Ephemeral Bloom: Weathered by Time Presented by ARTx @ The Arb
2026-04-29 09:00 - 2026-10-25 16:00 (America/Phoenix) | The Arboretum at Flagstaff, 4001 S. Woody Mountain Road, Flagstaff, AZ, 86005, United States
Ephemeral Bloom: Weathered by Time
A New Collaborative Artwork by Artist Jill Sans and Botanical Consultant & Storyteller Kate Watters

Ephemeral Bloom: Weathered by Time weaves together pigment, plant knowledge, and poetry to create layered narratives that unfold across the seasons. • Sans’ abstract panels—painted with botanical inks and pigments crafted from native and locally grown plants—will shift naturally with sunlight, wind, and weather, embracing impermanence as part of their design. • Watters’ poetic storytelling—informed by decades of botanical work, conservation practice, and ecological study—will guide visitors into deeper reflection on the themes of seasonality, resilience, and relationship with place.
Developed in part at Wild Heart Farm in Rimrock, AZ, the project incorporates plants gathered and grown by Watters such as marigold, cosmos, black Hopi sunflower and those collected here in Coconino Forest by Sans such as Aspen leaves, ponderosa bark and rabbitbrush. Together, they form the pigments and mark-making materials that set the foundations for these artworks. Their collaboration began with research visits to The Arboretum in November 2025, where they studied the grounds, learned from Arboretum staff, and revisited a beloved plant Watters was introduced to years ago at the start of her botany journey.
