Hornbeam Hub: Celebrating Kansas City Tree Networks

1914 Main Street,Kansas City MO 64108

11 May, 2022

Description

A conversation about art, activism, and the role of urban forests in climate change mitigation A conversation about art, activism, and the role of urban forests in climate change mitigation On May 11th, an American Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana, will be planted in front of the Goethe Pop Up Kansas City as part of an initiative to increase the tree canopy cover and reduce the impact of global warming. The tree planting happens to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the launch of 7000 Oaks, a sculptural installation by German artist Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) that called for the planting of oak trees throughout the city of Kassel, each paired with a basalt stone. This happy coincidence provides the perfect occasion to look at the relationship between art, activism, and environmental awareness – and further explore these ideas in connection with the work of Joseph Beuys, as we did in fall 2021 with the exhibition Unconventional: The Legacy of Joseph Beuys. This event will take place at Goethe Pop Up Kansas City. About the participants: Jean Schmitt is a visual artist and educator based in the Crossroads. She combines a passion for creativity and sustainability and is dedicated to the roles of art and design in convening and supporting diverse, healthy and resilient communities. This year, she is one of 7,000 Humans, a connective practice piece conceived at the global Social Sculpture Lab in Kassel, Germany, running parallel to the Kassel Documenta. Forty years after Joseph Bueys Documenta piece 7,000 Oaks, this project connects 7000 trees and their humans across the globe to explore communal thinking networks with embodied local practices around trees. As a result of her participation, she discovered and celebrates the incredible urban tree networks in Kansas City! Rick Usher is a Board member at the Crossroads Community Association and leads the Crossroads Street Tree Initiative. Rick is a former Assistant City Manager at the City of Kansas City, Missouri, where he led small business and entrepreneur support programs. Rick is now in private practice consulting on local government public policy, digital access and digital equity, and entrepreneurship. Sarah Crowder is a certified arborist and sr. program manager with Bridging The Gap (BTG). Sarah is an urban forester with most of her experience in state and city government. She proudly joined the BTG team to oversee the Heartland Tree Alliance six years ago. Since this time, her team has seen the planting of over 20,000 trees in the Kansas City area.