Parallel Migrations
- Artist: Anne Dushanko Dobek
- Material Used: Cut Paper
- Location: Lake Lawson/Lake Smith Natural Area
This temporary artwork has been uninstalled.
The City of Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department in partnership with Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation supported an Eco Public Art Residency at Lake Lawson/Lake Smith Natural Area in August 2019. New Jersey artist, Anne Dushanko Dobek was the artist in residence, and created her Eco Public Art installation, “Parallel Migrations XXV" on-site.
“Parallel Migrations” is Dushanko Dobek’s decades-long series of global installations in which she uses silkscreened images of the Monarch butterfly as a symbol of survival in the face of perilous journeys.
“In ‘Parallel Migrations’ I use my signature image of the Monarch butterfly to address issues of global migrations. The Monarch butterfly in all its permutations becomes a metaphor for the millions of people crossing global borders in search of survival, sanctuary and safety,” said Dushako Dobek.
Virginia Beach’s Eco Public Art residencies are designed to inform and highlight Virginia Beach’s natural spaces. Through open calls for proposals, artists in this field are invited to participate in residencies to create site-responsive works of art using natural materials. They are encouraged to engage the public in artist talks and live demonstrations. Last year’s first Eco Public Art residency brought Benjamin Heller to create “Terrapin Basin” at Pleasure House Point Natural Area.
The Lake Lawson/Lake Smith Natural Area is a 42-acre preserve with more than 12,000 feet of shoreline located in the Bayside Borough of Virginia Beach at the corner of Shell Road and Northampton Blvd. The area is a popular fishing destination.
