Understory: Forest Floor Studies from Spring to Frost by Bailee Higgins

Cape Breton University Art Gallery | Rotunda May 8 - June 19, 2026

A CBRM Creative Catalyst Project.

Opening Reception: Friday, May 8, 6:30-8:30 pm

with insight from local forest ecologist Elizabeth Jessome

Understory was created in and is dedicated to the forests and island of Unama’ki (Cape Breton). I am privileged to live, work, and create in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw People. We are all Treaty People. This project expands on my visits in 2025 to wooded areas and forests around Unama’ki. I am inspired by time spent outdoors in nature and in exploring themes of place. While my earlier work focused on panoramic views and local landmarks, this project shifted to a closer observation and awareness of mosses, plants, berries, and fungi found on local forest floors and the role they play in forest health.

Understory focuses on small ecosystems living close to the ground like that are often overlooked but are essential in maintaining forest health and resilience. These paintings explore quiet details, an appreciation for plants that sustain our communities, and celebrate the significance of these ever changing tiny worlds. Forests and woodlands clean the air, improve the soil, help regulate the climate and fight climate change, prevent erosion, and create habitats. Connecting art and ecology, I invite you to think about the world under the canopy and to notice and honour the small ecosystems that sustain life.