Magic and Majesty: The Immortal Tree, is an exhibition held in conjunction with The Abrahamic Story of the Tree, an initiative of the UConn Office of Global Affairs and the Abrahamic Programs for Academic Collaboration in the Middle East and North Africa Region, a semester-long exploration of the Tree of Life in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam through exhibitions, walking tours, performances, and lectures.

As a co-curator and participating artist, I worked with my MFA cohort to select works from the Benton’s collections that speak to trees as literal forms and as archetypal, metaphorical, and personal figures. Our approach was both research-driven and sensorial: we looked closely at how artist subjectivities, mediums, and materials transform the tree, sometimes as an immediately tangible presence, sometimes as an imagined or symbolic one. Within a university setting, we treated campus itself as a kind of “tree museum,” a daily canopy that predates us and will endure long after, and we used that lens to consider how knowledge is pursued and transmitted, how it takes root, branches, and bears fruit across disciplines and communities.

“The Story of the Tree project describes the magic and majesty of trees as an integral part of every culture, a foundational element of the human story. In religious and cultural practices and mythologies, the tree—with its roots, branches, leaves, and fruits—holds both shared and highly individual significance and symbolism. Situating this project within a campus environment akin to a ‘tree museum’ allows us a daily opportunity to appreciate the visual and sensual canopy we walk amidst—the legacy of our institution witnessed by trees here long before us and which will endure long after. The intellectual and creative community of an academic institution impels us to further reflect on the symbol of the tree as the pursuit and transmission of knowledge as a force that enlightens human minds and enhances life.”
- Prof. Kathryn Myers

The Department of Art & Art History contributed to The Story of the Tree through a series of exhibitions and talks, engaging a working group of faculty and staff across multiple disciplines.