Spirit Trees
Dates and Times
- Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Friday, May 1, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Saturday, May 2, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Sunday, May 3, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Monday, May 4, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Tuesday, May 5, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Wednesday, May 6, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Thursday, May 7, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Friday, May 8, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Saturday, May 9, 2026 11am - 4pm
- Sunday, May 10, 2026 11am - 4pm
- + 87 more
Location
Rochester Art Center
30 Civic Center Dr SE
Event Categories
Visual Arts | Family Friendly
Details
In 2019 Valerie DeCora Guimaraes, founder of the Greater Rochester Area Dakota Supporters (GRADS) and a member of the Heritage Preservation Committee, wrote a letter to the City Council, trying to raise awareness about the importance of local Spirit Trees in the midst of the City’s plan to cut trees for urban development. In 2024, Valerie reached out to the Rochester Art Center for support in creating an exhibition that focused on the importance of trees and nature of the indigenous communities and beyond.
Spirit Trees is a group exhibition that celebrates the many ways trees support life on this planet and their longstanding witness to human history. Trees are sacred to Indigenous communities and also are fundamental to connecting all humans with nature. They are a connector with the land and they bring communities together. The exhibition features three contemporary artists with diverse backgrounds whose work uses primarily natural materials and directly addresses our connection to nature. Their work fosters deep reflections around the role of nature and art in sustaining life.
In addition to the multimedia artworks, the exhibition includes a participatory activity and photographs of local trees taken by Guimaraes and community members since 2019 in an attempt to preserve trees that might soon be cut down in the pursuit of progress and development.
