Blurring distinctions between body, sculpture, and landscape,
Jeanne K. Simmons: Rooted transforms the galleries of Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art into an immersive environment shaped by living materials and quiet intention. Opening October 11, 2025 and on view through February 22, 2026, the exhibition presents Simmons’ organic, wearable sculptures alongside photographs that document their relationship to the land. Together, these works propose a vision of humanity not as separate from nature, but as physically and spiritually entangled with it.
At the heart of the exhibition is a site-specific installation composed of foraged moss, branches, grasses, and other natural elements gathered from the Pacific Northwest. For the first time, Simmons translates her outdoor practice into an interior gallery, carrying the moisture, scent, and texture of Washington State’s temperate rainforests into the Arizona desert. The resulting environment evokes a liminal terrain—part ancient, part speculative—where sculptural forms appear as remnants of human presence embedded within a living ecosystem.
Simmons’ work is guided by a deep ecological awareness and a growing urgency around climate change. While her sculptures often convey tenderness and care, they also function as subtle disruptions, questioning dominant ideas of progress and consumption. Her accompanying photographs are central to this inquiry, depicting bodies that merge with grasses, soil, and foliage, dissolving the boundary between figure and ground. These images affirm her belief that humans belong to the natural world, rather than stand apart from it.
Curated by Keshia Turley,
Rooted offers space for contemplation and slow observation, inviting viewers to linger rather than pass through. The exhibition balances melancholy with hope, acknowledging environmental loss while gesturing toward alternative ways of relating to the Earth—through humility, reciprocity, and attentiveness. Simmons hopes visitors leave with a renewed awareness of their surroundings, inspired to pause, breathe, and recognize their place within a fragile and interconnected web of life. In doing so,
Rooted becomes both an invitation and a quiet call to action.
Image:
“Jeanne K. Simmons: Rooted” at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA). ”Grass Cocoon” is among the featured artworks. Courtesy of the Artist. © Jeanne K. Simmons