That old shovel in the shed could be part of a giant pine cone sculpture for Tree Pittsburgh
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Tree Pittsburgh is asking for donations of garden-related tools — particularly shovels and wheelbarrows — for a massive pine cone sculpture.
The sculpture, expected to be 8 feet high, will commemorate the nonprofit’s 15th anniversary. Tree Pittsburgh is an environmental group dedicated to restoring and protecting urban forests in the Pittsburgh area through tree planting and care and educational programs.
“I thought it would be a great way to highlight the important role that volunteers have played over those last 15 years,” Danielle Crumrine, Tree Pittsburgh’s executive director, said. “I thought it would be a great way to highlight the important role that volunteers have played over the last 15 years. Shovels and wheelbarrows are a great representation of the physical work that goes into growing and planting trees.”
Donations of metal shovels and wheelbarrows will be accepted at Construction Junction in North Point Breeze through Monday. They will continue accepting donations longer if they need more time to collect enough materials, Crumrine said.
So far, she said, they’ve collected about four wheelbarrows and 12 shovels, including a donation from Alcosan.
They need about 30 wheelbarrows and 40 shovels for the sculpture.
“A really cool thing that’s been happening is some of our longtime volunteers have answered the call for shovels,” Crumrine said, noting that people may be able to see their donations in the art installation once it’s finished.
Jan Loney, a Pittsburgh-based artist who specializes in metal work, will transform those donations into a pine cone statue that will stand about eight feet tall.
“I’ve had this trowels-and-shovels-and-wheelbarrows-oh-my mantra going through my head,” Loney said.
As someone who has worked with Tree Pittsburgh since its inception, Loney said she’s excited to create the piece.
“I’m a bona fide tree-hugger and I always find that nature has limitless inspiration for my own work,” she said.
To prepare for crafting the sculpture, Loney dissected an actual pine cone to serve as an inspiration for the shapes and patterns of the sculpture. The pine cone will be based off the eastern hemlock pine cone, a nod to Pennsylvania’s state tree.
Loney said constructing a pine cone of wheelbarrows and shovels may be a challenge, but she enjoys making art from recycled materials.
“I always love it when people see something and like it, and then realize what it’s made out of,” she said. “I hope it’s a beautiful object that can be viewed from the 62nd Street Bridge and as people get closer to it and realize what it’s made of, they become more enchanted with it.”
Some pieces will be used in their current state, and others will be cut into different shapes and sizes to fit the sculpture.
The metal materials are also a nod to the site’s history, Crumrine noted. The Lawrenceville location, along the Allegheny River, was occupied by a steel mill for decades.
“I think this harkens back to the former use of the site and a nod to our industrial past,” she said.
The statue will not only celebrate Tree Pittsburgh volunteers, but it will also become a centerpiece of the site, where the nonprofit hosts summer camps, classes, community meetings and other events, Crumrine said.
“It will hopefully become a focal point that people want to pose in front of and interact with,” she said.
Crumrine said she hopes the statue will be completed by the end of March. There will likely be some form of unveiling celebration, she said.