2002-2003 found Zina and Al in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia on a Luce Scholarship. They were placed with a United Nations Development Program, the Eastern Steppe Biodiversity Project. They made friends and contacts in the Botanical Institute, the printing business and the vibrant Mongolian fine arts scene.
They were lucky that their friend and famous artist, Sarantsatsralt (or Tsatsa) Serodin shared her three day time slot exhibiting at the Union of Mongolian Artists gallery so they could join in a show called “3 Perspectives on Botany and Medicine”.
Zina exhibited medical and botanical illustrations made before and during the yearlong stay in Mongolia. Notable in the preparation for the show was that his Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia causing China to boycott and close train communication down. The mat material was ordered from China and it was touch and go if it would arrive in time.
Alan created a collection of Adobe Illustrator prints of plants and illustrations about being on the receiving end of health care.
And Tsatsa showed vibrant oil pieces full of unforgettable flower shapes and energy.
Shown here is the front of the catalog booklet Al designed, along with a fun photoshoot the three artists did with a Ural sidecar for the same.
This remains one of the highlights of Level Five collaborations in public spaces. A hand painted sign hung several stories tall outside the gallery.
