"Seeing Trees" Art Exhibit Decorates Blue Hill Plaza

"Trees reveal hidden gifts and strength as they grow in the face of adversity or abundance." - "Seeing Trees" Blue Hill Art Show

Blue Hill's art and cultural center's new exhibit is "Seeing Trees," a look into various medias and forms of art centered around trees.

The exhibit is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday until June 30. All of the works displayed are available for purchase. The exhibit opened with a reception April 30 that drew 200 guests.

The art exhibit runs through the lobbies of buildings one and two and down through the cafeteria in Blue Hill Plaza. It fits in nicely with the structure, especially the water area by the cafeteria.

It is largest art show at Blue Hill since 1984. Thirty-four artists' works are on display, ranging from sculptures to photographs. Andre Voumard has two beautiful mobiles dangling above the waterfall in the cafeteria and various artists created sculptures and even a coffee table using bark and tree limbs.

The exhibit is organized by different areas, starting from art work inspired by trees around the world and slowly narrowing down until specific towns in Rockland County.

Cottage Lane Elementary School also has an exhibit of watercolors based on haikus written by the fourth graders. The students observed a tree growing outside of their art window and discussed all the different aspects, from the folliage changing to the different branch patterns.

"I could not resist an opportunity to engage children, and link to phenomenally diverse communities in Rockland through their shared joy, concern, and discovery of creative energy just in Seeing Trees," said Curator Carolyn deLisser. "I am still receiving messages and images from people and artists who love trees."

The class was inspiried to then write haikus, which are three-line Japanese poems that have a different number of syllables in each line in the pattern of 5, 7, 5. The class also learned about the environmental science aspect of trees and how to communicate their thoughts and emotions through watercolors.

deLisser carefully chose the pieces to be on display after seeing photographs of trees in the National Parks and around Rockland County.

"It sharpened my perception of how important trees are to our seeing and thinking," said deLisser. "Every participating artist exhibiting at Blue Hill shares this belief which translates in a variety of ways into their Fine Art images in this exhibition."

All of the artwork is worth viewing. A favorite was a very simple, Emily Dickensen-esque watercolor by Genka Jennie Tulevech. Tulevech began drawing in 1979 at the age of 56 and soon after discovered watercolors. Her work is very nostalgic.

Another artist to look for is local artist Joyce Kanyuk's mixed media. Kanyuk took cut out trees and pasted them on backgrounds before painting over them, making the scene realistic and three-dimensional but very subtle.

"Trees represent one of the nature's manifestations of beauty, tranquility, vitality, and strength as well as permanence," said Kanyuk, who lives in New City. "I love the luminosity of color I can achieve with a watercolor wash."

Some of the most stunning photography was completed by Tom Artin, who used an injet print on hahnemuhle rag paper, creating a breathtakingly beautiful effect.

Artin also has a series called "Father Jorn's Woods." It tells of Father Jorn and his mission of cleaning up an area of woods around graves of nuns.

At the reception of April 30th, Wickes Arborists introduced the Arborsonic tomograph, which is a device that acts like an ultrasound for trees. It tells the structure and inner life of the tree.

"I hope people who visit the exhibition will allow their perception of a tree to explode into new discovery of creative energy and direction by what they see in this exhibition," deLisser said

In addition to being open to the public on weekdays, the "Seeing Trees" art exhibit can be viewed with appointments on weekends. For questions or inquiries, contact Carolyn deLisser at (845) 359-1584.