A new art exhibit at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art will peel back the living skin of the earth to creatively express the importance of biocrusts to the planet and our health.
So what are biocrusts? They are the craggy, often dark or burnt-looking "carpet" just centimeters off the ground that lye between shrubs and grasses in arid lands.
It's important to keep them healthy because they store water, prevent dust storms, capture carbon, and increase fertility.
But, most people don't know much about them. So, The Nature Conservancy is helping to raise awareness about biocrust research through this art exhibit.
Artist Jorge Rojas has spent months creating this exhibit. He joined us in studio with more about it.
He says it will take you on a multi-sensory, audiovisual experience and visitors can even get an up-close look at living biocrusts and the mosses and lichens that contribute to the living organism.
The exhibit is on display at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art now through June 1, 2024, and also has the potential to be moved and reinstalled in other places, such as National Park visitor centers.
