Art & Design Magazine

Throwback Thursday: Picture This: Trees in Our Kogod Courtyard

By Americanart

It's Throwback Thursday! And we at Eye Level have decided it's a great opportunity to bring back some of our interesting posts from the past. American Art has been publishing our blog since September 2005 (that's an eternity in Internet years) and some of our posts are as current now as the day we first posted them.

Today, we feature a photo I took in September 2007 as the last tree was lowered into our about-to-be opened Kogod Courtyard. The seventh anniversary of our covered courtyard is coming this November 18. And, since it's opening, it's been the "go to" place to hear music from our Take 5! series, watch films, and take part in our Family Festivals. Even if there's no special event, the Kogod is the place to go for a quiet place to read and even work.


Black Olive Tree being lowered into the Courtyard

Black Olive Tree Being Lowered Into the Courtyard (View larger image)

Timing is everything. On my way to photograph the installation of Andrea Zittel's work for our upcoming exhibition Celebrating the Lucelia Artist Award, 2001—2006, I stopped off to see what was happening in our courtyard. When I arrived at work this morning I had gotten wind of a pending tree arrival. Just as I entered the courtyard I looked up and saw the third black olive tree being lowered by the crane through the one remaining opening in the Norman Foster designed glass canopy.

Down below are a series of five photographs of the tree being lifted from the street, up to the canopy, and finally down to the courtyard floor. These were taken by Smithsonian Landscape Architect Paul Lindell. Great shots.


tree at street level
tree being raised to roof of building
tree over canopy
tree going through canopy
tree on courtyard floor

Click on photos for larger images.

Related Posts: Smithsonian Horticulturists Talk About American Art's Flora, Picture This: Courtyard Update and Picture This: A Hole in One

Top photo by Jeff Gates; bottom photos by Paul Lindell.


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