In honor of Earth Day 2005, I installed a temporary work of art in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Paper Words call attention to trees, and inspire pause, reflection and consideration of these beings. The chosen words focused on the positive aspects of trees as a reminder of how important they are for our survival.

In 2016, I expanded this project through a collaboration with poet Holly Wren Spaulding, making some of her haiku-like poems into words that guide a walker along a path. We call the project ‘Here Stands’. A stand is a contiguous area that contains a number of trees. ‘Here Stands’ is an outdoor poem and a poetic declaration: trees that stand for something.

A small grant from the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire allowed us to install the works on select Trustees properties in western Massachusetts. In 2016 I also installed them in Nebraska City, home of the Arbor Day foundation in honor of Arbor day. In 2015 they were part of city-wide Prints in Peculiar Places in Knoxville, TN as part of the 2015 annual Southern Graphics Council International conference.

In 2018, Paper Words made a brief appearance at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. Paper Words continue to find their way into my work, often showing up to honor Earth Day.