“Trees Are the Answer”
Blue Print Gallery 2701 Fairmount Street Dallas, Texas February 26th 5:30-7;30pm Artist talk at 4:30pm. Link to Map: <iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1xhnxYZMEu9qC7WBD2BOQOECUAXFF4-0&ehbc=2E312F" width="640" height="480"></iframe>
For the past year I have been working on an art project that explores and documents significant trees in the Dallas area—those that hold meaning not just as natural landmarks, but as personal symbols in the lives of individuals and communities.
Shortly after moving here, I was walking through a nearby neighborhood and came across a plaque with the quote by Trammel Crow: “Trees are the answer.” I did some research and discovered that he was a passionate advocate for tree planting and urban forestry, co-founding the Dallas Parks Foundation (now known as the Texas Trees Foundation), and establishing the National Tree Trust—demonstrating his deep commitment to preserving and expanding green spaces in urban areas. Trees in cities are the subjects of the majority of my work: their role, their importance, and their ability to thrive as well as give back to their community. To me, they are such perfect examples of what it means to be part of a community. I have been travelling the United States for 20 years in search of trees with stories to tell.
The goal of this particular show was to create a visual and narrative map of Dallas through its trees—each one a living witness to the stories of this place and its people.
This body of work grew through quiet, sustained encounters with individual trees—standing with them, learning their histories, and responding through portraiture. Each work considers the tree as a sovereign being: shaped by weather, development, survival, and memory, bearing witness to the changing city around it.
In Dallas, where growth is rapid and land is constantly renegotiated, these trees act as living archives. The exhibition asks what it means to slow down, to look closely, and to consider how we live alongside non-human lives that have been here longer—and may not remain without care.