Messages of Hope – Art in Trees

Messages of Hope Box by Elaine Luther, from the Messages of Hope show by Cabinet of Curiosities Chicago

In August of 2020, Chicago arts not for profit, Cabinet of Curiosities Chicago put out a call for art for “boxes of hope,” they’d provide the box, you’d but the art in it. I love putting art in boxes, so I signed up right away and got a box. It’s shown above as installed at a Cook County Forest Preserve, which are kind of like a state park, but managed by the county instead of the state.

Here are some in progress shots:

I repurposed some of my many Balance & Tension mobiles, made for that time I had two overlapping solo shows, and painted more of the hoops. Inside the box are 5 copper egg shapes, with a blue-green patina.

The two circular holes in the back of the box allow it to be strapped to a tree without harming the tree. It’s always a fun challenge to make work that can survive the outdoors. And even though the show was only to be a month or so, I acted as if it would be outside for much longer. The blue is exterior grade house paint and all the hoops are coated with a clear sealant. The copper egg forms are both glued and nailed into places, as are the wood hoop forms.

And here’s a view of it on another tree:

Temporarily installed for a photo.

Photo credits: Gina Lee Robbins, Elaine Luther

All artwork shown is Copyright Elaine Luther 2020.