Mixed-media artist Caryn Martin will be presenting her work in the solo exhibition Unanchored from July 1 through August 29, 2025, at the Adkins Arboretum Gallery. The public is invited to a reception on Saturday, July 12, from 2–4 p.m., with the artist in attendance.
Martin’s works on panel—made from unused and repurposed artworks, as well as paper and acrylic paint—explore the transient and vulnerable elements of nature. The layered textures and shifting nuances in color aim to capture the momentary essence of elements such as water, fire, mist, and air.
Her practice employs diverse mediums, spanning from large-scale, site-specific sculptural installations made from paper materials to monotypes. Often, she repurposes remnants of earlier monotypes into new works, transforming previous explorations into new forms. Martin approaches mark-making as a process rather than a gesture, challenging the traditional structure of paper and pulp over time and through accumulation.
In her works on view at the Adkins Arboretum Gallery, Martin harkens to the forces of nature—both soft and hard, nurturing and shaping—all of which can be observed just beyond the Arboretum’s Visitor Center. She states that her interest in dualities, whether found in weather patterns and shifting pressure or the very process she uses to create her works, drives her aesthetic and compositional decisions. The resulting pieces contain contrasting elements that draw the viewer in and invite close observation of the individual currents that make up the composite whole. Her subtly percolating colors and forms offer quiet yet powerful responses to experiences in nature. Martin encourages us to think not only of serene moments that ground us, but also the more complex realities of climate change and human and industrial impact.
Martin is a Baltimore-based artist, educator, and creative coach. She received her MFA and MAT degrees from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her BA in Studio Art from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at Creative Alliance Baltimore, Kohl Gallery at Washington College, Delaplaine Arts Center, Institute of Contemporary Art Baltimore, Maryland Art Place, the Mitchell Gallery at St. John’s College, and others. She is represented by Catalyst Contemporary in Baltimore.
This exhibition is part of Adkins Arboretum’s ongoing series highlighting regional artists whose work engages with natural themes. The Arboretum is located at 12610 Eveland Road in Ridgely, Maryland.
For gallery hours or more information, contact Adkins Arboretum at 410-634-2847 or visit adkinsarboretum.org.
A 400-acre native garden and preserve, Adkins Arboretum provides exceptional experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship.
