Dead trees? Don't be stumped -- turn them into art

By Prudence Brighton, Sun Correspondent

Updated: 09/08/2009 09:13:01 AM EDT

LOWELL -- Circling what was once merely a tree stump on Luce Street, the 9-year-old bicyclist finally rendered his verdict.

"Very creative," said Brendan Broderick, looking at a sculpture that has sprouted next to a city sidewalk.

The wooden sculpture on city-owned land will soon be joined by asecond thanks to the love Martha Mayo has for history and herneighborhood, a suggestion by landscaper Ellen Coppinger, thecollaboration of several city agencies, funding from the LowellCultural Council and the dedication of Lowell sculptors Glenn Szegedyand Jay Hungate.

In the summer of 2008, Mayo needed trees removed from herbackyard at 143 Luce St. Many trees on her property were diseased, andshe asked the Coppinger Company to remove them.

While removing the trees, John Coppinger discovered that twoNorway maples on city-owned property in front of Mayo's home were alsodiseased and potentially hazardous.

His wife, Ellen, recalled that a number of years ago sometrees in Cambridge, where she is a landscape project manager, had beencarved into oversized chairs for children to climb on. She mentionedthat to Mayo, and the "Public Art-Tree Stumps" project was born.

"I knew with her artistic bent she would be a great advocatefor this," said Ellen Coppinger of Mayo, who is the director of theCenter for Lowell History and is active in the city's arts community.

Homes on Luce Street, which runs off Andover Street in the Belvidere section of Lowell, were built in the mid-1920s to much fanfarein local newspapers. The homes were celebrated for high-qualityconstruction, modern conveniences and affordable prices. The trees infront of Mayo's home were planted at that time.

"Norway maples are not native trees," Mayo said, adding that unlike sugar maples, these maples do not do well in New England.

Mayo began working with T.J. McCarthy, head of the LowellDepartment of Public Works. He apparently assumed she just wanted themtaken down and was momentarily nonplussed when she explained what shereally wanted.

Mayo applied to the Lowell Cultural Council for a grant,proposing the tree sculptures as a means to bring public art intoLowell's neighborhoods.

"It was really a perfect fit" for what the LCC wanted to do with its grants, Mayo said. "It fit all the criteria."

One of the criteria involved the city's neighborhoods. The grantproposal Mayo submitted represented an opportunity to extend public artoutside the downtown to a residential neighborhood.

She included an idea for a "neighborhood day" in the proposal.That event was held in mid-July and involved neighborhood children andadults. Mayo led neighbors on a historic tour, and Jane Calvin of theLowell Parks and Conservation Trust led an environmental tour of thearea.

Luce Street is a neighborhood with a lot of continuity, saidSzegedy, adding that it's a street where homes often pass from onegeneration to the next. It might be a neighborhood, therefore, thatwould resist a change like this, but it is not.

Neighbors were curious about what the result would be, but no one raised an objection even as Mayo sent fliers to everyone.

The reaction of Brendan, who lives with his family on nearby Florida Street, seems to reflect the opinions of many.

Joelle Jean of Eastview Street accompanied her two children and one of their friends as they took a peak.

"I really admire this," Jean said. "This artwork is amazing."

Nicole Nguyen, who lives across the street from Mayo, said, "Iwas really excited about this. My son and I watched every day."

On a recent warm September afternoon, cars slowed to a crawlto take a closer look at the sculpture. And Mayo has ordered a sign toplace in front of the sculptures, so motorists will know what's goingon.

Szegedy, who works mainly with wood and studied at theUniversity of New Hampshire, said many neighbors stopped to watch himwork, but "everyone was very respectful."

He has lived in Lowell for the last decade and is enthusiastic about his adopted hometown.

"Lowell looks out for its artists," he said. "I've never seen opportunities for artists anywhere else like here."

Szegedy helps run a summer camp for kids ages 9-13 at theWestern Avenue art studios. At the camp, children whose parents mightfind other camp experiences far too costly get to explore many forms ofart with the resident artists.

Hungate, who works mainly with stone and studied at theMassachusetts College of Art and in Italy, hopes to begin turning histree stump into art this week.

Tree-stump art projects have developed in other cities besidesLowell and Cambridge. Artists in New York, Johannesburg and London haveexplored the medium. In fact, London has so many that it has publishedan interactive map on the Internet for anyone who wants a unique artexperience there.

Mayo hopes Lowell might achieve something similar to London.And Szegedy thinks it would be an "incredible draw for the city" if 10to 15 other tree-stump projects could be completed.

Eventually, said Ellen Coppinger, the tree stumps will rotaway, but Szegedy has promised to return to Luce Street every spring toensure that his work exists as long as possible.