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New York City Tree Alphabet

Truetype font, 2019

Katie Holten has created a New York City Tree Alphabet

Each letter of the Latin alphabet is assigned a drawing of a tree from the NYC Parks Department’s existing native and non-native trees, as well as species that are to be planted as a result of the changing climate. For example, A = Ash.

Everyone is invited to download the free font, NYC Trees, and to write words, poems, messages, or love letters, in Trees. We’ll select some of these messages to plant with real trees around the city. JOIN US! *

The New York City Tree Alphabet is an alphabetical planting palette, allowing us to rewrite the urban landscape by planting messages around the city with real trees. What messages would you like to see planted?

* JOIN US! In Spring 2019 we’ll begin planting messages with real trees around NYC.

Download the free font here or visit www.nyctrees.org to write with Trees.

Share your words and messages with us. Please email: studio (at) katieholten.com

#nyctrees #nyctreestalk #nyctreealphabet

Follow Katie Holten for more info: @katieholten

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BACKGROUND:

While artist in residence with the New York City Urban Field Station, Holten created the New York City Tree Alphabet as a way to increase ecological literacy about climate change, urban conservation, and local engagement with Nature

The project grew from Holten's book About Trees (2015) and her public artwork Tree Museum (2009) which linked trees with community members telling their individual stories and was commissioned by NYC Parks, The Bronx Museum of the Arts and Wave Hill to celebrate the centennial of the Grand Concourse in 2009. Ten years later, in 2019, we will plant trees using the New York City Tree Alphabet to tell stories.

Katie Holten is the creator of the New York City Tree Alphabet and retains copyright.

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Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, January 25, 2019.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, January 25, 2019.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, January 25, 2019.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, January 25, 2019.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet during a tree planting session with the NYC Parks Department in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY, April 28, 2018.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet during a tree planting session with the NYC Parks Department in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY, April 28, 2018.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet with young members of Bloomberg during a tree planting session with the NYC Parks Department in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY, April 28, 2018.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet with young members of Bloomberg during a tree planting session with the NYC Parks Department in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY, April 28, 2018.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet with young members of Bloomberg during a tree planting session with the NYC Parks Department in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY, April 28, 2018.

Sharing the New York City Tree Alphabet with young members of Bloomberg during a tree planting session with the NYC Parks Department in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY, April 28, 2018.