Exhibition
Konstantin Dimopoulos: The Blue Trees
Public Art Installation and Community Collaboration
Konstantin Dimopoulos’ The Blue Trees installation is an environmental call to action. Using a biologically-safe watercolor and a team of community volunteers, the artist temporarily transforms a selection of trees on PEM's campus to focus our attention on the growing issue of deforestation and other threats to trees around the globe. The harmless blue colorant will wash away over time, and the trees will gradually return to their natural state.
Why blue? Dimopoulos chose this color because blue trees do not exist in nature. By doing so, he compels us to take notice of these otherworldly trees and prompts a larger conversation about the role of trees in our local environment and elsewhere on the planet — where rampant deforestation is a significant contributor to climate change and the loss of biodiversity.
The installation on PEM's campus is the 27th international Blue Trees installation by Dimopoulos and the first one in the Greater Boston area. The Blue Trees take their place in a long line of public works by this award-winning artist, all with a strong social conscience that span a wide array of media and concerns.
Konstantin Dimopoulos: The Blue Trees is presented as part of PEM’s Climate + Environment Initiative and is made possible by the generosity of Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation. Additional support was provided by The Creighton Family, Appy and Susan Chandler and Peter and Sandra Lawrence. Thank you to those individuals who support the Exhibition Incubation Fund: Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Kate and Ford O'Neil, and Henry and Callie Brauer. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum
Share your impressions with us on social media using @kondimopoulos #BlueTreesatPEM and #PEMClimate
The Blue Trees: Frequently Asked Questions
Artist Conversation
Hear from Konstantin Dimopoulos and Wes Bruce as they reflect on the experience of their long-distance partnership to create The Blue Trees.
Plan your visit
PEM is open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays 10 am–5 pm.
Learn what steps are being taken to ensure the health and safety of our community at pem.org/safety.
Visitors may purchase advanced general admission tickets at pem.org/tickets or by calling 978-542-1511.
Admission: Adults $20; seniors $18; students $12; youth, members, and Salem residents free.
Location: East India Square, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970.