Developed as a site-responsive pedagogical project at Portland State University, TREESEARCH utilizes expanded drawing and movement as primary research tools to engage with campus ecology. Centered at the base of PSU’s 130-year-old Copper Beech Heritage Tree, the project invited students to translate the structural geometry, textures, and presence of the tree into movement scores and durational performance.

On October 18, 2023 - staged during a period of intense grief and campus activism following escalations in Gaza - the class held a two-hour durational public performance at the tree's base, coinciding with a student-led ceasefire demonstration. In this context, the performance shifted from a formal study into a vital exercise in collective solidarity, grounded mourning, and peaceful presence.

Using their bodies, drawings, and choreographic prompts, participants held space beneath the canopy - modeling art-making as an anchor for resilience, empathy, and interconnectedness in times of political crisis.

Archival Preservation & Legacy

The project’s complete portfolio - including original student drawings, choreographic scores, video documentation, and prompt cards - was formally acquired by the Special Collections & University Archives at Portland State University Library (under the stewardship of archivist Carolee Harrison).

By integrating these contemporary student responses into the official history of the 130-year-old tree, TREESEARCH bridges foundational classroom research with permanent institutional memory, preserving the intersection of ecological study and student activism for future generations.

Exhibitions & Collections

• Permanent Archive: PSU Special Collections & University Archives (The Copper Beech Tree Collection)

• Exhibitions: Open Studios, School of Art & Design at Portland State University (2023)

Featured Choreographic Prompts & Student Notes:

• "Lay on the ground. When I re-enter the circle, shift your view... Move freely." — Rebecca R.

• "1. Set intention. 2. Ascend, observe, descend. 3. GATHER & gratitude." — Summer

• "Kneeling down, talking to the tree, deep breaths, thanking the tree." — SadieLee

• Lead Facilitator / Educator: Gili Rappaport

• Student Artists & Co-Choreographers: Jarrel Navarro, Jazz Lawrence, Kyle Wolter, Mariya Chmykh, Pawel Bednarski, Rebecca Rasmussen, SadieLee Crume, Solas Wall-Johnson, Summer Newlands

• PSU Special Collections Archivist: Carolee Harrison (Special Collections & Conservation Technician, PSU Library)

• Video Documentation: Luz Blumenfeld-Honea, Hannah Skutt, Gili Rappaport

• Poster Design: Kyle Wolter

• Special Thanks & Institutional Support: Carolee Harrison, Taravat Talepasand, Scott Nieradka, Interim Dean Michael Bowman, Laura Glazer, Michelle Illuminato, Luz Blumenfeld-Honea, Hannah Skutt, and the staff of Portland State University Library and Archives