University Open Air: Decoding Prospect Park’s Flora
“In order to be able to come up with new forms we would have to understand what has already been created.” — Hilma af Klint
Inspired by Hilma af Klint’s Nature Studies portfolio, currently on view at MoMA, this workshop invites participants to venture into Prospect Park for a close study of its flora. Through focused observation and drawing, we’ll uncover nature’s hidden patterns—from the spiral growth of ferns to the rhythmic veins of leaves.
By breaking down organic forms into elemental shapes—squares, triangles, circles, pinwheels—participants will create a personal “cipher” for reading plants, fostering both artistic expression and a deeper bond with the local botanical world.
Each participant will leave with a unique botanical atlas: a handmade notebook documenting 2–3 local species through observational drawings, diagrams, and personal notes.
Katya Khan is a visual artist, garden designer, and educator with roots in Eastern Siberia and a home base in Brooklyn. She studied Fine Art and Environmental Design at the St. Petersburg State Academy of Art & Design in Russia, and later pursued Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona in California. Her work blends art, ecology, and community engagement through teaching, public workshops, and site-specific projects.
Katya has taught visual art and design to learners of all ages, both in traditional studio settings and through site-specific outdoor workshops. Her teaching experience includes leading drawing classes at the Brooklyn Public Library, mapping workshops at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, and designing a community play space for a vacant lot in Los Angeles.
Check out all of this semester's UOA programs here.
*In cases of rain, classes will be either moved to the Prospect Park Boathouse or canceled. Registered patrons will be notified by email on the morning of each course day and are also encouraged to check the UOA webpage for updates.
University Open Air is generously supported by The Morris & Alma Schapiro Fund.
101 East Drive
Brooklyn, NY 11225