Exhibition news
Rest and Recharge in Nature
By Megan Donahue
The world is noisy. In an environment saturated with constant alerts, urgent headlines, and an unrelenting stream of information, our nervous systems are rarely given time to settle. While some messages truly demand our immediate action, many linger as ambient noise, subtly shaping our thoughts, elevating stress, and eroding our capacity for presence and rest.
So what can we do about it?
Rest and Recharge: Practicing Radical Self Care in an Uncertain World is a new exhibition at Brushwood exploring this question. The exhibition acknowledges the quiet toll of the noise overload and offers a gentle counterbalance. Through visual art, space, and silence, Rest and Recharge creates an environment that encourages slowing down, tuning inward, and reconnecting with rhythms that sustain us rather than deplete us.
Over forty artists are featured in the exhibition, exploring rest not as withdrawal or passivity, but as an active, necessary practice—one rooted in attention, care, and renewal.
Rest is essential for humans to thrive. In addition to healthy sleep, downtime, and exercise, spending time in nature significantly reduces stress. A 2019 study found that just 20 minutes connecting with nature can help lower stress hormone levels. Research has shown “evidence that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress.”
The artists of Rest and Recharge understand this vital link between nature and rejuvenation.
Artists Explore Nature as a Source of Calm
“Immersion in nature can bring peace and calm to otherwise anxious thoughts and feelings. When I walk through a garden or a forest or stand near a waterfall, I feel a connection and a feeling of belonging to something larger than myself. My awareness shifts. It helps me find perspective. The constant change and renewal inherent in nature reminds me that I am also changing and renewing in sometimes subtle, but significant ways. I can breathe a little deeper. My senses are awakened and I feel renewed. My paintings reference natural surroundings that metaphorically represent state of mind.”
–Joan Ackerman-Zimny
Image: Promise, by Joan Ackerman-Zimny
Media: Oil paint
“I create works on paper drawn from my personal nature library, built through time spent outdoors and close observation. When a pinecone or stone, a bone or shell catches my attention, I experience a moment of discovery—an immediate sense of joy and quiet amazement that slows me down and invites presence. In an uncertain world, fear can easily dominate our inner lives. For me, returning to nature and to art is a way of resisting that pull. Joyful observation becomes grounding: studying color, texture, form, and cast shadow allows focus to replace anxiety. Each finished work feels like a small but meaningful victory—proof that attention, curiosity, and care still matter. Inspired by Claude Monet, who continued painting through World War I and described his work as ‘the only way I have of taking part in the victory,’ my own practice similarly chooses creation over fear. By sharing these moments of discovery, I hope the work offers steadiness and reassurance—a reminder that attention to the natural world can restore balance, clarity, and peace.”
–Margarete de Soleil
Image:Owl Feather, by Margarete de Soleil
Media: Ink and watercolor on Arches paper
“Being in natural surroundings is the ultimate way to rest and recharge. Getting away from computers, TV’s and other devices is balm for the over-stimulated mind. Challenge yourself by walking, sitting or even laying down to let wind, sun and temperature play their part in rejuvenating and elevating mind and spirit.”
-Carol Luc
Image: Get Lost, by Carol Luc
Media: Photo
Rest and Recharge is on display at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods through April 5.
