‘One Aspen’ invites travelers to belong

Public Art

Jul 27

“This was beautiful- THANK YOU”! - An honest outpouring of joy from one of many travelers and visitors to the Bristlecone General Store who participated in this seasons ‘ONE ASPEN’ public art mural experience.
“I love what’s happening here- this renaissance- we sure need it now” - Bryce- on his way through…

From June 9 through July 26, 2024, visitors to the Bristlecone General Store, Baker, Nevada, were invited to The Table to connect with nature, one another, and their own best selves with a simple stroke of a sharpie, a little watercolor, or glue, and stacks of earth-colored felt. In so doing, they experienced the joy of wordless communion, laughter, and simplicity and offered poetic truths with their presence. What they left behind is a meaningful representation of time together- an expression of Unity for future celebrations.

To all who said YES and to our gracious hosts, store owners, and collaborative guides, Liz and James Woolsey- we offer a hearty THANK YOU!

The Bristlecone General Store is already known as a hub of enthusiasm, a welcoming space offering great coffee, local art gifts, hard-to-find books, and necessary provisions. This season, the store also became an inspired space for travelers to consider the story of connection, as taught by the Aspen trees. Over 3 sessions, countless visitors “made their mark” in this, our very first collaborative, super organic (unrehearsed) social practice art experiment.

The store in downtown Baker, NV (population est. 133) is the gateway to Great Basin National Park. Travelers from seemingly “everywhere” stop in to refresh, refuel and rest. They come by many means- bike, car, every kind and size of recreational vehicle and even some walk down America’s “Loneliest Highway” to get to this welcoming oasis. Our hosts, Liz and James Woolsey are well-connected to the story of the Great Basin and the people there. James is the retired Park Superintendent from the National Park Service and Liz, an art teacher, hiker, and entrepreneur, offers a rich understanding and appreciation of the area.

Liz pointed out a simple truth after we organized her inventory of art supplies in the “Ice House”, a historic building behind the store’s “Back Yard.” She explained how an Aspen forest is one tree, connected by a larger organism. The main life force lies underground in the extensive root system. She pulled the book “Pando: A Living Wonder of Trees” by Kate Allen Fox from the book collection in the corner of the store offered by James. The book explains that Pando is an aspen clone that originated from a single seed and spreads by sending up new shoots from the expanding root system.

**Inspiration:**

Liz cultivated a representational image that depicted the story of connection as told by the Aspen’s vast clonal root system.

**Explore:**
**Pole Canyon Trail- Great Basin National Park**

Fueled by curiosity, I slowly explored the Pole Canyon Trail to observe the Aspen stand along Baker Creek.

**Connect**

We wanted to create a connection between the identity of nearby nature and inspire travelers to express their nature and experience a little social connection.
With this, a seed for our communal art project was planted.

Collaborate. Collaborate. Collaborate.

**Lesson Plan for The Table**

An invitation to Connect and Create.

As Liz sparked the vision for the project and surfaced the precise materials needed for the project from the Ice House, I crafted a simple lesson plan with a call to action for The Table. We curated photos, printed and displayed them so travelers could see the wonder of the connective tissue as told in the root system.

We landed on a pattern for the 3 weeks we hosted the assemblage: Tuesday, calibrate our plan, and gather materials. Set the table, invite and facilitate, and put away supplies on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The project seemed to have a life of its own.

‘One Aspen’ began with eye-catching tree bark, went underground to the clonal root system, and became complete with the layering of a luscious layer of loam.

We welcomed story after story as travelers enthusiastically paused their vacation to jump in. “Why should you be surprised”? Asked one such traveler. “People are eager to connect with something meaningful. They will be happy to jump in once they understand what you are saying (and trust).”

To all who came and said YES to our One Aspen experience at the Bristlecone General Store in Baker, Nevada- a heartfelt THANK YOU! Your presence made magic possible!