Art Insights: Unnatural Habitats

Experience an evening that bridges art, ecology, and wildlife with artist Lori Larusso and the Little Rock Zoo. Begin with a special pre-talk engagement featuring animal ambassadors from the Little Rock Zoo, then join Larusso as she discusses her exhibition, A Paradox of Plenty.

Through her paintings, Larusso reflects on urban expansion, consumer culture, and how animals adapt to these ecosystems. In conversation with the Little Rock Zoo, she reveals how her scenes of playful juxtapositions reframe how we see modern life and cohabitation.

About Lori Larusso

Lori Larusso is an American visual artist whose practice encompasses painting and installation, examining themes of class, gender, and anthropocentrism–and how these systems both mirror and shape culture. Her work has been exhibited widely across the United States and is included in public collections such as KMAC Contemporary Art Museum and 21c Museum, as well as numerous private collections.

Larusso has been awarded prestigious residencies and fellowships at institutions including the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Sam & Adele Golden Foundation, and MacDowell, where she received the Milton and Sally Avery Fellowship. Her honors include the Kentucky Arts Council’s Al Smith Fellowship and Individual Artist Fellowship, a South Arts Fellowship, and multiple grants from both the Great Meadows Foundation and the Kentucky Foundation for Women.

Larusso earned an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and a BFA from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). Recent solo exhibitions include P-22 Pool Party at Rubine Red Gallery (Palm Springs, CA), Gaze & Garnish at Tinney Contemporary (Nashville, TN), Precarious Panoply at the Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery (Cincinnati, OH).

Her work is represented by Galleri Urbane (Dallas, TX). She lives and works in Louisville, Kentucky.

Image courtesy of Jason Masters.