In Symbiosis featured work from 12 graduate students at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Each artist explored how art can help cultivate a deeper understanding of science and our relationship with nature.
Look Up: Exploring UNT’s Campus Forest
My installation illuminates novel perspectives of UNT’s urban forest by illustrating height, size, and species data collected in a 2023 student-led tree inventory at the University of North Texas. It invites viewers to step in, look up, and experience our campus trees in a creative way.
This installation was successful at reaching a variety of audiences including professors, art students, science students, university deans, project stakeholders, and children visiting the building for field trips.
Each circle represents the circumference of an individual tree. This arrangement of 3,000 tree sizes visualizes the relative sizes of trees on UNT’s main campus.
Grouping the trees by species reveals unique stories about tree recruitment, age composition, and growing preferences.
Coloring the rings by tree genera, we get a colorful visualization of the urban forest.
The main piece in my installation was a floor projection showing an animation of the colored rings.
Watch video animation here
Gallery Photos
Savannah Thomas 