This past week Cabrillo National Monument, in association with Artist-in-Residence Michael Ready and a community donation from visitor Miranda Hope, was proud to present a classroom set of images from the See Life Collection to Monarch School.
The See Life Collection is a unique project highlighting the stunning and diverse ecosystems and animals that call Cabrillo home. With the collection, Ready masterfully captures the morphology of his subjects while building awareness for the biodiversity of the South West region of the United States. These images include some of the commonly occurring and easily discovered species, and others that are rarely seen due to their small size, ephemeral existence, or natural behavior. Merging the worlds of science and art, See Life challenges the community to take a closer look and garner a deeper appreciation for our diverse world.
From these pictures, classroom sets of 10 prints were created and mounted onto PVC boards with full descriptions of each organism. The purpose of these sets is to bring the wonders of the natural world to San Diego classrooms and beyond. The first of these sets was donated to 8th grade marine science teacher, Ms. Hartwood of Monarch School. As one of the premier educational institutions supporting homeless youth in San Diego, Cabrillo was honored to partner with Monarch School in this unique endeavor. Additionally, we look forward to hosting Ms. Hartwood's class for a tidepool exploration this fall.
The See Life Collection is a product of the Cabrillo Artist-in-Residence Program. This program provides a platform for participating artisans to inspire and improve their local community and their National Park. The Monument offers beautiful views, powerful messages, and rich history that our artists capture through a variety of media. Stewarding the mission of the National Park Service through their unique voice, our artists take visitors down a journey which expands their perspectives, unveils new meaning, and heightens their understanding of our cultural and historical resources.