Gowanus Artist Melanie Fischer brings the "Outside in" to the Central Park Arsenal Gallery

Two years ago I visited the studio of Melanie Fischer during the Gowanus Aghast Open Studio weekend. I just loved how fun, tactile and interactive her work was, while I was in her studio I even took a ride on a swing (click on link at bottom!)

Melanie currently has a fantastic sounding installation in the Arsenal building (near the zoo) in Central Park. I for one can't wait to experience it.

Check out what "Art Talk" has to say about the show.

"Push anxieties aside, step away from the television, and take a seat in Melanie Fischer's imaginative world, Outside In, a uniquely interactive installation of fabric foliage that transforms the Arsenal Gallery into a textile wonderland.

From March 3 to April 22, Fischer creates a fanciful retreat, relying on materials that would not exist without technology-such as Astroturf and printed fabrics-yet still craft a tactile experience normally lost in our increasingly virtual world. Visitors are invited to utilize the exhibit's coloring books and sheets, draw on fabric coins, and make wishes in a mermaid fountain.

"For six weeks, an animated Central Park will slip into the Arsenal building during Melanie Fischer's exhibit, Outside In," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Just as the park is waking up for milder temperatures, Melanie Fischer's creations will rouse the senses of its viewers. We hope this exhibit will inspire visitors to head outside to experience the natural beauty in New York City's parks this spring."

Bright colors, animated scale, and wooly materials lure viewers into warmly nostalgic worlds that increase in complexity upon closer inspection. Fischer's vibrant cloth sculptures are composed of sewn and embroidered fabrics that cover wire and pipe frames. She also transposes these sculptures into collages, drawings and miniature escapes. Fischer's lively refuges, small and large, ignite anesthetized senses."

The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, wildlife, New York City parks, and park history. It is located on the third floor of the NYC Parks & Recreation headquarters, in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for holidays. Admission is free.

Read the post about my visit to Melanie's studio here.