Mary McCoy
Environment Artist & Writer

In the late 1990s, I began the Apothecary series as a way of cataloging the quantities of intriguing objects I collect on our farm and along the river. This ongoing series currently numbers nearly 200 jars and bottles. Each contains found materials labeled with a brief, often poetic description. The lid of each jar or bottle is painted gold to indicate the sacred quality of the materials inside.
 
It’s important to me to tell the stories of these objects, including something about the circumstances of when and where I found them. This is how science began—collecting specimens for study. Encompassing a broad range of materials, both natural materials and materials inadvertently left by humans, this series is indicative of this place and serves as a method of witnessing its ever-changing phenomena.