By Julie Ann Bell
Community is a lived value at Trackside Studios where 60 local creatives showcase their art. As we approached autumn and the one-year milestone post Hurricane Helene, we wanted to represent that sense of community in our Stairway Gallery. We envisioned a tree with leaves full of art from all our artists.
Tree and artwork at Trackside Studios
A frequent subject of my wire sculptures is trees, so I designed a 10-foot tree in my head and bought enough aluminum conduit to yield about 400 feet of wire. The reality of a broken wrist drove home the importance of community when I realized there was no physical way for me to twist that much wire. An email plea to our artists brought a dozen volunteers one afternoon to strip the casing from the wire, untwist the tight strands and re-twist it to become a trunk with loose ends for roots and branches.
The following week, more artists helped with shaping tree limbs and lacing 200 fairy lights into the tree. Finally, a group of artists wrangled the creation up the staircase and installed the tree on the brick wall abutting the studio staircase. Each day since, artists have added small paintings, ornaments, mixed media creations and jewelry to adorn the tree.
Trees are a profound metaphor for the community of artists.
A tree’s roots provide nourishment, communication with the forest community and a broad base to support growth. In Western North Carolina we are rooted in the strong arts and crafts history of this region, going back thousands of years and deeply embedded in the spirit of this area.
Tree and artwork at Trackside Studios
Tree trunks offer a strong conduit for the tree’s life juices and a tricky balance of flexibility and stability. Creatives are upheld by arts organizations such as the River Arts District Artists, ArtsAVL, the Center for Craft and many others. These organizations have always provided guidance, grants, encouragement and resources; this past year we learned more deeply how important this strong trunk is to our arts community.
The branches and leaves reach out for sun and rain to promote new life. Artists, like these branches, achieve new levels of creativity and growth when we reach out to one another, offering and accepting encouragement, friendship and grace.
Our wire tree and its art serve daily to remind us that we are a community of friends and colleagues who are here to support one another. It reminds us to be thankful, continually, for the volunteers and donors from near and far who helped us restore our space. It reminds us that we are embracing tomorrow.
Trackside Studios is located at 375 Depot Street, in the River Arts District. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, and by appointment. Learn more at TracksideStudios.com.
