Art is often tightly contained within walls and canvases, perfectly preserved so it can be admired and immortalized for years to come. The Outdoor/Unframed Art Collective takes a different approach to achieve this longevity — creating work that is one with nature.

The Outdoor/Unframed Art Collective is a group of artists and educators of all backgrounds that creates site-specific art installations and performances in public natural spaces.

The collective features students and faculty from the Lamar Dodd School of Art, giving them the opportunity to work with the environment and apply their artistic skills outside the classroom.

The first Outdoor/Unframed exhibit was on the Lake Herrick Trail in Oconee Forest Park, which visitors could view through the artist walks held on Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 22 and Oct. 28, or explore for themselves as they made their way through the landscape.

Each artist walk was a guided tour led by artists in the collective that brought attendees through the installations, discussed the creation process and fielded any questions about the pieces. These walks also incorporated other performances, workshops and activities for guests to enjoy, including live music and group sketching activities.

Paula Reynaldi, an artist from Argentina pursuing a masters in art education at the University of Georgia, is the founder of the Outdoor/Unframed Art Collective and the organizer of its exhibits and events.

Reynaldi said that the art collective exists to serve both its artists and the community.

For members of the collective, Reynaldi said that working outside helps build observational skills and teaches people how to adapt to their surroundings. This directly contrasts isolated spaces like galleries and exhibitions, where Reynaldi emphasized, “everything is adapting to the art.”

By creating these outdoor installations, Reynaldi said the second part of the collective’s goal is to encourage people to slow down, perceive more of their natural surroundings and increase their appreciation for it.

“If we don’t perceive these places, we can’t care,” Reynaldi said.

This sentiment is echoed by Joni Younkins-Herzog, a sculptor from Gwinnett County whose artwork was featured in the exhibit and can also be found in showings throughout the United States.

“I am a fine artist and I do make a living off of art,” Younkins-Herzog said. “But I do think that art should be more available and more part of the public arena.”

Younkins-Herzog contributed a number of pieces to the exhibit at Lake Herrick, the most prominent being a series of little faces at the end of a downed tree called “Rebirth.”

However, Younkins-Herzog said that outdoor art projects in particular can also pose a number of concerns.

“Unfortunately, you can’t force things down people’s throat, and you also can’t control the environment,” Younkins-Herzog said. “ It’s not like a gallery, there isn’t a guarantee of sales, there isn’t a guarantee that somebody won’t vandalize your work. So there’s a lot of positives and negatives.”

After a successful first exhibit, Reynaldi said the collective already has future projects underway, including a similar series of nature installations in the spring which will reflect the change of the seasons.