Colored trees to cast new shade along Germantown Greenway
Trees colored blue in Chattanooga help bring awareness to deforestation and spur creativity outdoors. Germantown approved a contract with Konstantin Dimopoulos to bring the colored trees to a portion of the suburb’s greenway. (Courtesy Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors)
Some of the trees along the Germantown Greenway will soon turn blue temporarily.
That’s right. Their trunks will be colored blue.
The work is part of the suburb’s public art plan to add displays around the city. With grants, in-kind work and matching city funds, the expenditure for the colorful trees should be around $130,000.
Those involved in the project still are determining how many trees will receive the blue hue. The city’s public arts division is partnering with Wolf River Conservancy, along with the suburb’s parks and recreation department, on the project.
Monday evening, Jan. 9, the suburb’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the receipt of a grant and contract with Melbourne, Australia-based artist Konstantin Dimopoulos in a 4-1 vote.
Alderman Scott Sanders voted against the project, saying he preferred to not use taxpayer dollars for a temporary installation. The colored solution is safe for the trees and is supposed to last four to six months.
“I’m not sure in good conscience I can support an expenditure of this amount when we are getting ready to prepare a budget for the coming year,” Sanders said of the new fiscal year that begins July 1. “We don’t know what the recession, that may or may not be coming, is going to do to city finances.”
The project is called “Shelby Canopy: Our Shared Connection.” The blue tree installation is just one component. Cat Peña, the suburb’s public arts manager, said officials are still determining other parts of the project.
Sanders noted the project’s goal is to raise awareness of deforestation and increase appreciation for trees. Germantown residents already are protective of trees and express concern when development takes any down, he stated.
“You have to be flexible with your immediate needs,” Alderman Jon McCreery rebutted. “That’s the way of the world. This might not be the perfect time to bring the expenditure in, but gosh, when is it ever a good time? There’s always something.”
Several aldermen noted the art form is different from their preferences but recognized the Germantown Public Art Master Plan encouraged artworks along the Germantown Greenway.
“This project has a nationally recognized public art and educational component which will raise awareness of the importance of trees and motivate participants to take personal responsibility for the future of our environment,” Paul Chandler, Germantown Performing Arts Center executive director, said.
The art installation usually last between four and six months. (Courtesy Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors)
Only about 30 cities in the world have had the blue trees. Germantown would be the second in Tennessee. Dimopoulos colored Chattanooga trees in 2016.
The art project was supported by the suburb’s Public Art Commission, and the city received a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The funds can only be used for the project. An additional $30,000 will come from the public art division budget. The city must match the $50,000 grant but is doing so with in-kind contributions in the form of time staff spends on the project.
By phone this week, Chandler said in other places, there’s a short period where people question the trees. Once the work is finished, the community embraces it.
“The blue trees environmental art installation highlights the importance of trees not only in our environment but globally with added value of receiving help from the entire community,” said Alderwoman Mary Anne Gibson, who serves as liaison to the Public Art Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission. “That speaks to me as a lifelong resident of Germantown, Tennessee.”
Alderman Brian Ueleke wanted to make sure the location wouldn’t impact pedestrian and bike traffic as those who find the trees intriguing stop to enjoy them and take pictures for social media. The site is not finalized, but Peña noted the western edge of the greenway is possible, so Memphis might expand it into their city at some point. People from Memphis, Germantown and Collierville will be able to enjoy the trees and the larger project when complete.
Peña hopes the project will be complete by this fall, but conversations with the artist are ongoing.
“We are really hoping to create healthy conversations and engage people in collective acts of creativity,” she said.
Topics
color Germantown Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen Germantown GreenwayAbigail Warren
Abigail Warren is an award-winning reporter and covers Collierville and Germantown for The Daily Memphian. She was raised in the Memphis suburbs, attended Westminster Academy and studied journalism at the University of Memphis. She has been with The Daily Memphian since 2018.
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