By Sarah Fiorello July 13, 2020

The two-story mural “A Dança Da Natureza” (The Dance of Nature) enlivens an exterior wall of the Nevin Welcome Center. Created in September 2019 by Brazilian street artist Eder Muniz, the mural incorporates nature, a human figure, animals and stylistic images in bright, vivid colors. The installation expresses the aura and spirit of plants, with the artist seeing and capturing the colors of nature in ways undetected by most.

Cornell Botanic Gardens commissioned the mural as part of its goal to nurture the unique and personal connections people and cultures have to plants. As visitors round the northeast corner of the welcome center, they encounter the mural, set among the plant collections it depicts and paired with flora from more tropical climes.

Muniz was selected for the project because of his commitment to using his artistry to inspire a dialogue with the public about the balance between humans and nature. With its energy, rich colors and warmth, his work represents Cornell Botanic Gardens’ passion for plants and desire to help people appreciate and connect with them differently.