Mother Tree Exhibit

This Exhibit features artwork curated from the Mother Tree Global Call for art – a collaborative creative project with TreeSisters International inviting women to tell the story of their love and advocacy of our global forests. Co-creating an investment in global reforestation efforts with 50% of proceeds from entry fees directed to TreeSisters Reforestation Projects.

Inviting a return to our place as the ‘Restorer Species’, collaborating with Earth in emergent, creative and regenerative ways, which reflect our respect, love, interconnection and reciprocity in action.

The Mother Tree Exhibit is inspired by MUSEA’s lineage and legacy of activism on behalf of women and girls and our precious home, the Earth. Co-Founders, Curator Shiloh Sophia and Jonathan McCloud as well as members of our Intentional Creativity Arts Guild, have been actively advocating for the health, wholeness, safety and freedom of women globally, attending the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women as panelists and advocates of this work. As an organization, we recognize that the status of women is interconnected with the status of our global forests, as women and ecosystems are often experiencing the same or similar harms inside of current structures.

Through this collaboration with TreeSisters Nonprofit, women are invited to rise up in creative self expression to artfully express their desire for the healing, wholeness and regeneration of our precious global forests, which in turn is also holding a powerful space for the healing and regeneration of women! We are in this together. Intricately interwoven.

The concept of ‘Mother Tree’ is an ancient Indigenous knowledge that has existed for millennia. It has recently become popularized through the scientific research of biologist Dr. Suzanne Simard who discovered that forests have hub or ‘Mother Trees’, which are large, highly connected trees that play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest. These Mother Trees are symbiotic with intelligent and intricate mycorrhizal networks that support the tree in communicating, sending warnings, and supportive chemical compounds to other trees, specifically their young. These complex relationships contribute to forest resiliency, adaptability and recovery and have far-reaching implications for how to manage and heal forests from human impacts, including climate change.

This concept of the Mother Tree nurturing her young, has an expansive connection to our global forests nurturing life on our planet, providing us air to breathe, offering nutrients to the oceans, regulating weather systems and the hydrological cycle, providing home and shelter to humans and other-than-human beings, and cooling temperatures on land.

The wellness of the trees and the forest ecosystems connects to our wellness. We must stand for the restoration and regeneration of our global forests, visioning and working together to ensure they will continue to thrive for 7 generations ahead and beyond.

This concept of the mother tree also represents our connection to our matriarchal ancestors – those who are there to support us, send us messages, share their wisdom, and provide us with guidance on our life’s journey. Therefore, there is an invitation threaded into this art call theme for women to connect with matriarchal ancestral support and their own ancient root systems. This is reflected in MUSEA’s Matriarchal Lineage of activism catalyzed through creativity and the many ways Intentional Creativity both inspires and bolsters women to participate in the holding actions for women and our global forests that are so vital at this time – often including this directly in our canvases.

“But we shouldn’t be concerned about trees purely for material reasons, we should also care about them because of the little puzzles and wonders they present us with. Under the canopy of the trees, daily dramas and moving love stories are played out. Here is the last remaining piece of Nature, right on our doorstep, where adventures are to be experienced and secrets discovered. And who knows, perhaps one day the language of trees will eventually be deciphered, giving us the raw material for further amazing stories. Until then, when you take your next walk in the forest, give free rein to your imagination-in many cases, what you imagine is not so far removed from reality, after all!”

~ Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees

We as a community strive to be intentional in our relationship with life, to honor the flora, the fauna, the fungi, the trees, the forests, the water, the air, the minerals, stories, cultures, traditions and sacred places of the Many Lands in which we find our sense of place and practice Intentional Creativity. We acknowledge with humility and gratitude our interconnection, our place in the cycle, and our sacred responsibility of reciprocation, love, and respect towards our precious and beautiful home, the Earth and all beings.

TreeSisters is a social change and reforestation charity that places tropical forest restoration into everyone’s hands. Through individuals and businesses that give back to nature every month, TreeSisters has so far funded the planting of over 22 million trees across 12 locations in Brazil, Borneo, Cameroon, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar, Nepal and West Papua. They fund a diverse portfolio of tropical reforestation projects that are ethical, community-led, expand natural forest cover, and aim to avoid further deforestation. Their projects support local communities and improve livelihoods, protect critically endangered species, and focus on gender parity and the participation of women.

TreeSisters actively encourage the cultural shift required to grow from a consumer to a restorative culture and encourage feminine leadership by providing resources, experiences and communities that inspire personal and collective action on behalf of the trees.

Thank you for witnessing the exhibit.
We invite you to leave your comments and reflections below!

Special thanks to:

Amber Samaya Gould, MUSEA Curatorial Director, for her leadership in the Mother Tree Art Call, Exhibit and Museum Show development and production

Shiloh Sophia, Curator, for her insights, collaboration, and initiating the partnership with TreeSisters International

TreeSisters International and Kathleen Brigidina, TreeSisters Community Engagement and Artist Liaison for sharing TreeSisters creative vision and collaborating with MUSEA to bring forward the Mother Tree Exhibit and Museum Show.

