MANCHESTER, Vt. – Local artist Stefania Urist has created two new temporary public artworks at the Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) in Manchester, Vt., both made from phragmites, an invasive reed she harvests from local wetlands as part of her ongoing environmental practice.
The first installation, “Water Finds a Way,” is an immersive public artwork located in the Stroup Family Sculpture Park. Constructed entirely from harvested phragmites, the installation maps the confluence of the West River, Utley Brook, and Routes 11 and 100 in Londonderry, an area that has experienced repeated and devastating flooding.
Urist creates sustainable sculpture to address the fraught but necessary relationship between humans and the environment. She was drawn to this site because it includes the location of the now obsolete Williams Dam, which, together with the impacts of climate change, continues to contribute to the area’s flood risk. By removing invasive phragmites from wetlands and floodplains and repurposing the material into sculpture, Urist transforms ecological restoration into an artistic practice that highlights both environmental vulnerability and resilience.
A second phragmites sculpture, “Confluence,” is installed on the patio outside the new addition to the Yester House, overlooking the surrounding valley. Both installations are expected to remain on view for at least one year.
In October 2025, Urist received the Southern Vermont Arts Center Artist Award in recognition of her contemporary contributions to the region’s arts community. She is also represented by Helmoltz Fine Art in Manchester, where new work is currently on view, and will present new work this fall at the Kent Museum in Calais, Vt.