Megan Geckler’s trail installations use flagging tape, a mass-produced material used in the male-dominated fields of construction, mining, and forestry. Wrapped tree trunks on Moonstone Trail create a Seussical, color-wheel effect as one gazes up or down the steep switchbacks.
On Iowa Hill, Geckler works with volunteers to weed invasive species, such as False Chamomile, replacing each weeded plant with a small lawn flag. The masses of flags create a color deposit that blankets the hillsides, hugging the surface of the earth. By using flagging tape outside, where it is often placed, in unconventional formations, Geckler reminds us of the constant maintenance involved even in supposedly pristine environments, and that human intervention is not inherently harmful. When it comes to managing invasives, for example, interactions between people and the land are necessary for the survival of both.
Megan Geckler is one of three featured artists in the 2024 Trail Mix as a part of Breck Create’s signature annual festival, BIFA. Trail Mix combines art + nature, with hikers and bikers following a trail to an art installation.
Take the two trails below to see You Need to Come Home; Tomorrow Isn’t Soon Enough. The free exhibition can be viewed daily, Friday, August 16th through Sunday, September 8th.
From Blue River Plaza, travel north on Main Street. At the roundabout, continue north on Highway 9. At the second stoplight, turn left onto Valley Brook Road and then turn right onto Airport Road. Travel 0.25 miles and the trailhead will be on the left directly after the Public Works facilities. Parking is available in the dirt lot. Trail Difficulty: Intermediate
From Blue River Plaza, travel south on Main Street. Turn left on Adams Avenue for three blocks and then take a right onto Harris Street. Follow Harris to Carter Park. The trail begins on the east side of the parking area. Trail Difficulty: Advanced
