Tree Tones (2023-2024)
Tree Tones (Fall 2023-Spring 2024)
Artist: Caleb Churchill and Raina Belleau
Medium: Site specific, mixed media installation
Location: Germantown Greenway
Near West Trailhead (7014 Wolf River Blvd, Germantown, TN 38138)
Tree Tones was an auditory art installation by artist duo Belleau + Churchill that consisted of a series of 60 wind chimes of different tones, each tone representing a different species of tree. When sounding in unison, the tones created a harmonic scale, drawing attention to the harmonies in the environment and our place within it. As you walked along the trail you would have heard the diversity of the forest as you moved through it. The artwork created a tranquil auditory experience, engaging you with the tree canopy and creating a sensory awareness of your environment.
Out of the many trees in this forest, six species were selected to represent the notes of Tree Tones, based on their prevalence and role in this specific ecosystem: Bald Cypress, Hackberry, Hickory, PawPaw, Sweetgum, and Water Oak.
The Tree Tones Installation included an audio tour that guided you through the themes of the project and included the voices and experiences of youth who participated in the making of the installation.
Participants from The Wolf River Conservancy, Carpenter Art Garden, The Overton Park Conservancy, Lamplighter Montessori School, and Crosstown High contributed to this project.
Caleb Churchill and Raina Belleau
Raina Belleau and Caleb Churchill met in graduate school at the Rhode Island School of Design. Feeling constrained by the academic structure of departments, majors and media, they began to collaborate in a variety of media. Their small, whimsical yet melancholic, early pieces soon became an entire collaborative practice. Their first exhibition, Fantasia Colorado explored the boundaries between history and legend. It was featured at GRIN in Providence and through the gallery at Satellite Art Fair as a part of Miami Art Week. They are currently working on new projects from their shared studio in Memphis, TN.
