First Annual Tree Carving : 2.2.08 : 10am -4pm

Please RSVP to sarah@LaReunionTX.org or call 469-951-7323 for our first annual Tree Carving and to get directions to the site.  Watch artists create site specific installations in and around non-native dead or dying trees that have been tagged by Preservation Tree and approved by the City of Dallas.  Tours of on-site native flora be Texas Discovery Gardens at 11AM and 1PM.  Imagine someday taking a walk in the woods in Dallas and exploring an outdoor gallery of decomposing Tree Art through a system of trails on the 35 acres.  The Tree Carving program treads lightly and only takes out trees that are unhealthy, dead or dying or non-native as a way to restore a balanced ecosystem.  Wear sturdy shoes and plan to be out doors.  

Participating artists include Kevin Obregon, Brad Ford Smith, Allan Arp, David Carapetyan (and Crew), Cindy Thomas, Tyler Sharp, and Molly Sharp.  Photo above taken Jan 26 at a planning meeting on the site.  RSVP to attend.  

clean up day is tomorrow!

oooooo, it's going to be refreshing and cool when the group goes to the lovely LRTX land and we prepare it for our Tree Carving on Feb 2. It's not too late! If you'd like to be a part of it, please email me sarah@LaReunionTX.org and I'll send you the map + more info. We'll be laying trails to the trees tagged for Tree Carving, sweeping, picking up trash, piling organic debris and getting the site ready for visitors. Bring yourself, a sack lunch, and a happy smile! Please join us!

Call for Artists extended + Open House at the Land!

LRTX Open House and Tree Carving slated for February 2, 2008 from 10AM-4PM. Come tour the LRTX land with Master Naturalists from Texas Discovery Gardens. Watch artists carve undesirable "weed" trees designated for removal by Preservation Tree and the City of Dallas. Email to sarah@LaReunionTX.org for rsvp and directions!


Call for Artists!
You're an artist. You have the site-specific challenge to create SOMETHING from a tree on the LRTX land that needs to be removed in order to create an environment that is welcoming for native bugs, birds, and plant life. You must remove enough bark from the tree to kill it without cutting it down. What might you create?
Banding: Removing bark all the way around the trunk of a tree (at least one hand's width) allows the tree to naturally decompose, attracting desirable critters who help revitalize the ecosystem.
The Art Part: Each tree is surrounded by grasses, dirt, neighboring shrubs. What can you, an artist, create in and around that space that invokes curiosity? What tools will you use? What spatial considerations will you have? What will you do?
The Caveat: There is no electricity onsite (for now), so all your tools must be self- or hand-powered. Chisels, Knives, Chainsaws -- all good (exercising great caution, of course). Decorative additions from the native area such as rocks, wires, twigs, etc., are encouraged, but not mandatory. Paint may be applied, as well, though we encourage environmental consciousness.

Examples of trees are on the LRTX website. Please come up with an idea — any idea. Once accepted, you'll choose (or be assigned) a tree. Deadline has been extended to January 11, 2008. Apply here! Collaborations encouraged! Email sarah@LaReunionTX.org if you have questions.