At UMBC, a grove of 30 oak trees—each paired with a granite boulder—marks a living artwork inspired by the vision of German artist Joseph Beuys. This installation reflects a global movement that began in 1982, blending art, ecology, and civic engagement.
This presentation explores how Beuys’s concept of “social sculpture” took root in Baltimore, linking UMBC and three Baltimore City parks with other installations. Others, both in the US and Europe, also feature trees paired with stones and inspire long-term care for the environment through community connection. The lecture also addresses the adjacent, Annapolis-based organization Nature Sacred, which supports the Baltimore green spaces and their stewards, known as firesouls, as part of its network of over 100 Sacred Spaces across the US.
The discussion covers the new, community-driven name for the UMBC site, the recent discovery of possible stone tools and geocaches, and introduces access to 25 years of public journals which represent a living archive of reflections on relationships with the land and each other inspired at the UMBC site. Questions and dialogue are welcome.
Lecturer Bio: Sandra Abbott
Sandra Abbott is curator of collections and outreach at the Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture (CADVC) at UMBC and an affiliate Art History/Museum Studies faculty member in the Department of Visual Arts.
As the curator of the Center’s outreach program, Abbott develops Maryland standards-based curriculum for area school children, making CADVC’s internationally-recognized artists and curatorial projects accessible to K-12 audiences in the metro area. Abbott also serves in the role of gallery registrar and has traveled several award-winning, international touring exhibitions for UMBC. She has served as a Nature Sacred Firesoul for the Joseph Beuys Tree Partnership since 2008.
Abbott served as a member of Baltimore City’s Public Art Commission, the Steering Committee for the Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment District, and the artist selection jury for the Baltimore Red Line’s Art in Transit Program. She also received the Baltimore/Washington Collegetown Network’s Annual Award for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.