PAST EXHIBIT
Life is in the Balance: See the Oneness of Things
Kristin Reiber Harris
Jul 22, 2023 - Sept, 2024
Life Is In the Balance: See the Oneness of Things is an exhibit of 6 drawings at Narrows Botanical Gardens created by Bay Ridge artist Kristin Reiber Harris and funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor’s Office. Kristin’s drawings celebrate the beauty and wisdom of the natural world inspired by the flora and fauna of Narrows Botanical Gardens (NBG). The mixed media drawings, created on paper have been printed on vinyl for display in the park. Each drawing features a combination of species arranged in radial symmetry reflecting patterns in nature.
My mission with this work and all of the work I have made in the past 40 year is to detail the wonder of the natural world all around us to inspire careful observation and stewardship of all life on Earth. We are all connected and it’s easy to see if you look.” Kristin adds, “Kids get the awe of discovery, we just need to keep that kind of thinking alive for all of us.“
“ I have spent many hours at NBG, usually visiting at least twice a week. So I know my favorite parts well. After I received the grant, I had a very special visit with the intent to identify the first plants to be drawn/celebrated. It was so much fun to walk into the garden and have the mullein plant jump out and speak to me. This is a plant I have known and loved most of my life. Its lush green leaves stood out in the brown of autumn. It was November at the time, so the flowering plants had dried out and were standing as sentinels of the promise for a renewed garden in the spring. I have a long standing fascination with the gesture and color of dried plants. The Inula caught my eye and bingo, I was off to the races.”
Kristin’s grant stipulated that she would create work at a New York City Park but it was her choice to feature the Narrows Botanical Gardens. As a volunteer at NBG since she moved to Brooklyn 4 years ago, it was an easy decision for her. She believes “Narrows Botanical Gardens is such a treasure for me and the whole community. Having moved to NYC from Central Virginia where I had a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, finding the natural world so accessible right in my backyard in Brooklyn was pure joy for me. Join me in helping to keep NBG prospering.”
Kristin Reiber Harris is a Brooklyn-based artist, animator, and educator whose work explores the natural world through art, storytelling, and education. Her practice spans illustration, animation, and publishing, with a recent focus on coloring books that invite people to engage with nature through creative observation and hands-on making. Deeply inspired by ecology, flora, and fauna, her work bridges science and art to foster curiosity and connection. Harris has produced and animated over 100 short-form educational animations for children, with more than forty interstitials broadcast on HBO Family. Her work has been featured in numerous film festivals. An educator for over four decades, Harris has taught college-level art and design courses, led workshops for elementary through high school students, and developed family programs for museums and art centers. She is a member of the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, NYWIFT, and Women in Film & Video Washington DC.
About Kristin
Narrows Botanical Gardens Coloring Book
Explore NBG’s landscapes and wildlife beyond the garden paths. Designed by Narrows Botanical Gardens Artist in Residence Kristin Reiber Harris, this coloring book features hand-drawn illustrations inspired by the flora and fauna of the gardens.