A Timely Tribute to Trees
Trees, glorious, trees- a tribute to our gentle giants in Davis Square
“Noticing the trees around us — on our commutes, in our yards, parks, or neighborhoods — is the first step to valuing them,” and the inspiration behind a Somerville tree-themed photo exhibit entitled “R.O.O.T. (Recognizing Our Oldest Trees),” now on display in the Inside-Out Gallery, the outdoor gallery beside the Davis Square CVS, where it can be viewed safely from the sidewalk.
About the R.O.O.T exhibit
Somerville R.O.O.T. (Recognizing Our Oldest Trees) is a group of residents concerned about tree losses across Somerville. We organized this exhibit to draw attention to the environmental benefits trees bring to the city as well as to recognize its particularly majestic and venerable tree specimens.
A valuable natural resource often thought of as expendable, trees tend to be cut or removed whenever they interfere with human goals—power lines, roads and train lines, sidewalks, housing construction… These are not inherently bad reasons to cut down a tree, but it is worth considering the many opportunities we have to work around trees that are already well established in a particular spot. If we are good stewards, trees will live hundreds of years, cleaning the air, decreasing flooding, and cooling city air temperatures on hot summer days. Trees provide shelter and food for many types of wildlife, and grace our lives with their beauty. In a city as densely populated as Somerville, trees are crucial to our health as well as the health of our urban ecosystem.
Noticing the trees around us—on our commutes, in our yards, parks, or neighborhoods—is the first step to valuing them. To that end, we want to encourage our fellow residents to look more closely at the trees around them, to help protect and conserve these trees, and, to the extent possible, to learn more about the
trees in this city.
Participating Artists:
Lesley Bannatyne
Sam Engelstad
Jeanine Farley
Janine Fay
Kerrie Kemperman
Steve Krasner
Betsy Lenora
Melissa McWhinney
Deborah Pacini
Organizers: Somerville R.O.O.T.
Deb Pacini, Somerville resident since 1995, created a photo essay about the city’s largest trees at www.debpacini.net/sylvan-seniors.
Kerrie L. Kemperman, Somerville resident since 2000, is a photographer at Washington Street Art Center. She was awarded an Artist Fellowship from the Somerville Arts Council.
Renée Scott is co-founder of Green & Open Somerville and has been a Somerville resident since 1999.
Melissa McWhinney has been a resident for 30 years and planted 13 trees in her small Somerville yard.
*This exhibit was produced with the assistance and support of the Somerville Arts Council (a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council)*
About the Inside-Out Gallery
Initiated in 2009, The Inside-Out Gallery is located in the CVS Window in Davis Square, a unique space that allows the public to view an eclectic array of works from artists and local organizations each month. The mission of the Somerville Arts Council is to cultivate and celebrate the creative expressions of the Somerville community. Through innovative collaborations and quality programming we work to make the arts an integral part of life reflective of our diverse city.