For my thesis, I will collaborate with Maddie Gaebel and nature on the construction of a series of earthworks made from found materials, intended to connect the viewer with the local environment and provoke the development of their own outdoor ethic. The works will be arranged to lead viewers on a specific path through a section of forest on Hanover’s campus. I chose earthworks because I love being outdoors and it ties in with my outdoor training, I enjoy the connection between art and nature, and I want to make art that is sustainable and beneficial to the environment. I hope that my works encourage viewers to engage with and respect nature, to consider different kinds of art, and inspires others to explore creating earthworks of their own. By collaborating with Maddie Gaebel we will amplify each other’s message, literally enlarge the scale of our art using team lifting, and accomplish double the labor in a given amount of time. Together, we will reaffirm, solidify, and hone our craft by utilizing each other’s perspective. My partner and I will utilize each others strengths by diving up materials and sharing knowledge and skills. Maddie has experience with making and sculpting clay, firing clay, and working with delicate, small, or tedious tasks. Attention to detail and observation help Maddie execute thematically consistent organic representations through sculpture and general art processes. Maddie will oversee the Earth and Flame and I will oversee the Wind and Water elements of our projects to approach our sculptures from all angles.