Homegrown: The Art of Living Together is an exhibition by ceramic artist Carmen Ostermann featuring intricate, hand-sculpted porcelain inspired by native Ohio birds, insects, and plants.
From intimate sculptures beneath glass domes to expansive wall installations made of many individually sculpted elements, the works invite close looking at the overlooked relationships that sustain the natural world. A bird depends on a seed, an insect on a flower, a flower on soil, rain, and pollinators.
Ostermann’s sculptures are both a tribute to native species and an invitation to take part in their care. By seeing native plants not just as ornamental choices but as vital partners to wildlife, visitors are encouraged to cultivate habitats of their own, where people and wildlife can thrive together.
To live together is to notice our connections, and to care for the conditions that allow all of us to thrive.
Carmen Ostermann is a ceramic sculptor whose work is shaped by a lifelong engagement with the natural world. Raised in the United States, Canada, Japan, and the Philippines, she developed a deep appreciation for diverse landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural relationships with the environment.
Working primarily in porcelain, Ostermann creates intricate sculptures that explore ecological relationships and the interconnectedness of living systems. Her recent work focuses on native Ohio birds, insects, and plants, reflecting her interest in regional ecosystems and conservation. A former K–12 and university educator, she is now Administrative and Projects Coordinator for Columbus Audubon, and uses sculpture as a bridge between scientific understanding and public engagement.
Ostermann holds a BFA from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA from Columbus College of Art & Design. She has received an Ohio Arts Council Excellence Award and a Greater Columbus Arts Council Artist Projects Grant, and was artist-in-residence at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, Riffe Gallery, and Manifest Gallery, and is currently featured in Murmurations: For the Love of Birds, a traveling exhibition with Mid-America Arts Alliance’s ExhibitsUSA.
Sat, Dec 12Dublin Arts CouncilHomegrown: The Art of Living Together is an exhibition by ceramic artist Carmen Ostermann featuring hand-sculpted porcelain birds, insects, and plants native to Ohio
