Archer girls looking to “relax” and “recenter” could do so in the tropical oasis inside The Eastern Star Gallery from Feb. 13-19. Seniors Charlotte Smith, Riley Adams, Molly Goldberg and Nicki Rosenberg and juniors Olivia Rosen and Sarah Tiles brought a tropical environment to Archer with an immersive installation that transported its visitors to a warm-weather locale.. 

“We just wanted to open up a space where people can come that is all-natural,” Smith said. “We live in a metropolitan city, and I feel like we are so detached from our natural environment, so I just brought it into Archer.”

The exhibit was filled with plants, real and fake, a grass nook to lounge in, green lights and a humidifier with essential oils. 

“It was a big effort,” Smith said. “There are over 20 bags of mulch in here, so it really took more than just a couple of girls to get this together, and so I am really grateful for that.”

Although all five girls were on board with the tropical landscape design, the inspiration and purpose behind the design are different for each of them. 

“I was inspired by mental health,” Tiles said. “I think the most important thing for everyone’s mental health is to be exposed to nature. This exhibit is about taking a breath and allowing yourself to take up space.”

While Tiles had mental health in mind, Rosen wanted to bring awareness to the current state of our environment. 

“For me, it was really about building a relationship between the environment and the community and using this small space to help advocate for the well being of our home,” Rosen said.

Overall, the juniors and seniors who participated in the creation of this installation said their “hard work” paid off considering all of the time that went into planning the exhibit, Tiles said. 

“It was incredibly liberating for us to do a whole show on our own from start to finish,” Tiles said. “I feel that this was such a good learning experience for all of us.”