A Permanent Home for the Tree of Hope

We were so thrilled to return to our inclusive beach event, Fun in the Sun for Everyone in 2021 after missing the previous year due to the pandemic. It is a special day, beloved by many and our 2021 event just so happened to fall on September 11th.

We wanted to commemorate the day in a creative and meaningful way, that felt true to both the solemn memory of 9/11 and the inclusive and hopeful nature of Fun in the Sun. We decided to create an interactive art installation called the Tree of Hope. Leading up to the event, the Rays collected and cleaned oyster shells with holes. That day, participants were invited to choose a shell, decorate it with a message of peace, love, hope and inclusion and hang it on our tree, which was created by local iron artist Kevin Lawless.

The result was perfect, a heartwarming and hopeful exhibit filled with messages of kindness.

After our event, the Tree found a temporary home on the porch of The Sandbox, a local children’s museum. Museum goers added their own messages to the tree, spreading the hope and love even further.

Eventually, the natural elements of the piece began to weather past the point of repair, so we reached out to a local artist whom we admire, Jessie Renew, and she quickly agreed to help us make the Tree a permanent work of art.

Jessie and the Rays painted with up-cycled materials to make interesting textures on a large canvas. Jessie then cut the canvas, fit it into recycled frames that they had also painted and adorned them with oyster shells and sunshines from the original tree. She then arranged the frames into a tree configuration and installed them on a wall at The Sandbox.

From sentiments in the sand to a bright and permanent display of love and kindness. The perfect full circle path for such a meaningful community project!