May 2008 | On Our Radar

Our Obsession with Grass

It’s a part of every American Dream, a measuring stick to judge your wealth and class. Seldom discussed, let alone the subject of a museum exhibit, the lawn comes under scrutiny at the Nortebaert Nature Museum’s Lawn Nation: The Art and Science of the American Lawn, opening on May 23.

Though it may seem harmless, the grass outside your front door can be harmful to the environment. With most lawns comprised of one species, biodiversity is at stake, not to mention the greenscape provides poor habitat for wildlife and requires pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, watering and gasoline-powered lawn mowers to keep its ideal aesthetic.

“The environment is on everyone’s mind, and people’s lawns have impacts on what animals live here, how clean our water is and even climate change,” says Laurene von Klan, the museum’s president and CEO. “We love our lawns, and that’s why we need people to understand them better.”

Lawn Nation explores the cultural underpinnings and environmental consequences of turf grass, America’s largest irrigated crop. The Chicago-only exhibit features more than 20 artists, photographers, filmmakers, scientists, academics and landscape architects to bring attention to what’s right under our feet.

“Lawn is the most common landscape people encounter when they step outside,” says Jill Riddell, vice president of exhibits and strategic initiatives at the museum. “This exhibit takes a close look at what this landscape of lawn really is and why we have so much of it.”

Visitors will receive tips on sustainable lawn care, watch videos about lawn history, get a 3D perspective of a bug in the grass, hunt for garden gnomes, play indoor croquet and sit on a literal lawn chair.

The museum is partnering with Openlands, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, which will host a sister exhibit called Beyond Backyards in June.

Lawn Nation will be on display at the Nortebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Dr., in Lincoln Park thru September 7. Admission is included with admission to the museum. For more information, visit naturemuseum.org or call 773-755-5100.

— Ashley Mastandrea