Sumaiyah Wysdom Yates, MUSEA Lead Technologist and CoCurator for Exhibit Presentation production and technology support.

Maia Lemann, MUSEA Support Team Member, for Social Media and Communications Support

MUSEA CoCurator Discovery Team for volunteer support with Mother Tree Art Call production, content, jurying the art call, and providing editing and content support for the Exhibit.

Sue Hoya Sellars, Art Ancestor and Master Painter, for painting ‘Healing Luna’ and inspiring us to love and advocate for the earth through our artwork.

This show is brought to you by the generosity of the Intentional Creativity Foundation and the support of our MUSEA Members.

Our gratitude to all of the participants of the Mother Tree Global Call for art. Every piece we received was inspiring and a beautiful honoring of the artist’s love for our global forests. Your collaboration with MUSEA Intentional Creativity Museum and TreeSisters International will lead to the planting of forests under which future generations will find shelter and healing. Thank you.

Exhibited Artists:

Jessica Clark, Lori Sweet, Patricia Trautman, Carol Cameron, Laurie Marshall, Marion Maenner, Moana Whatu, Irene de Brice, Karen Elizabeth Balon, Carol Fairbanks, Yaelle Schwarc, Marjolein Roeleveld, Patty Iammatteo, Caron McCloud, Lori Sweet, Mariana Peirano, Lisa Loudin, Juniper Mainelis, Linda Cattrall, Marie Aguilera, Helen Leaf Black, Carol Cameron, Olivia Marie Oso, Melissa Lawson, Peggy Davidoff, Kara Young, Deborah J Milton, Amber Gould, Milagros Suriano-Rivera, Lila Sweet, Emily Britton, Gina Rivers, Marion Maenner, Lainie Love Dalby, Susan Voss, Pegi Eyers, Cory Jakl, Charlotte Jane Kessler, Erika Merz, Pamela McKinnie, Karen Maunder, Maasa Craig, Olivia Marie Oso, Catherine Solomons, Cindy Taylor Clark, Melissa Dowling, Stacey Maney, Kirti Sinha, Kate Langlois, Amy Bruckner, Lauren Catalina Adorno-Weatherford, Glenda “GG” Goodrich, Sandra Longmore, Sharon Handy. Janet Wakatsuki, Barbara Donohue, Grace Solman, Pamela Llano, Yaelle Schwarcz, Vili Bayreva Cindy Soper, Charlotte Jane Kessler, Rachel Herzig, Rosalie Kohler, Tanya Meyer, Paula deJoie, Phyllis Anne Taylor, Karen Thompson

Art Call Participants – Not Exhibited:

Shakaya Leone, Jacqueline Hiew, Elizabeth Bauer, Susan Bessey, Stephanie Rey, Leslie, Scopes Anderson, Rio Alden, Charmaine Roberts, Ruth Abigail, Amber Rebuck, Jenn Krumm, Trisha Clarkin, Estelle Swanepoel, Barbara Brown, Kaley Jordan, Patricia Carley, Elizabeth Bauer, Janiese Wesley, Sarah Helen Marder, Paula Gregg, Jessica Richmond, Jenny Siegel, Susan Myers, Anne McMahon, Reda Rackley, Patti Lightflower, Aideen Sweeney, Linda Hoyle, Sage Phoenix, Lisa Clark, Annette Wagner, Denise Harmon, Denise Everhart, Nicola Woods, Maria Stefani, Jenn Bissett, Leslie Mcquaide, Ashleigh Gismondi, Emily Maker, Finvola Mc Auley, Karen Engelmeyer, Ilona Lantos, Rachel Shultz, Anna Saether, Nona McKinney, Renate Roske-Shelton, Roz Forestal Keep, Sumaiyah Wysdom Yates, Nona McKinney, Lisa Clark, Lisa Williams, Suzanne Bastear, Clair Oaks, Cristin Whiting, Gale West, Andra Evans, Uma Joy, Kerani Marie Lomonaco, Deborah Belli, Nathalie Sophie Markiefka, Shiila Safer, Teri Freesmeyer, Monica Wade, Shiloh McCloud, Cheryl Gallagher, Shelley Carlisle, Birgit Ruff, Emily Maker, Marcela Starflower, Jenn Bissett, Sibel Ozer, Lisa JH Gardner, Elica Johnson, Sumaiyah Yates, Kara Young, Heather Jackson, Sarah Helen Marder, Elizabeth Bauer, Easula Sedlmaier, Aimee Blair, Lea Goode-Harris, Sue Boardman, Shelley Carlisle, Colleen Crotty-Good, Marie Despres, Jo Collett, Katy Morse, leslie mcquaide, Lisa Martin Naimi

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The Intentional Creativity® Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We are a self-funded Foundation, which means that your donations and our Museum Membership is what allows the Foundation to host Museum Exhibits, steward the MUSEA Museum + permanent collection, employ women - all graduates of MUSEA's certification programs - to run the day-to-day business of the ICF, offer grants to artists to assist them in creating and sharing Intentional Creativity workshops, offer Arts Activism events and programming, along with other programming and more. Without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you for your generosity and support!

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About The Exhibit

The Meaning of "Mother Tree"

Exhibit Media