While museums around the globe are closed to the public, we are spotlighting each day an inspiring exhibition that was previously on view. Even if you can’t see it in person, allow us to give you a virtual look.

“Mira Lehr: High Water Mark”
Mannello Museum of American Art

What the museum says: “A ‘high water mark’ indicates a literal measurement for the highest point the water level reaches in a given area at a particular time. However, alternate meanings of the term suggest maximum value in various other sectors of life. It seems fitting, then, that this phrase should be applied to the work of an artist whose career spans five decades, building toward a well-earned peak.

“Lehr’s recent work has been lauded by critics for the meaningful and contemplative commentary she offers on a timely and contentious subject, the state of our natural world. However, her sense of wonder and optimism about humanity’s ability to rise to the occasion with solutions guides both her life and work.”

Why it’s worth a look: In 1969, one year before the first ever Earth Day, architect and visionary Buckminster Fuller gathered a consortium of researchers, scientists, engineers, philosophers, and artists to participate in what he called the “World Game,” a symposium dedicated to finding ways to save the planet. Fuller surrounded himself with likeminded individuals, including Mira Lehr, whose participation in that gathering set her on a course that would affect her entire career.

Now, 50 years later, Lehr is 85 years old and still working on making eco-conscious art. As a resident of Florida, with her studio precariously nestled along the coastline of Miami, Lehr can’t help but be informed by the natural world and the massive change it is undergoing. With her show closed to the public, Lehr wrote directly to her viewers, repeating Fuller’s phrasing from 1969: “We are called to be the architects of the future, not its victims.”

For those interested, Lehr has also uploaded videos and a digital photo tour of the show for viewers to watch.

What it looks like:

Artist Mira Lehr with her artwork. Courtesy of the artist.

Installation view of “Mira Lehr: High Water Mark” at the Mennello Museum of American Art.

Installation view of “Mira Lehr: High Water Mark” at the Mennello Museum of American Art.

Installation view of “Mira Lehr: High Water Mark” at the Mennello Museum of American Art.

Mira Lehr, Magenta and Green Mangroves (2019). Courtesy of the artist.

Installation view of “Mira Lehr: High Water Mark” at the Mennello Museum of American Art.

Mira Lehr, Dymaxion Map from Lehr’s book honoring Fuller’s “World Game” (1969).

Mira Lehr, Energy from Lehr’s book honoring Fuller’s “World Game” (1969).

Mira Lehr, Scarcity from Lehr’s book honoring Fuller’s “World Game” (1969).

Mira Lehr, Mangrove Labyrinth (2018). Courtesy of the artist.

Mira Lehr, Malthus is wrong from Lehr’s book honoring Fuller’s “World Game.”

Detail of Mira Lehr, Invisible Cities courtesy of the artist.

Installation view of “Mira Lehr: High Water Mark” at the Mennello Museum of American Art.