Phases of History: Commemorating 60 Years of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes
2010s - Now: Rose Foundation Gazebo, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
2000s: One Tree Project, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
1990s: Friend's Pavillion, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
1980s: All Peoples Trail, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
1970s: Sterns Trail, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
1960s: Freeway Fighters, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
2010s - Now: Rose Foundation Gazebo, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
2000s: One Tree Project, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
1990s: Friend's Pavillion, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
1980s: All Peoples Trail, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
1980s: All Peoples Trail, 2026, 24"x24", Vinyl print of acrylic ink drawing mounted on aluminum and framed, On view at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes from May 2026 to December 2026
Freeway Fighters (1960s): A great blue heron stands peacefully over a white silhouette of the map of the Clark Freeway that was to be built right over what is now the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. The Freeway Fighters, a grassroots coalition of Shaker Heights residents, saved the parklands from being built over and are the reason the Nature Center exists today.
Environmental Protection Agency (1970s): This drawing celebrates enjoying nature's beauty while keeping it alive. This decade marked the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 22, 1970, which is now known as Earth Day. In 1971, the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes was named a National Environmental Education Landmark and National Environmental Study Area by the National Park Service. In 1973, the Nature Center opened the Sterns Woodland Trail, furthering the visitors' enjoyment. Transparent layers of man-made footsteps, Northeast Ohio animal tracks, and a Paleo-American arrowhead represent the many beings that have crossed the same paths at the Nature Center.
All Peoples Trail (1980s): In 1983, the All People's Trail was built and opened to the public. Winding through the forest, over the Doan Brook, over the marsh and Lower Shaker Lake, the trail allows visitors to experience all of the environments of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. In this drawing, outlines of the human figure mesh with the wildlife scenery, celebrating all of the people who pass through and enjoy this trail each day. This drawing and trail represent the inclusivity of nature. Everyone is welcome to visit and enjoy themselves.
The Friends Pavilion (1990s): In 1995, the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes' Friends Pavilion was opened to the public as a place for visitors to relax and gather. Outside of the pavilion lies a bed of beautiful flowers. With nine different native Northeast Ohio flowers, this drawing depicts the colorful beauty of the Nature Center. In the center of the composition, a white Swamp Rose Mallow blooms out of the other flowers, just as they bloom in the marshes in the summer.
One Tree Project (2000s): This drawing compares the phases of the moon to the changing colors of the treasured One-Tree, a red oak. The One Tree Project was created when the Nature Center needed to remove a declining 95-year-old red oak during a building renovation. Instead of discarding it, the nature center chose to use the entire tree in a sustainable and creative way. The wood was milled and distributed to more than 50 volunteer artisans who produced nearly 50 functional and artistic objects such as furniture, bowls, and tools.
Rose Foundation Gazebo (2010s-now): In 2019, the Rose Foundation Gazebo was built at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. Designed and built by local carpenter and artist Matt Parker, the gazebo was envisioned as a whimsical structure that blends naturally with its environment and complements the All Peoples Trail. With faint renderings of the Nature Center's pet turtle, toad, and corn snake overlayed onto the gazebo, this drawing celebrates the beautiful infrastructure at the Nature Center and the amazing educational, hands-on elements inside the center.