Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens Co-Sponsoring "Honoring Trees" Exhibition

Stamford, CT - The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens is honored to be co-sponsoring a curated exhibition, Honoring Trees, featuring the work of 14 leading contemporary artists. The exhibition is now open online for long-term display and can be viewed at www.honoringthefuture.org/honoring-trees.

The exhibition invites us to reflect on the splendor of trees, the challenges climate change and human stresses pose to trees, and our opportunity to respond with creativity and courage.

James Balog, Redbud tree in spring bloom, Maggie Valley, NC, April 2001. Photograph. ©2001 James Balog Photography/Earth Vision Institute. Courtesy of the artist.

Curated by Lloyd E. Herman, Founding Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, and Fran Dubrowski, Director of Honoring the Future, the exhibition is cosponsored by arboretums and nonprofit organizations which help plant and care for trees and educate others about the importance of trees to our future. 

“Art can unite and uplift us in turbulent times,” explains Dubrowski. “The corona pandemic is a grim, but powerful reminder of the need to come together to solve complex scientific challenges.  We are proud to join our amazing cosponsors to celebrate their invaluable contribution to the health of the planet and its people. We hope exhibition visitors will be inspired by their example and by the vision of these extraordinarily talented artists.”

“You will find this exhibition exquisite and hauntingly apropos in this troubling time. Trees and plants not only give us life, but they spark an aesthetic in each of us that is so important when the heart needs uplifting. At the Arboretum, we have welcomed more visitors than ever seeking solace and beauty from our trees in order to feel some sense of normalcy during this pandemic,” adds Jane von Trapp, CEO of the Arboretum.

The exhibition includes a Resource Directory with brief descriptions of, and links to, cosponsor organizations for easy access to opportunities for engagement.

The fourteen featured artists are: James Balog, Edward Burtynsky, Judy Chicago, Jiyoung Chung, Nancy Cohen, Xavier Cortada, Dudley Edmondson, Lee Goodwin, Peter Handler, Claire Kelly, Maya Lin, Sheila Ransom, Alexis Rockman, and Eric Serritella.

Honoring the Future (www.honoringthefuture.org) is a nonprofit dedicated to harnessing the power of art to educate, empower, and engage the public on climate change. It aims to spark conversation, inspire action, and empower individuals, communities and businesses to create a climate smart world.