The Upside Down Forest

A Really Tiny Museum exhibition about Texas native prairie restoration and the root systems that can help mitigate climate crisis damage

August 1-31 | The 14th Contemporary | Eco Museum

Artist Talk | August 31 | 7:00pm

September 1-30 | The Banton Rd Museum

“The Upside Down Forest” is a visual chronicle of ongoing restoration work at Dowell Ranch—just minutes from artist Alicia Philley's home.

This 150-acre ranch on the Onion Creek Watershed is part of a statewide effort to preserve and restore Blackland Prairies, which once covered ¾ of Texas. The root systems of native prairie grasses grow up to 16 feet deep. Research shows these “upside down forests” can be more effective than trees at carbon retention. Native prairies also serve as habitats for endangered animals and insects, protect local watersheds, reduce erosion, and revitalize the soil.

For this exhibit, Philley represents tangled root systems with laser-cut wood scraps from a previous project.

The colors match those of insects documented on a moth night at Dowell Ranch. Staff and volunteers attract night-time pollinators with a lantern; a simple blue tarp helps make the insects more visible. Documenting insect variety and numbers is one of many ways to track the revitalization process.

To learn more about how to help or get involved, follow Native Prairie Association of Texas (NPAT.org)

Alicia Philley (b. Dallas 1972), lived in Austin until the third grade and moved back 15 years ago to raise her two children. Her abstract art practice is deeply rooted in the surrounding urban gardens, greenbelts, and state parks. She completed the BFA program in painting at Hunter College, NYC, in 2005 and earned a BA in journalism from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, in 1995.

Philley’s most recent project was a site-specific installation created in partnership with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For seven months, her seventy sculptural paintings engaged with the trees, grasses, and flowers along a trail there. It was the realization of a 22-year dream to create an outdoor art experience that could serve as a place for healing, connection, and joy.