore open to art that strays from the mainstream. This gives artists even more reason to connect their work to nature in innovative ways.

“I get a lot of people at the markets that will say things like, ‘Hey, I appreciate you doing this and recycling’ or ‘Wow, it’s really good to see someone doing something like this,’” Kircher said.

And for those wanting more, inventive art that addresses their concerns may not be so difficult to find after all.

“It’s not like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Simon said. “I think it’s everywhere.”

Just as the forest on Raven Trail in Minocqua revealed stunning art from among the foliage, so does the whole of Wisconsin elicit artistic masterpieces that reflect the state’s natural beauty, promote its protection and convey other social messages. Although closely tied to nature, such art is not intended to be camouflaged in the thick of the innumerable art forms out there. Rather, it seeks to visually leap from Wisconsin’s arts scene, shining light on relevant issues while capturing the eyes and minds of its audience.