December 1, 2007 through March 2, 2008
George Eastman House is collaborating
with The Cultural Landscape
Foundation (TCLF) in Washington, DC
to create an exhibition titled Heroes of
Horticulture. On view at Eastman House
from December 1, 2007 to March 2, 2008, the
exhibition is part of TCLF’s Landslide 2007, Heroes
of Horticulture project. Landslide, a program
first undertaken in 2003, identifies and highlights
historic landscapes at risk and chronicles their
preservation efforts through the media.
Heroes focuses on culturally significant landscapes
at risk of alteration or destruction, and includes
trees and other plantings that have witnessed or
withstood major cultural or natural events. The
project aims to encourage community involvement
in safeguarding these sites for future generations.
The sites included in the project were revealed in
early October 2007.
Charles Birnbaum, founder and president
of the TCLF, selected Eastman
House to work on Heroes because of the
Museum’s expertise in contemporary
photography, and its interest in linking
photography and cultural landscapes.
For the project, Curator of Photographs Alison
Nordström and Director of Exhibitions Rick Hock
enlisted the help of photographers, including
Arizona State University educator Mark Klett;
University of Buffalo Adjunct Professor John Pfahl;
Magnum Photographer and Harvard University
Nieman Fellow Eli Reed; New Orleans collaborative
artists Louviere+Vanessa; and author and University
of California Professor John Divola. These recognized
American artists bring a diversity of styles and creative
approaches to the project.
After display at George Eastman House, Heroes of
Horticulture will become part of the Museum’s traveling
exhibitions program. The project sites will also be featured
in an upcoming issue of Garden Design magazine,
on the Landslide website (www.tclf.org/landslide), and
in TCLF multimedia presentations nationwide.