By Megan Stouffer, New England Botanic Garden
June 2024

Thousands of pieces of colorful flowing fabric hang above Garden staff and members of the Poetic Kinetics team. Above the group, arborists cling to the trees, anchoring the magnificent kinetic artwork allowing it to appear as if it were floating among the towering oaks of Pliny’s Allée. Patrick Shearn, Creative Director of Poetic Kinetics, the creative arts and design studio who brought the trilogy of Flora in Flight to life, pauses to assess the installation process so far. This isn’t his first rodeo. Shearn’s creations have been showcased all over the world, but this time they brought him to New England.  

Shearn says all his artworks have a common thread of being calm. “They’re connecting you to nature. They make you see something bigger than your own self and your own daily troubles.” Hear more about the inspiration behind Flora in Flight in the video below. 

The kinetic art pieces are located in The Court: A Garden Within Reach, the Lawn Garden, and Pliny’s Allée. Flora in Flight, Aerial Art by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, will be on exhibit through October 31, 2024. Learn more and plan your visit today. 

Experience a collaboration between art and nature as vast, fluid canvases of color dance overhead in the wind. This trilogy of large-scale kinetic art by Colorado Springs-based creative arts and design studio Poetic Kinetics transforms spaces within the Garden into living tapestries sure to spark wonder and ignite the imagination.

Flora in Flight, Aerial Art by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, is open through October 31, 2024. Learn more at nebg.org/flora-in-flight.

About the Author

Megan Stouffer is the Digital Marketing Coordinator at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill located in Boylston, MA. She has been with the organization since 2021 and primarily works on the Garden’s social media and email marketing content. Megan earned her BS in Public Relations at Slippery Rock University and is finishing her MS in Environmental Studies and Sustainability at Unity Environmental University. Her professional interests include climate change communication, environmental interpretation, and inclusive storytelling.