Woodswoman: Earthseed by Saya Woolfalk
The New Children’s Museum, located at 200 W. Island Avenue in downtown San Diego, has a new immersive exhibition titled Woodswoman: Earthseed by New York–based multidisciplinary artist Saya Woolfalk. Created in partnership with the Museum, the installation transforms the lower-level gallery into a vibrant, oversized environment inspired by Woolfalk’s visionary world-building and themes of transformation, interconnectedness, and imagination.
Designed for visitors of all ages, Woodswoman: Earthseed invites children and families into a whimsical landscape of plant-inspired projections, responsive sound, sculptural forms, and interactive environments that encourage movement, curiosity, and exploration. As guests move through the installation, they become “California butterflies,” shifting perspective as they navigate a world filled with playful surprises and sensory discovery.
Along the way, visitors encounter three giant acorns featuring hands-on imaginative activities inspired by California native plants and science, creating opportunities for open open-ended engagement and collaborative play.
“Saya Woolfalk creates immersive worlds that invite visitors to imagine new ways of relating to one another and the environment around them,” said Gabrielle Wyrick, chief curator and director of Art + Engagement. “Woodswoman: Earthseed encourages children and families to explore, play, and experience transformation through movement, perspective, and sensory discovery.”
The exhibition is part of the Museum’s broader Science Fiction Creates the future thematic arc, a multi-year exploration of how science fiction can inspire young people to imagine more hopeful, equitable, and connected futures through art and play. “This exhibition reflects our commitment to creating experiences where art, imagination, and play come together in meaningful ways for children and families,” shares Elizabeth Yang-Hellewell, executive director and CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with Saya Woolfalk to bring this imaginative and deeply engaging environment to our community.”
The public opening celebration for Woodswoman: Earthseed took place this past June and featured a conversation between Saya Woolfalk and Ayana Jamieson, PhD, founder of the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network, followed by a first look at the exhibition and a community reception with light refreshments.
Woolfalk New York–based multidisciplinary artist Saya Woolfalk creates immersive installations, sculpture, video, and performance that use science fiction and fantasy to reimagine identity, culture, and the future. Through long-term narrative projects including The Empathics and ChimaTEK, Woolfalk has developed an expansive fictional world centered on the Empathics, a visionary race of women who can alter their genetic makeup and fuse with plant life.
Blending influences from anthropology, technology, ecology, and fashion, Woolfalk’s work explores themes of cultural hybridity, interconnectedness, and transformation. Her richly layered environments invite audiences to experience imagination as a tool for empathy, possibility, and collective growth.
The New Children’s Museum is a nonprofit contemporary arts museum with a mission to spark creativity, exploration, and a sense of belonging through interactive art experiences. The Museum connects children and families to the creative process through immersive installations, art workshops in their new art studio, Artopia: NCM Creative Studios, camps, and community programs. To learn more, visit thinkplaycreate.org.
Category: Art, children, Events, family, Local News, Nonprofit
