52nd City

Tree Huggers

After the 52nd City Book Sale at the Royale this Saturday, I urge you to visit The Tree Hugger Project, a large environmental installation work by St. Louis artists, Wiktor Szostalo and Agnieszka Gradzik. The unveiling will be part of the annual Tulip Festival at the Jewel Box in Forest Park. Hours are 10am -3pm. The installation will remain in the park for some time, so you can also see it during Earth Day, the following weekend.

Wiktor spoke to me about his project at the Launch Party on Wednesday night. I’m familiar with his work from his exhibitions at Mad Art. I think he and Agnieszka are two of the most sincere and hard-working artists I’ve come into contact with. They started The Tree Hugger Project last summer at the Sculpture Trail in Hebden Bridge, England; installations in Jefferson City and at the Washington University School followed and they’ve been invited to show at Europos Sculpture Park in Vilnius, Lithuania and a Museum of Contemporary Art in Isfahan, Iran. The installation will travel to several destinations abroad and in the US in 2007 and beyond.

Below, is an excerpt from the Artists’ Mission Statement:
"The Tree Hugger Project is an ongoing work of Environmental Art designed to help us re-discover our relationship with nature at a very personal and intimate level. Made from twigs, branches, sticks, vines and other natural materials, these playful sculptures remind us that we humans are still very much a part of our natural surroundings. They bring us back to childhood memories when climbing trees, and playing with friends outdoors was a part of our daily experience. Has anyone ever climbed a tree without hugging it?"

Visit The Tree Hugger Project for more information. You can also see related drawings, paintings, and sculpture at the Third Floor Gallery at 1214 Washington. Call the gallery at (314) 241-1010 for more information.