Artist Highlighted Cicero Swamp in Syracuse Exhibition
The No Man's Land exhibition uses fiber art to explore the history and biodiversity of local wetlands.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Cultural
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Artist Katie Mulligan has debuted her exhibition, No Man's Land, at Syracuse's ArtRage Gallery. The collection examines the Cicero Swamp Wildlife Management Area through illustrations, fiber works, and archival materials.
Why it matters
Mulligan created the works to challenge historical perceptions of wetlands as unproductive spaces while critiquing gender dynamics in environmental research. The exhibition seeks to reclaim the narrative surrounding the 5,000-acre swamp ecosystem.
The centerpiece Burbot Tapestry measures 57-by-58 inches and required two months of labor to produce. Approximately 95% of all yarn featured throughout the exhibition was donated or sourced from the local community.
The players
Katie Mulligan
She is a 29-year-old artist and third-year graduate illustration student at Syracuse University.
ArtRage Gallery
This Syracuse-based venue is hosting the No Man's Land exhibition.
Onondaga Historical Association
This organization provided the archival materials used in the exhibition.
Miranda Hein
She is an educator planning a student visit to the exhibition in late October.
The details
Mulligan, a graduate student at Syracuse University, used fiber as a primary medium to counter 19th-century accounts that labeled the swamp as a wasteland. She incorporated archival items from the Onondaga Historical Association to contextualize the ecological history of the area.
Timeline
Syracuse publications began labeling the swamp as wasteland during the 19th century.
The exhibition No Man's Land closes at ArtRage Gallery on October 24, 2026.
Miranda Hein plans to visit the gallery with students at the end of October 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This exhibition reflects a growing trend of artists using archival research to challenge historical land-use narratives. It mirrors a broader shift in cultural production that recontextualizes environmental history to address modern ecological concerns.
Visitors can view the exhibition at ArtRage Gallery before it closes on October 24, 2026. Those interested in the historical and ecological context of the Cicero Swamp can engage with the works through the end of the month.
The takeaway
Artistic exhibitions can serve as powerful tools to reframe how local communities perceive environmental history and land use. Engaging with such displays encourages a deeper understanding of the ecological value within forgotten or misunderstood landscapes.
Further reading
Learn more about the local arts scene in the Syracuse Cultural section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Orange.
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