an art installation by jeff and dale ocasio
exhibited at The Franklin Shops on First, Fort Myers, FL
October 2017
The story of the Children’s Tree began many moons ago, in downtown Fort Myers, by the Caloosahatchee. A 7-foot tall, bare, leafless tree stood all alone on a mound of green grass. Children, along with the young at heart, from all over, gathered by the tree, and with their hands, began creating multi-colored leaves. Some signed their names, and some wrote messages to the world. For two days, leaves were added one by one to its branches until it was a tree, as full as can be.
And, that is how it became the Children’s Tree.
In February 2017 we accepted a challenge presented to us by ArtFest Fort Myers, in collaboration with the Alliance for the Arts, to design and direct a children’s community art project during the ArtFest Fort Myers festival. The tree in this art installation is the culmination of a weekend that has a special place in our heart. Children that attended the festival were taught how to make leaves for the tree from wire and masking tape. “The Children’s Tree Reverie” is  a picture in our minds of how we like to remember  the time spent with them.​​​​​​​
A local news organization, Hello SWFL, created a video about the Children's Tree that was created during ArtFest Fort Myers last February, and did a wonderful job telling our story in a short video.
Below are pieces included in the installation.
They are each hand sculpted and one-of-a-kind. 
Materials: wire, paper masking tape, acid-free glue, glass, acrylics, matte varnish
Newton
child with bear head wall mask
36” tall by 13” across
$1200
Bryor
child with fox head wall mask
36” tall by 13” across
$1200
Tootsie
child with owl head wall mask
34” tall by 11” across
$1200
Pebbles
child with rabbit head wall mask
41” tall by 15” across
$1200
Braxton
child with raccoon head wall mask
36” tall by 13” across
$1200
Ruby, the pumpkin witch
22” tall by 13” across
$400
Bogavich
giant multi-eyed toadstool
13” tall by 13” across
$350
Chowder
giant multi-eyed toadstool
15” tall by 13” across
$350
Jochan
giant multi-eyed toadstool
14” tall by 14” across
$350
Manion
giant multi-eyed toadstool
12” tall by 14” across
$350
Moon
giant multi-eyed toadstool
14” tall by 14” across
$350
Franklin
hanging crescent moon
14” tall by 12” across
$250
North, the big star
double faced hanging star
19” tall by 19” across
$175

Twink, the little star
double faced hanging star
11” tall by 11” across
$100
Bram
hanging bat
9” tall by 18” across
$200
West
hanging bat
9” tall by 18” across
$200

Eloween & Elwood
wall leaves
17” tall by 7” across (each)
$150 (each)
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