Elizabeth Demaray facts for kids

Elizabeth Demaray is an American artist who creates amazing sculptures and art projects. She is known for exploring how human-made things and the natural world connect.

Elizabeth Demaray makes art that helps us think about our planet. For example, she has built special listening stations for birds that play human music. She also made new homes for hermit crabs using artificial materials. Another cool project involved creating light-sensing robotic stands. These stands let potted plants move around by themselves to find sunlight and water!

Demaray is a professor of fine arts at Rutgers University–Camden. She teaches students about sculpture. She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Elizabeth Demaray's Education

Elizabeth Demaray studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned a degree in cognitive psychology, which is about how we think and learn. Later, she got a Master of Fine Arts degree in Art Practice from the same university. She also studied art at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Cool Art Projects

Elizabeth Demaray creates unique art that often involves nature. Her projects make people think about how we interact with the environment.

The Nike Missile Cozy Project

In 2005, Demaray created a huge "cozy" for a missile! She sewed a 27-foot long upholstered cover for a 10-ton Nike-Hercules Missile. This missile was once used for defense during the Cold War. Her project, called Sticks and Stones: The Nike Missile Cozy Project, aimed to show the nature of warfare. It also helped people learn about this important part of U.S. history.

New Homes for Hermit Crabs

In 2006, Demaray noticed that hermit crabs might be having trouble finding homes. This could be because people collect too many seashells. So, she designed and made tiny, man-made houses for them! For The Hand Up Project, she worked with a scientist who studies fossils and an engineer. Together, they created structures to help meet the needs of these natural creatures.

Music for Birds

In 2007, Demaray teamed up with video artist John Walsh. They created Inside/Outside: Habitat at the Abington Art Center. This project explored what kind of music local birds might like. They set up 10-foot tall perches where birds could visit. The birds could listen to classical, rock, country, and jazz music. Demaray wanted people to think about how humans affect other animals.

Fast Food for Ants

In 2010, Demaray worked with an ant researcher. They created an artwork called Corpor Esurit. This project offered a colony of ants food from McDonald's. It was a way to comment on how the American diet affects creatures that depend on humans for food.

Lichen on Skyscrapers

In 2011, Demaray worked with a scientist who studies lichen. They grew lichen on several buildings in New York City. The goal of her project, Lichen for Skyscrapers, was to help people in the city feel more connected to the natural world.

Plants on the Move

In 2013, Demaray worked with an engineer to create the IndaPlant Project. They built special robotic platforms for houseplants. These robots, called "floraborgs," could sense light. They allowed potted plants to move around freely in a home. The plants could search for water and sunlight on their own! The robots could even tell other floraborgs where they were. This project was a big step in letting plants be more active in their own care.

Teaching Art

Elizabeth Demaray is an associate professor of fine arts at Rutgers University–Camden. She leads the sculpture program there. She also advises students in engineering and computer science at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. She helped start the DigiHuman Laboratory, which supports art that uses computer vision and machine learning.

Awards and Recognition

Elizabeth Demaray has received many awards for her art. She won awards from the New York Museum of Modern Art /P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center. She also received honors from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

Art Shows Around the World

Demaray's artwork has been shown in many places globally. Her exhibits include the New York MOMA/P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and the New Museum in New York. Her work has also been displayed in Berlin, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Marnay-sur-Seine, France; and San Francisco, California.

Art in Collections

Elizabeth Demaray's art is kept in the permanent collections of several museums and foundations. These include The New Museum in New York, the di Rosa Preserve and Foundation in Napa, CA, and the Oakland Museum of California. Her work is also part of the UC Berkeley Art Museum in Berkeley, CA.