Transforming its Lower East Side storefront into a makeshift greenhouse, Fort Makers enlists more than 40 artists and designers to create an array of sculptural planters, flower pots, and abstract containers that sustain plant life. The works mine various traditions and anomalies, from pre-Columbian Mesoamerican pottery to the contemporary Chia Pet. “Each planter is an idolized expression of our love for nature, and becomes a unique face with a tidy haircut or a wild beast with an unruly mane,” says co-founder Nana Spears. “As we retreated into the privacy of our homes, many found themselves alienated from nature and newly tethered to domestic space. In our moment of seclusion, our plant collections become landscapes—each fern, palm, and succulent a sacred intermediary to the outside world.”