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Refugium (pl. Refugia) “An area in which a population of organisms can survive through a period of unfavorable conditions.”

Refugia is an experiential art installation that focuses attention on loss, grief, adaptation, and hope as we come into a world that has been fundamentally changed in ways we don’t fully understand. Using ceramic frogs and elements of the artist’s own refugia, we take time to listen to heralds of change and acknowledge difficult feelings that the presence of grief brings. It is tough. It will be different. But as we can see from nature and its cycles, it will not be over. 

Share a poem, song, prayer, or wish at an open mic. Embrace the hard feelings surrounded by others doing the same. I hope you see you there.

About the artist: Rine Wakeman is an alumnus of Calvin University with majors in fine arts and interdisciplinary sciences, including biology and geology. He uses his work to process the long-lasting impacts of life events or future dreads, and to encourage others to do the same. The overwhelming biodiversity of the world, themes and patterns found throughout natural history, and the sheer joy in the act of creation drive his art ever forward.