2024 Issue 2 Mar/Apr Focus - Mid-South Magazine

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Rather than adapting nature to our cities, we should probably try adapting our cities to nature! "The reality is none of our forests or landscapes are free from ending up like deserts. We must become aware and work to preserve trees globally and locally," he says. Blue Trees grew from the Denver area of Colorado to all over the country, leading us to the exhibit along our Wolf River. "A lot of people ask me why Memphis, Germantown? It's a beautiful city, first of all. But, it's the people we met who made the difference," says Dimopolous. People like Cat Peña, a Public Art & Design Manager in Memphis, who took a big risk to bring this work to our city. "Initially," Dimopolous admits, "we began the installation as a guerrilla work. But it has morphed and organically changed into an installation that brought inclusion with communities, with cities." Dimopolous isn't alone in bringing art to nature, however. Local art company Belleau+Churchill worked alongside him to bring their project Tree Tones to fruition. They, just like their contemporary, try to bring the hiker's attention to parts of our local environment. "For us, nature is an inspiration but also a refuge. Nature gives us opportunities to slow down, reset, and refresh. Walking is important to us. We talk a lot on walks. Sometimes, it's ideas. Sometimes, it's about what we're observing. Being in nature helps us practice mindful looking and listening." For their project, certain trees are set to specific tones inherent to those species themselves: Bald Cypress, Hackberry, Hickory, PawPaw, Sweetgum, and Water Oak. But, they aren't just interested in bringing us to nature, but also nature to us. When I asked if they had any suggestions for how the city can adapt to nature, Belleau + Churchill suggested: "Rather than adapting nature to our cities, we should probably try adapting our cities to nature!" "Nature is everywhere," say Belleau + Churchill. "One thing that immediately stood out to us when we first moved to Memphis is the number of trees in neighborhoods and the size of those trees. There's a direct correlation between the number of trees in a neighborhood and health outcomes for residents, with more trees equating to better health. Things like pollinator gardens or even replacing lawn grass with clover or native ground cover bring birds, butterflies, and bees and even reduce excessive lawn care. Even just mulching your leaves will invite nature back into the city. Leaving leaves on the ground over winter provides habitat for fireflies." One thing these Memphis Queer Hikes, Konstantin Dimopoulos, and Belleau + Churchill can definitely agree on is that nature is necessary to our lives, whether it's through health, appreciation, art, or even our mental well being. I'll leave you with this quote from Robert Lydon provided by Dimopoulos: "We need all art as we need all nature; there is a balance in both." And indeed, that is on display with the Blue Trees and Tree Tones installations, standing proudly at the blessed banks of our Wolf River. Belleau + Churchill’s installation, Tree Tones 14 Nerd | Mar+Apr 2024 | focuslgbt.com
MARCH 3, 2024 4:30-7:00 PM MEMPHIS SPORTS & EVENTS CENTER 995 Early Maxwell Blvd, Memphis, TN 38104 Scan the QR Code for more details and to purchase tickets! TEP GUMBO CONTEST A Benefit for the Tennessee Equality Project WE CATER! BOOK YOUR NEXT EVENT WITH US! We can bring the best Central BBQ has to offer to any location, or we have several rooms available for private parties. 901-527-9990 request online @ CBQMEMPHIS.COM tnep.org Be PrEPared. Learn more about HIV prevention at Planned Parenthood. 866.711.1717 PlannedParenthood.org/Tennessee pavo_salon @pavosalon www.pavosalon.com
Page 1 and 2: Serving the Mid-South LGBT+ Communi
Page 3 and 4: BROWSE THE STORES IN LAURELWOOD. EX
Page 5 and 6: FEATURED WRITERS IN THIS ISSUE CONT
Page 7 and 8: theme Mar+Apr 2024 | focuslgbt.com
Page 9 and 10: Rainbow Storytime with drag perform
Page 11 and 12: FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARE
Page 13: Growing up in Memphis, one of the m
Page 17 and 18: photos courtesy of Memphis Chess Cl
Page 20 and 21: life Lo Norman: Masked Multihyphena
Page 22 and 23: I surround myself with like-minded
Page 24 and 25: arts+entertainment Opera, Oh, Opera
Page 26 and 27: Serse, Opera Neo, August 2021. Cour
Page 28 and 29: life Advertorial Our Community, Our
Page 30 and 31: music Queer Up Your Playlist Attent
Page 32 and 33: arts+entertainment no. 11 Black Ota
Page 34 and 35: BOOK OUR PARTY ROOM MIDTOWN 901.347
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2024 Issue 2 Mar/Apr Focus - Mid-South Magazine

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