Madison Overture Center

Like a Root in the Dark 
“We join our work to Heaven’s gift, 
Our hope to what is hidden, 
Like a root in the dark.” 
—Wendell Berry, Sabbaths 

Nature operates through unseen forces—roots expanding beneath the surface, ecosystems thriving in shadow and landscapes shaped over centuries by wind and water. Wendell Berry’s words remind us that growth often occurs beyond our perception, in places of quiet persistence and unseen labor. Art follows a similar trajectory. The creative process is rooted in the intangible—memory, intuition, and the slow accumulation of ideas that take shape over time. Like a root in the dark, artistic practice is an act of trust, a commitment to working beyond what is immediately visible in order to bring something new into the light. 
 
This exhibition brings together works that explore the rhythms of nature—its cycles of emergence, adaptation and endurance. Whether capturing the fleeting presence of wildlife, the structural complexity of flora, or the vastness of the land, these works highlight the interdependence between the seen and the unseen. They remind us that every moment of stillness contains movement, every surface conceals depth, and every act of creation is tied to something larger, growing just beneath our awareness. .