Gallery of 2026 Art on the Trails Exhibition

Pam Kainz

Fire and Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) roots

NFS

Eastern red cedar is a tree of transition. It thrives in disturbed or abandoned land where little else will grow, then gradually recedes as it is outcompeted by deciduous trees. To capture this shift, seven roots from fallen cedars were gathered from nearby forests and scorched, forming a charred surface that preserves the weathered wood. These darkened forms act as markers of change in the landscape, inviting reflection on natural cycles and how they may be shifting as climate and human impact alter their pace.