{"id":117467,"date":"2025-01-08T12:03:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T17:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/?page_id=117467"},"modified":"2025-07-22T12:00:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T16:00:50","slug":"cfa-color-garden","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/visual-arts\/arts-based-research\/cfa-color-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"CFA Color Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"
Exploring art, nature, and community through plants<\/h5>\n

The Boston University CFA Color Garden is a student-led project that transforms a green space into a hub for learning, sustainability, and creative exploration. Located next to the College of Fine Arts at 855 Commonwealth Avenue, the garden invites students from all disciplines\u2014as well as the broader Boston community\u2014to engage with plants, cultural traditions, and sustainable practices. It reflects the next generation of artists\u2019 commitment to community, beauty, and honoring the origins of materials through thoughtful approaches to color and pigment.<\/p>\n

The CFA Color Garden is also a campus partner of BU Student Wellbeing<\/a>, underscoring the many ways that time spent in nature supports our emotional, physical, and environmental wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Established in Spring 2024, the CFA Color Garden serves as a meeting point for interdisciplinary collaboration. Students use the garden as inspiration for drawing, a source for natural dyes, and a space to explore Indigenous and sustainable art practices. By aligning with Boston University\u2019s goals to expand sustainable green spaces, the garden raises awareness about plants and their cultural histories within an intentionally designed environment.<\/p>\n

As President Melissa Gilliam remarked during her Inauguration<\/a>, \u201cArt and creativity can connect us and help us see our shared humanity,\u201d highlighting the importance of integrating arts into campus life. The garden\u2019s proximity to CFA makes it an ideal resource for student engagement and course integration, fostering deeper connections between nature, art, and education.<\/p>\n

What We Do<\/h4>\n
Research<\/h5>\n

Investigating the use of plants and natural materials for use in art, design, and practical applications.<\/p>\n

Community<\/h5>\n

Cultivating urban space for outdoor education, gardening, and land stewardship conversations.<\/p>\n

Action<\/h5>\n

Encouraging sustainable practices through hands-on activities, collaborative workshops, and interactive learning experiences.<\/p>\n

How to Get Involved<\/h4>\n

Join the CFA Color Garden and become part of a vibrant community exploring the intersection of art, sustainability, and nature. No experience is necessary\u2014just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm! There are many ways to get involved, including attending workshops and events, helping with planting and maintenance, researching plants and projects, or joining the student organizing team.<\/p>\n

Fill out the CFA Color Garden Contact Form<\/a> to join the mailing list, express your interest, or leave a comment for the team.<\/p>\n

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CFA in Bloom<\/h3>\n

The project’s founding team considers the garden an outdoor community classroom. \u201cThat means two things,\u201d says Lauren Boysa (CFA\u201925, CAS\u201927). \u201cThe first is a literal classroom for students to sit, observe, and draw,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe second is a more abstract, community classroom, where anyone passing by can go in and learn something. Our garden is a piece of art, and everyone is contributing to it, whether they know it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Exploring art, nature, and community through plants The Boston University CFA Color Garden is a student-led project that transforms a green space into a hub for learning, sustainability, and creative exploration. Located next to the College of Fine Arts at 855 Commonwealth Avenue, the garden invites students from all disciplines\u2014as well as the broader Boston […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14125,"featured_media":0,"parent":8414,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"bu-publication":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/117467"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14125"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117467"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/117467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123408,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/117467\/revisions\/123408"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=117467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}