THE ARTISTS
“I draw inspiration from scientific information approaches such as the the Periodic Table of Elements to imagine and design new ways to make essential information about increasingly threatened ecosystems accessible – and to encourage curiosity, learning, and stewardship.”
Karen Ellzey Wright
With The Driftless Prairie Code: A Periodic Table of Prairie Phenology, Karen integrates art, science, and information design to introduce a botanical information system that makes essential plant data more accessible and useful for anyone interested in understanding, preserving, reconstructing, and protecting increasingly threatened environments.
Karen wears many hats: management consultant, multi-media artist, strategic facilitator, information designer, amateur naturalist, and Driftless landowner focused on habitat stewardship. Early in her career, Karen founded and led the creative department of an environmental consulting firm focused on multi-media environmental education and outreach. She was also a lead illustrator of endangered species for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Karen is known for collaborative, multi-disciplinary approaches that explore the intersection of traditionally distinct disciplines as a way of uncovering new insights and solutions to persistent challenges.
Karen shares a home in Ridgeway, Wisconsin with her husband Tim.
NEW! Coffee mugs and cards based on Karen's designs are now available at the UW Arboretum Bookstore and Taliesin Preservation Gift Shop and Online Store!
Installation Highlights
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