November 17, 2015 – January 10, 2016

CINCINNATI - Nov. 6, 2015 - The Tree of Life is back and ready for your New Year’s wishes! In its third year, the Tree of Life, on view Nov. 17 - Jan. 10, 2016, features a 19-year-old crabapple tree that has been transformed into a sculptural piece of art.

At 16 feet tall, the tree, created by local artist Matt Kotlarczyk, is a giant interactive exhibit that encourages visitors to place handwritten wishes for the New Year into glass vials that then adorn the tree, bringing it to life. The wishes from the Tree of Life will later be burned, and the ashes will be used to plant a new tree at the Art Museum in 2016.

Visitors are encouraged to make the Tree of Life their very own holiday tradition at the Cincinnati Art Museum. After sharing a wish on our Tree of Life, visitors can then shop for the perfect gift at our Museum Shop and celebrate the holidays in our Terrace Café.

The Tree of Life complements holiday traditions throughout the city that Cincinnati families love and enjoy. “This is our opportunity to connect with the community in a manner that embraces all cultures and religions,” said Emily Holtrop, Director of Learning and Interpretation. “The Tree of Life celebrates the diversity of our community, which is also represented in our overall collection. It wraps up all of the goodwill from the holiday and sends it off into the New Year.”

“We are pleased to give our visitors and all Cincinnatians the opportunity to begin a new year with artistic expression,” said Cameron Kitchin, Louis and Louise Dieterle Nippert Director of the Art Museum. “I can think of no better way to launch holiday celebrations of all faiths and cultures than with the joy of offering your own good wishes at the art museum."

This exhibit will be located in the Near Eastern Galleries (G147-149) for the first time this year. Click here for more information on this exhibit.

Exhibit Overview:

In 2013, the Cincinnati Art Museum staff decided that the Tree of Life, which has been depicted in various art forms for thousands of years, would be a perfect symbol for community, culture, beauty, family and tradition – the values that embody the holiday season. The staff also wanted to encourage guest interaction, and, as a result, the tree comes to life with vibrant colors and well wishes for the New Year.

The Cincinnati Art Museum issued a call for proposals in late summer 2013 and commissioned local artist Matt Kotlarczyk to create the piece. Kotlarczyk had the perfect concept: an actual tree, saved from destruction and brought back to life with new purpose as a work of art in the museum.

In the beginning, the Tree of Life was just a normal tree in Kotlarczyk ’s front yard. This dying crabapple tree was carefully uprooted in 2013, sprayed with a white silicon film from trunk to branch and covered in white rubber. The tree was then dis-assembled and then re-assembled in the entrance of the Cincinnati Wing for the exhibit’s first year.

After assembly, the tree is adorned with jeweled colored paper which is inserted into specially crafted glass vials. Visitors are encouraged to write their dreams, hopes and intentions for the New Year on these pieces of paper to be hung on the tree throughout the exhibit. In 2013, more than 800 wish vials were hung on the Tree of Life.

On Jan. 1, 2016, the vials will be taken down, burned and the New Year wishes will be released into the clouds with the smoke. The remaining ashes will be used to fertilize a new crabapple tree in 2016 on the grounds of the Cincinnati Art Museum.

About the Artist:

Matt Kotlarczyk is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning (DAAP) and works as a sculptor, with many pieces found in public and private collections, including the City of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and Proctor and Gamble. His most beloved work is The Muse of Clifton, at the corner of Clifton and Ludlow Avenues.

###

About the Cincinnati Art Museum

Hours of operation are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Art Museum is closed on Mondays. General admission is FREE. The Art Museum is located at 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. For general information, call (513) 639-2995 or visit www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to the ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as our members.