Sun 9/15 @ 2-5PM
Anyone familiar with the work of prominent Cleveland-area painter Eileen Dorsey knows she has a thing for trees. Her workspace at 78th Street Studios, where her door is always open on Third Fridays, is filled with her takes on forest scenes, bathed in her distinctive color palette.
But recently, she’s developed a more personal relationship with trees and a passion for restoring the trees canopy that once earned Cleveland the nickname “The Forest City.” Last year she joined the newly formed tree steward program in her Old Brooklyn neighborhood, and soon she was working in other neighborhoods as well, sharing her newly acquired expertise in tree planting. Her growing knowledge of how trees contribute to our health and how they are threatened fueled a new series of paintings called Neglect of the Urban Canopy, which goes on view at the Cleveland Botanical Garden Sunday September 15.
“Imagine standing under the shade of a tree on a hot summer day, hearing the breeze roll through the leaves above,” says her artist statement about the new show. “Now, imagine standing in the stark sun, without a tree in sight; the hot UV rays on your skin, the heat of the air hitting your lungs. Where are you more comfortable? Now, imagine a world without trees, the colors zapped from the environment around you. How would you feel? This exhibit takes you on a visual journey, where color represents the thick, lush urban canopy. As you walk by each of the works, you’ll notice more and more color being lost, watch the details loosening on the surface. Beauty can still be seen, but you start to wonder how long it will last before it is gone for good.”
In 2021 she lost some big branches, causing her to lose privacy in her backyard, so when she learned about a free tree program from a community newsletter she signed up and got two new trees planted in her yard.
That piqued her interest in tree restoration, and when her local community development corporation received a major grant to start its Tree Steward program in 2023, she says “I was immediately drawn to the community aspect of the position. Being fairly new to the area, I figured it was a better way to get to know my neighborhood while doing something I care about.”
She acquired expertise in tree planting working in her own Old Brooklyn neighborhood and then began volunteering that knowledge to other neighborhoods such as Ohio City.
“We provide them with all of the resources needed, including the trees, and teach them the proper ways to care for them,” she says. “We [the stewards] have led residents in planting workshops, planting over 60 trees in one park alone. We assist with tree questions and site visits. We planted several trees in the spring right in front of the projects off West 25th. The residents there have a rock yard in front of them and have to breathe in that dust every day. The trees there should help clean the air there.”
“For me, it’s about public health,” she adds. “Trees provide a variety of health benefits. I see them as silent caregivers, always giving without expecting anything in return. Cleveland is at a dangerously low rate of canopy cover. It’s especially alarming coming from a city that was once known as the “Forest City.”
Neglect of the Urban Canopy will be on view during CBG’s regular hours through October 27. Prints of her paintings are available in its gift shop.
