Amongst multiple definitions of the word “Sheboygan,” the Chippewa name for Sheboygan translates to “passage or waterway between the lakes.” Through watercolor drawings, papier-mâché sculptures, video, sound, and natural materials, artist Sarah Rowe considers this phrase in relation to the water systems located throughout the area. As a Lakota and Ponca tribal member and one who calls the Midwest home, Rowe is particularly in tune with the history and life-giving properties of water in the region.

 In the spring of 2025, Rowe led multiple workshops with Sheboygan-based community groups and the Naturalist School in Omaha, Nebraska, to honor the inspiration and impact of the Great Lakes, the Pigeon River, Willow Creek, and other local bodies of water. During these art-making sessions, participants learned how to make the vessels and bundles that now hang in the middle of the gallery and surround the portal entryway to the exhibition.

 The term “vessel” conveys multiple meanings in relationship to water—a watercraft, a container, or a body. “Bundles” refers to an Indigenous practice of collecting spiritually significant items and wrapping them in fibrous materials to use in ceremonies or altar spaces. While making bundles or vessels in the workshops, participants considered ways to respect natural resources and to value a bodily relationship to their surroundings. Through this shared creative process, these objects serve as a tribute to community building and caring for the natural world.