Calendar of Events

The Blue Trees: Environmental Installation

The University of West Florida Historic Trust was awarded a grant by Foo Foo Fest and ACE to present The Blue Trees, an environmental art installation by Australian artist, Konstantin Dimopoulos, from November 1-9 in conjunction with Foo Foo Fest 2024.

The trees along Zaragoza Street between Tarragona and Jefferson Streets will be transformed into a striking blue forest during the environmental art installation this fall.  The Blue Trees is an ongoing international art installation that Dimopoulos has created in 36 cities around the world to date, where, with the help of the community, living trees are colored blue using an environmentally-safe watercolor. The Trust will be welcoming community volunteers to help brush the pigment on the trees under the direction of the artist before a series of planned events.

BLUE TREES EVENTS

  • NOVEMBER 1, 2, 4, and 5: Community Application Days (more days may be added as needed): Sign ups begin September 4

Become an environmental artist with Konstantin Dimopolous on November 1, 2, 4, and 5 as we install The Blue Trees: Environmental Installation. The trees along Zaragoza Street, between Tarragona and Jefferson Streets, and in Museum Plaza will be transformed into a surreal landscape for Foo Foo Fest 2024. The participatory nature of the installation invites the community to become, in essence, artists while generating discussions on global deforestation and the sustainability of our natural resources. Two sessions available each day: 9:30-12:30 and 1:00-3:00. Interest Form coming soon. 

  • NOVEMBER 6: Blue Trees & Blue Cheese: A Wine and Cheese Reception

Join us from 6:00-9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6 for this exclusive ticketed event to celebrate the art installation The Blue Trees: Environmental Installation and Foo Foo Fest. Enjoy the delicious culinary delights of Classic City Catering and the bluegrass music of The New Cahoots. Tickets available on September 4. For information on tickets, email wdavis4@uwf.edu.

Reception sponsored by:

    • Foo Foo Fest
    • Blue Trees Sponsor:    International Paper Foundation
    • Blue Moon Sponsor:   Florida Power and Light (FPL)
    • Blue Cheese Sponsor: Premium Parking
    • Blue Suede Sponsor: Peter and Katrina Mougey with Levin, Papantonio, Proctor, Buchanan, O'Brien, Barr, Mougey
    • Blue Grass Sponsor: Teri Levin and the Vinyl, B Side Outdoor
    • Supporting Sponsors:
      • Steve and Lisa Wright
      • Pensacola Museum of Art Guild

For more information on sponsorships, see Blue Trees and Blue Cheese Sponsorship. To sponsor or donate to the event, Support Blue Cheese and Blue Trees.

  • NOVEMBER 8: Environmental Art Market

Join us on Museum Plaza on Friday, November 8 for a free environmental art market featuring various creators, makers, vendors and organizations that are committed to sustainable practices and environmental impact. 

Interested in participating as a vendor? Please complete our Interest Form. For more information, email wdavis4@uwf.edu.

Tentative Schedule of Vendors (more added as announced):

10:00-1:00

1:00-4:00

4:00-8:00

 

Blue Trees: Environmental Installation FAQ's

To learn more about The Blue Trees: Environmental Installation, watch how Chattanooga, Tennessee came alive with blue trees.

Want to learn more about the importance and benefits of trees to our community see Lyssa Hall: Trees for People-Cultivating Human Habitat from CivicCon, June 1, 2020. Courtesy of CivicCon.

What is The Blue Trees?

  • An environmental art installation by artist Konstatin Dimopoulos.
  • The Blue Trees takes an urban landscape with which you are familiar and changes it into something surreal, unfamiliar, even uncomfortable.
  • It is an ephemeral artwork. The water-based color will slowly degrade off the trees, or it can be manually removed using water.
  • The Blue Trees uses repetition and mass as part of its artistic vision. 

Is it paint?

  • It is not paint. The colorant used on the trees has been developed specifically for this project.
  • It is a biologically-safe pigment in a water base.
  • It is safe for plants, animals, insects, humans, and waterways.
  • The chalk-based colorant has no binding agents and has been used for more than 20 years on Blue Trees projects around the globe.
  • Classified non-hazardous by the Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
  • The colourant can be removed by washing the trees down with water using a medium-pressure hose.
  • Retested in 2023 for safety. The colourant is free of heavy metals and continues to be eco-safe and non-hazardous. 

Why the color blue?

  • The artist created the blue pigment because there are no naturally blue trees. The installation is intended to foster awareness and discussion about environmental sustainability and deforestation. 

How is the pigment applied to the trees?

  • The trees are coloured with brushes and rollers on extension handles.

 How long does the pigment last?

  • The duration of the color depends on the type of tree, bark, and rainfall from 8 to 18 months depending on those factors

 Are the trees on City property?

  • The trees along Zaragoza Street are on City of Pensacola property.
  • The trees in Museum Plaza are on UWF Historic Trust property. 

Who is Konstantin Dimopoulos?

  • A conceptual and installation artist based in Australia.
  • His art is grounded in his sociological and humanist philosophies.

What is Foo Foo Fest?

  • Foo Foo Fest is a 12-day celebration each fall, with culturally creative happenings, events, and moments under one banner, attracting visitors to beautiful Pensacola.
  • 2024 is the 11th year of Foo Foo Fest. 
  • This year, Foo Foo Fest, is October 31-November 11, 2024.
  • Foo Foo Fest kicks off annually with the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival (now in its 51st year!)

What is a Foo Foo?

  • A "Foo Foo" is an impromptu musical band known to come together on late 19th-century sailing vessels, consisting of members from the ship's crew.