Artists Tami Merrick and Nicola Parente (artuniti.com) have created a symphony of visual art, dance, poetry and music in celebration of spring. “Color Bursting Hermann Park” is made possible by grants from the Houston Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town initiative, as well as The Brown Foundation, Wells Fargo, City of Houston and Hermann Park Conservancy, in partnership with Writers in the Schools, YES Prep Eastside, Thomas Printworks, and North American Plastics. The project encourages community involvement in a range of activities – “Dancing Trees”, “Lyrical Trees”, “Refraction”, “Poet Trees” and “Shades of Blue”.

“Color Bursting Hermann Park” debuts in conjunction with the Hermann Park Conservancy Kite Festival Sunday, March 25 from 10 am to 5pm. Some majestic park trees will don colorful painted skirts alternating with vivid ribbon tree vests welcoming spring with “Dancing Trees” and “Lyrical Trees”. Drawing inspiration from Edgar Degas’ ballet dancers and Kenneth Noland’s contemporary concentric circle paintings, playful vinyl tree skirts alternate with ribbons in vivid rainbow colors wrapped around live oaks along the Marvin Taylor Trail. The skirts will “dance” in the breeze leading walkers on a prismatic display of rainbow colors.