Julie Anna Freund: Artist in Residence at Lynden Sculpture Garden
October 19, 2026 | Topics: featured artist
The Natural Realm presents Julie Anna Freund, who is among 12 artists participating in a year-long residency program called ARTservancy, now in its seventh year. ARTservancy is a collaboration between Gallery 224 in Port Washington and the Restoring Lands Land Trust, Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy, Tall Pines Conservancy, and Lake Michigan Bird Observatory. The mission of ARTservancy is to promote the visionary work of both the artists and conservationists. Each artist has selected a preserve to spend time in and to engage with.
Reflections from the Artist
I chose the the Lynden Sculpture Garden because I knew I would be able to incorporate my family into this experience with its vast activities, gardens, pond, sculptures and more. Not being from the area, many places offered on the list provided were unknown to me, but when I saw that Lynden Sculpture Garden was an option, I knew that it was where I wanted to be.
My husband first took me and our then very young son to the Lynden a few years ago and we had a great time as a family. Getting outside, enjoying the animals in the pond and interacting with the space’s sculptures were something I wanted to continue to do, so this space was a perfect option.
Being a full-time stay-at-home mom, I knew that if I was going to be going to a space frequently my son would be with me too. It has been a very enriching experience for us both. We have enjoyed watching the pond as a live action “eye spy” with frogs jumping in the water and then slowly reemerging when we sat quietly. We watched the pond as a living sculpture.
Throughout this first half of the year, I’ve watched the pond come back to life after the long cold winter. In this ARTservancy experience and body of work I am drawing inspiration from the many lily pads, their flowers and the pond life within the sculpture garden.
A part of my body of work was creating artwork inspired by the water lily flowers and pads for their vibrancy against the dark water. I became interested in learning about the characteristics and facts about the plant. I learned that there are fewer than 100 species of water lilies in the world. Out of the estimated 320,000 plant species, that’s less than 0.03%. It’s incredible how such a small group can bring so much beauty and resilience to our ecosystems. Much like the water lilies that grow and spread aggressively, I strive to embody that same spirit in my own life.
Gallery
Bio
I was born and raised in upstate New York. Ever since I can remember I have been drawing and painting. After losing my father to terrorism at a young age I found sanctuary being outside around the flora and fauna. I credit having an outdoor escape for helping me find peace amongst tragedy.
I attended Bridgewater College in central Virginia before transferring to Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. I graduated in 2013 with a B.F.A in Painting and double minored in Equestrian Studies and Art History.
After gradation I moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where I taught both horseback riding lessons and painting classes. Most recently I was an Administrative Assistant at Wisconsin Equine Clinic and Hospital before becoming a full time Artist Mother in 2020.
I am still living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I balance my time between being a mother and creating art.
Website: Julien Anna Freund
For more information about Lynden Sculpture Garden go to their website.
This residency is sponsored by Lake Michigan Bird Observatory. Additional ARTservancy artists in residence at other sites can be found here.
This is the latest in our series of featured artists, which is intended to showcase the work of photographers, artists, writers and other creative individuals in our community whose subjects or themes relate in some broad sense to nature, urban nature, people in nature, etc. To see a list of previously featured artists, click here. The work of the 2024-2025 ARTservancy artists in residence is currently being exhibited monthly at Gallery 224. To meet the other ARTservancy artists in residence, click here and then use the drop-down menu.
All images courtesy of the artist, except as noted. The featured photo at the top of Julie at Lynden Sculpture Garden is by Eddee Daniel. Lake Michigan Bird Observatory is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.
The Natural Realm blog is part of A Wealth of Nature, which is a project of Preserve Our Parks.
About Preserve Our Parks
Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces. Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine.
For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces. More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.