The Office of Arts and Culture presents a lecture series as part of the Experiments in Public Art program, which serves as a city-wide laboratory expanding the potential of public art. Unlike a traditional public art, Experiments in Public Art projects are as much a civic dialogue as they are opportunities for artists to work within unconventional parameters. The lecture series is a chance for the Boulder community to learn more about the program and what the possibilities of public art can be.

Molly Gambardella is an interdisciplinary artist based in Connecticut exploring the interplay among social, political, and biological systems. Her practice often results in large-scale interactive works that foster collective experiences. She draws inspiration from organisms such as lichens, flowers and horseshoe crabs, which recurrently inform the narratives woven into her work.

In the studio, Molly repurposes small, discarded, or mass-produced items, challenging their intended purpose and conventional perceptions by reassessing the significance and impact of the mundane. Integrating elements like water, wind, light, time, and sound, her approach reflects the complex interplay between natural and artificial environments, emphasizing the need for reevaluation and transformation.

Molly exhibits and receives commissions internationally, and is featured in publications such as Sculpture, Forbes, and Suboart Magazine. Her work is in permanent collections at Maison Courvoisier in France, Yale University's Science Building in Connecticut, and in private collections across six different countries. In 2023, she was the artist in residence for The Ark Project at Yellowstone National Park. Her 2024 solo exhibition at the New England Botanic Garden combined over 2,000 living orchids with more than 60 sculptures made from upcycled plastic bags. Most recently, Molly was honored with the 2024 Emerging Creative Award from the State of Connecticut, Office of the Arts.

Molly earned a BFA from Paier College of Art in 2017 and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2023. Working symbiotically with her studio practice, Molly is a professor, teaching studio courses at Capital Community College and the University of New Haven.

This event is organized by a community partner and hosted by the Boulder Public Library.