The myth of the May Queen originates from pagan religions, and she takes many forms: the personification of Spring, the symbol of fertility, Mother Earth, or the goddess Flora. In ancient narratives, she emerges from her slumber to fight off the Queen of Winter and bring forth the new season. She enjoys the shade of a tree while she cultivates its growth and adorns herself with the very flowers she pollinates. James George Frazer theorized that the figure of the May Queen was related to ancient tree worship—a reverence for nature that appears in the work of these six artists, all of whom embody the spirit of the May Queen in their own way. From the florals of Daisy Patton’s embellishments and Jennifer Coates’ deep dark forests to the luminous pools of Erika b Hess and Genevieve Cohn or the tame foliage of Hilary Doyle’s public parks and Karen Lederer’s house plants—these artists all explore the reparative qualities of nature and how it intersects with feminine identity. In the late 60s and early 70s, feminists saw a parallel between the exploitation of nature and the exploitation of women by patriarchal systems—an ecofeminist mentality that endures to this day as well as in this exhibit. Each of these artists weaves an important thread into the tapestry of feminine empowerment, envisioning a new woven image seen through the lens of art history, mythology, and spirituality rooted in nature.