The Creative Roots Artist Showcase

June 28, 2025
2:00 – 5:00 PM

Woodlands Garden
932 Scott Boulevard
Decatur, GA 30030

The Creative Roots Showcase is more than just an art event; it’s a celebration of our deep connection to nature through creative expression. Held at the Woodlands Garden, the event takes place in a beautiful blend of indoor and outdoor spaces. This family-friendly experience highlights the powerful role that nature plays in inspiring art and community.

At its heart, Creative Roots brings together a diverse group of local artists — painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, and mixed-media creators — whose work explores and honors the natural world. From delicate watercolors of native plants to bold installations about environmental change, each piece invites viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the land, trees, and ecosystems around them.

Visitors are encouraged to wander both the gallery spaces and the surrounding trails, where select artworks are displayed outdoors among the trees, blending creativity with the landscape itself. You’ll also encounter a selection of local Champion Trees on the property, remarkable trees that have grown to exceptional size or significance.

We created this event to foster connection, creativity, and curiosity to invite people of all ages to slow down, look closely, and rediscover the beauty in their surroundings. Whether you’re a seasoned art lover, a nature enthusiast, or just looking for a relaxing and enriching day outdoors, The Creative Roots Showcase offers something meaningful for everyone.

We believe that art can help us care more deeply for the natural world and that every walk in the woods, every sketch of a leaf, and every shared story is a small act of stewardship.

Important Information

Water stations will be available throughout the Garden.
The Garden includes natural trails, we recommend closed-toe, comfortable shoes and packing light.
There’s no official dress code, but we suggest casual, weather-appropriate clothing. A hat, sunscreen, or light rain gear may come in handy.
Please stay on marked trails to protect the plants and avoid muddy areas.
Help us keep the space beautiful, trash and recycling bins will be provided.
If you’re feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms of illness, we kindly ask that you stay home.

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Parking Information

Parking is limited on-site. We kindly encourage visitors to use nearby off-site parking options when possible.

Parking at Woodlands Garden

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Artists

Alina Autry is an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia, entering her third year. She has been passionate about the arts since childhood, spending time painting and sketching whenever she could. For Alina, painting serves as a creative escape from the stresses of school and work. She feels grateful to have the opportunity and resources to share her passion with others.

Payton Crowe is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia, where she earned her BFA with an emphasis in Drawing and Painting in May 2025. She considers herself a painter first and foremost and often draws inspiration from her own lived experiences to inform her work.

Nicole Ganelin is a figurative painter who recently earned her BFA from the University of Georgia. Working primarily in an impressionistic-realistic style, her work is inspired by luminous colors, warmth, and the natural world. Nicole often depicts people from her life through a sensitive, romantic lens and aims to capture subtle emotions and wordless sensations by blending nature with the human figure.

Maleah Giles is a Graphic Design and Advertising student at the University of Georgia. Her work is inspired by the mental health benefits of nature, drawing from natural patterns and textures. She bridges digital and fine art mediums to explore the connection between technology and the outdoors. Through her creative practice, Maleah aims to inspire others to connect beyond digital spaces and into the wild.

Anolita Hirsch is an Environmental Engineering student at the University of Georgia and a self-taught artist. She began creating art as a hobby in fifth grade and has since explored acrylic painting, digital art, oil pastels, and most recently, watercolor pencil.

Caitlyn Hosford is a third-year BFA Painting and Drawing student at the Lamar Dodd School of Art. She focuses on expanding her skills in acrylics and oils while exploring styles like realism, surrealism, and abstraction. Caitlyn’s work reflects themes of scale and the connection between internal and external worlds. A recent mural featuring trees and botanicals has inspired her to center nature in her art.

Jessica Lily is a watercolorist based in metro Atlanta whose work explores the emotional and symbolic language of plants, light, and place. She creates both intimate garden studies and larger immersive pieces in her Garden Portals series. Jessica often paints native plants and those found at Woodlands Gardens, where she teaches watercolor. Her award-winning work has been featured in juried exhibitions across the Southeast.

Winston Lovelace is a photographer, artist, designer, and writer from Lilburn, GA. He earned his BFA in Photography and Expanded Media with a Film Studies minor from the University of Georgia in 2025. Winston has interned in Exhibition Design at the Georgia Museum of Art and taught financial literacy and video installation. His multidisciplinary work has been exhibited regionally and internationally.

Tori Lehman is pursuing a BFA in Printmaking with a minor in Design and Media at the University of Georgia. She draws much of her inspiration from the natural world, particularly trees, landscapes, and organic forms. Tori’s work explores how nature reflects our inner lives and is grounded in themes of growth, transformation, conservation, and interconnectedness.

Lily Lusk is a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from the University of Georgia, majoring in Photography and Expanded Media. During her studies, she developed skills in shooting and processing 35mm, 120mm, and 4×5 film formats. Lily’s passion for landscapes grew through her work with black and white film.

Christopher Markiewicz has loved art since childhood but recognized it as a career path in college. He is now fully committed to creating comics and graphic novels that tell meaningful, visually driven stories.

Larissa McPherson is a metalsmith and jewelry artist from Adairsville, GA, currently pursuing her MFA in Jewelry & Metalsmithing at the Lamar Dodd School of Art. With a background in psychology and studio art, she began metalsmithing in 2022 and now works full-time. Her art focuses on environmental issues, especially the impact of microplastics and waste on animal bodies.

Edward Morrow travels nationwide assessing tree health and safety. His workshops have taken him as far as New Mexico, and his advisory work reaches as far north as New York. Locally, he assists farmers, landowners, and neighborhood residents in preserving trees on private properties and public green spaces.

Mandy Neuhaus is an artist and graphic designer from Johns Creek, Georgia, pursuing a BFA in Graphic Design at the University of Georgia. She is also the creator of MoonKissed, a custom art brand specializing in pet portraits and personalized designs using ink and acrylic. Mandy’s work is inspired by nature, music, and the connections between people and the environment.

Annelie Pienaar is pursuing a Master’s in Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design. Fascinated by the connection between humans and the environment, she has sketched since childhood. Annelie’s art explores the unspoken relationships between people and landscapes, capturing emotions that words cannot fully express.