ART ON VIEW
ART ON VIEW
NEW FORMAT - ARTISTS RECEPTION
Friday, January 9, 2026 | 6PM-8PM
Kickoff a new year of programs with the Nature Center and experience our new and improved Art on View exhibit and reception. Art on View is bigger than ever! Several artists and diverse mediums, backgrounds and disciplines will share and display their art together in our Art on View exhibit space throughout 2026. Our large artists’ reception will be a can’t-miss event with food, drinks, and conversations with all of the artists showing for the year. Stay tuned as we announce our 2026 cohort of Art on View artists. The reception is free to attend and view. Art is available for purchase with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Nature Center.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Alvero Alejandro Lopez
Álvaro Alejandro López is a photographer from Mexico City. He worked in the publishing industry but recently began to exhibit his personal photographic projects. Some have been presented in Mexico, USA, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Iceland, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Singularity is a Forest is an aesthetic approach to the features and scars that give life to the individuality of each tree. In our different languages, trees are mainly a generic symbol. However, if we contemplate them closely, we will find in them the diverse and the singular. https://alvaroalejandrolopez.com/singularity-is-a-forest
Art Books Cleveland
Art Books Cleveland is a vibrant group of artists who make art books, transform books and create other paper related art. We have shown our work at many galleries including BayArts, Artists Archive of the Western Reserve, Beachwood Art Gallery and the Morgan Conservatory among others. Artists who will be showing their art under the Art Books Cleveland include: Gene Epstein, Phyllis Brody, Ellie Strong, Laura Martin, Lysa Anderson, Jennifer Omaitz, Diane Britt, Kelly Pontoni, Jeanetta Ho, and Rachel Morris.
Burnell McKenna
Burnell McKenna is a Caribbean-Swedish botanical artist, born in Trinidad & Tobago, whose work vividly reflects her heritage and deep reverence for nature. Bold, self-taught, and instinctively expressive, she has cultivated a distinctive voice in contemporary botanical art over the past five years—creating work that is as emotionally resonant as it is visually striking.
Watercolour is her primary language: a fluid, romantic medium through which she explores the fragile majesty of the natural world. Her compositions often feature hyper-magnified botanicals rendered in crisp, living colour—juxtaposing nature’s elegance with the urgency of environmental loss. “No other medium,” she notes, “offers the same freedom to explore the subtle tensions and sublime poetry in every leaf, bloom, and shadow.”
McKenna’s work invites viewers to engage, not just observe. Her use of scale, colour play, and detail encourages an emotional reconnection to the natural world—a world too often overlooked or endangered. Whether in her botanical studies, abstract seascapes, or moody landscapes, she builds a narrative of beauty, fragility, and responsibility.
Paula Zinsmeister
One of my favorite memories as a child was when my father took my brother and me for walks in the Cleveland Metroparks. I learned a lot from him about native plants and trees during those walks. I also grew up observing nature and the shapes, colors and intricacies of organic and botanical forms. The subject matter in my artwork reflects this ongoing appreciation of nature.
Even today, when walking outside, I pick up unusual branches, leaf shapes, pods, etc. These elements then serve as either inspiration or are incorporated into my work. I frequently rely on plants as part of my artwork. In the process of eco-dyeing my paper, I use flowers and plants to create unusual patterns and a loose flow of color. I then print over these images to create additional layers and mystery. I also use actual plants during the process of printmaking either as a negative or positive shape in my work. I tend to layer my paper with various printmaking processes including monoprinting, intaglio, drypoint and paper lithography.
Each piece I create is a journey for me. It is a visual reaction to shapes, colors, textures and forms all stemming from my initial walks in the park as a child. My hope is that the viewer experiences the mystery, beauty and tranquility of nature.
Victor Weizer
Attempting to photograph wild birds of prey can be an exercise in humility and frustration, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges. All the images in this collection were taken are of wild critters. None of the subjects were baited, called in, or used remote triggers to obtain the images. The privilege of observing these species without disruption, or stressing the subjects has always been the primary objective and the desire to obtain an image must never override that objective. These images are simply my way of sharing what I have been lucky enough to witness. Patience, Persistence, and Luck.
ART ON VIEW INQUIRIES
Our rotating Art on View exhibits highlight local artists whose work prominently features nature and wildlife themes or uses recycled or reusable materials. We offer this program for our visitors to enjoy local art and photography all year on the upper level of the Nature Center. Art featured can be, and is recommended to be offered for sale, with a portion of every sale supporting the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.
Thank you for your interest in showcasing your art! Please fill out this form, and our Community Engagement Manager will reach out to you regarding your inquiry. The next available opening for Art on View exhibition is our 2027 cycle.
*Please note that space is limited, and filling out this inquiry form does not guarantee a space in the Art on View program. Sustainable, recycled, upcycled, nature-related, or other Nature Center mission-related artwork may be given precedence.