Mary Stafford has had a career-long commitment to educational justice and innovation, a career spanning three decades that has been devoted to creating and managing high-performing k12 schools for children in underserved communities nation-wide. As a lifelong Minnesota resident Mary has always had a deep appreciation for the natural world and its manifestation through art . In 2020 with the reality of COVID she returned full time to her home in northern Minnesota. At this point she was led to follow a very different two-fold path . Mary began gardening and worked to obtain UM master gardener certification in Carlton County. As she observed the complexity and beauty in the natural world around her, she began to attempt to capture it through photography. These images represent that effort.

Artist Statement of the Work

Research has clearly demonstrated the value of the human connection to nature. It has been shown that images from nature can have a positive effect on the human condition. Images of flowers can evoke feelings of calm, of peace, and tranquility in the face of stress or trauma. Given the current state of our world I feel it is essential to explore multiple ways of creating a sense of hope. I aspire to create art with the specific intention of fostering hope and facilitating healing.

Mary can be reached at [email protected]