Can a historic tree be turned into art?

The tree is not just any tree, it’s one of the direct descendants or scions of the historic Charter Oak, according to Sustainable CT.

And creating art is what groups in Hartford hope to do with what remains of a century-old tree with a historic lineage the city’s Bushnell Park.

In case the Charter Oak story is lost in memory along with other grade school lessons or field trips, according to reports from the time period, Connecticut’s Royal Charter of 1662 was hidden from the English within the tree. The incident is considered an early act of colonial rebellion long before the American Revolutionary War. The original tree, which once-stood near what is the now Charter Oak Place apartments in Hartford, was blown down in 1856 but seedlings from the tree have been planted throughout the state, according to multiple historic accounts.

“The Charter Oak was one of the state’s most beloved residents. This affection was earned about 200 years earlier, when, according to widely held belief, the tree was the hiding place for the royal charter that established the colony of Connecticut,” a state forester wrote in the Hartford Courant in 2016.

The Charter Oak’s descendent was felled after considerable rotting had occurred, according to Heather Dionne, city forester. Dionne said she had to cut the tree down in February after the city performed several safety assessments on trees in the park.

“We did two separate Level 3 risk assessments through two separate companies to verify the information was accurate,” Dionne said. “Both showed us that there was too much decay in the trunk to hold it up safely. The decision was then made to cut it down. I attribute the rotting to the severe drought we had the last few years.”

Now, the Bushnell Park Conservancy, along with Sustainable CT is raising funds to turn the trunk of the tree into what has been dubbed a “White Oak Leaf Throne” to capture the history of the Charter Oak. So far, $2,345 has been raised of a $7,000 goal.

“This tree was part of the beautiful park landscape for over 120 years, and it can continue its life as an interactive art piece,” the Bushnell Park Conservancy said in a statement.

The state’s former Charter Oak, which has become a symbol of American independence, is featured on the Connecticut State Quarter. Many pieces of furniture and artifacts have been created out of the felled original tree and sit in museums and elsewhere, also according to historical accounts.

Hartford artist Tao LaBossiere, who presented the idea of using the trunk of the tree as his next canvas, has been commissioned to perform the artwork. The artist has painted several murals across the city including the well known 65-foot-tall “The Oneness of being in Still Waters” mural that features a large baby New England painted turtle on Asylum Street.

“Creating artwork from a tree honors its life and gives it a new one as a functional work of fine art,”  LaBossiere said. “Breathing new life into this tree pays homage to Hartford’s rich history.”

If the campaign reaches its $7,000 goal by Dec. 15, the project will receive a matching grant from Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund, organizers said. The resource helps support community-led sustainability projects throughout the state.

LaBossiere plans to create a throne approximately 8-feet high and 4-feet wide. The artist hopes that the oak leaf thrown will be a place of reflection and a focal point for people to share the artwork on social media.

Wood from the felled tree is currently in storage and the city said it is looking to contract several artists to turn wood pieces into furniture and decorative items.

“We’re trying to get the Bushnell Park Conservancy and Keney Park Sustainability Project together to come up with a couple artists that could do something with the wood,” Dionne said. “Everyone knows not to touch that special wood.”

Anyone who wants to donate to the project can do so on the fundraising page.