Press Releases
The Zenith Community Arts Foundation (ZCAF) Presents
WONDER OF DC TREES
Show Dates: April 1 – May 29, 2025
Martin Luther King Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 MAP
Opening Reception with Curator’s Talk: Tuesday, April 1, 5-7:30pm
DC’s Urban Forestry with Casey Trees: Tuesday, April 29, 11am-5pm
Artist Talk: Tuesday, May 13, 6-7:30pm, (Conference Room, 401A)
Library Hours:
Mon-Thurs + Sat- 9:30am-9:00pm
Fri- 9:30am – 5:30pm | Sun- 1:00-5:00pm
Featured Artists: Anne Bouie, Lisa Conway, Luc Fiedler, Margery Goldberg, Ronni Jolles, Ibou N’Diaye, Larry Ringgold, Foon Sham, Ellen Sinel, Jed Smalley, Lynda Smith-Bugge, Bradley Stevens, Jennifer Wagner, and Robert Weston. VIEW EXHIBIT
Zenith Community Arts Foundation’s (ZCAF) traveling exhibition is on the move! The “Wonders of DC Trees” is about to reach a third milestone in its circuit of notable DC venues. It has drawn visitors to Zenith Gallery, a hub of the local art community, and to the Embassy Row Hotel at Dupont Circle, a strategically located magnet for DC tourists. Starting April 1, 2025, it will attract many more visitors at the DC’s flagship and award-winning Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington DC. This last venue launches the exhibition into the public domain through branch libraries.
ZCAF was particularly honored to be juried into the MLK Library’s exhibition programming. The DC Public Library celebrates art and exhibits as a source of learning, discovery, growth, and connection. Exhibits at MLK Library are key to expanding DC residents’ knowledge of the District and are a portal to engagement in the District’s present and future.
“The Wonders of DC Trees” showcases an eight-panel traveling exhibition (funded by Events DC) and is accompanied by original artworks using tree themes to celebrate DC’s leafy canopy. Included in this exhibition are sculptures, paintings, and mixed media. Accompanying artworks not only take trees as a starting point, but also exploits arboreal remains like bark, twigs, driftwood, lumber, or tree pulp as the medium. Subjects vary widely. A path through the woods evokes the stark enchantment of Rock Creek Park. Contrasting veneers suggest the shape of trees. A heron haunts the swampy sphere of cattail and deadfall. Steps lead upward to nature’s cathedral door. In addition, there is figurative work carved in wood and a painting of an elm in front of the iconic Smithsonian Castle.
The traveling exhibition of collapsible panels was developed in partnership with Casey Trees, who provided the content and graphics for the panels. These panels bring awareness of the many role’s trees play in building a greener and more climate-resilient city for future generations. Attention is given to street beautification and park greenspace, and the selection of different species to best complement the architectural scale and character of distinctive settings. Flood and erosion control, as well as wildlife support, also figure in the mix of arboreal impacts. The panel on recycling features ZCAF’s own experience converting downed local trees into dried lumber for the Pre-Apprenticeship Carpentry Training program.
“The Wonders of DC Trees” showcases an eight-panel traveling exhibition (funded by Events DC) and is accompanied by original artworks using tree themes to celebrate DC’s leafy canopy. Included in this exhibition are sculptures, paintings, and mixed media. Accompanying artworks not only take trees as a starting point, but also exploits arboreal remains like bark, twigs, driftwood, lumber, or tree pulp as the medium. Subjects vary widely. A path through the woods evokes the stark enchantment of Rock Creek Park. Contrasting veneers suggest the shape of trees. A heron haunts the swampy sphere of cattail and deadfall. Steps lead upward to nature’s cathedral door. In addition, there is figurative work carved in wood and a painting of an elm in front of the iconic Smithsonian Castle.
The traveling exhibition of collapsible panels was developed in partnership with Casey Trees, who provided the content and graphics for the panels. These panels bring awareness of the many role’s trees play in building a greener and more climate-resilient city for future generations. Attention is given to street beautification and park green-space, and the selection of different species to best complement the architectural scale and character of distinctive settings. Flood and erosion control, as well as wildlife support, also figure in the mix of arboreal impacts. The panel on recycling features ZCAF’s own experience converting downed local trees into dried lumber for the Pre-Apprenticeship Carpentry Training program.



Zenith Gallery & The Zenith Community Arts Foundation (ZCAF)
Present
The Marvels of Trees
August 1- September 14, 2024
Featuring Artists: Anne Bouie, Jackie Braitman, Margery Goldberg, Ronni Jolles, George Lorio, Carol Newmyer, Larry Ringgold, Lynda Smith-Bugge, Bradley Stevens, and Robert Weston
Opening Receptions to Meet the Artists: Thursday, Aug 1 4-8 pm & Saturday, Aug 3 2-6 pm
At 1429 Iris Street NW, Washington DC, 20012
Dana Gresham is currently working as an Urban Forester at Casey Trees, where they previously held the title of Youth Programs Coordinator. Before that, they worked at NCURA as an Assistant Coordinator and at Peace Corps as a Regional Leader. Dana also has experience in agriculture, education, and English teaching in various institutions. They hold a Master’s degree in Natural Resource Stewardship and Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science, Spanish, and Latin American Studies.
ZCAF’s exhibition “The Marvel of Trees” at Zenith Gallery showcases parts of a traveling exhibition, funded by Events DC, and accompanied by original artworks using tree themes to celebrate DC’s leafy canopy. Included in this exhibition are sculptures, paintings, and mixed media.
The exhibition of original artwork not only takes the tree as a starting point, but also exploits arboreal remains like bark, twigs, driftwood, lumber, or tree pulp as the medium. Subjects vary widely. A path through the woods evokes the stark enchantment of Rock Creek Park. Contrasting veneers suggest the shape of trees. A heron haunts the swampy sphere of cattail and deadfall. Steps lead upward to nature’s cathedral door. In addition, there is figurative work carved in wood and a painting of an elm in front of the iconic Smithsonian Castle.
The traveling exhibition of collapsible panels was developed in partnership with Casey Trees, who provided the content and graphics for the panels. These panels bring awareness of the many role’s trees play in building a greener and more climate-resilient city for future generations. Attention is given to street beautification and park greenspace, and the selection of different species to best complement the architectural scale and character of distinctive settings. Flood, erosion control, and wildlife support also figure in the rich mix of arboreal impacts. The panel on recycling features ZCAF’s own experience converting downed local trees into dried lumber for the Pre-Apprenticeship Carpentry Training program at Ballou STAY Opportunity Academy in Ward 8.
From November 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, this exhibition will be reimagined at the Ven Gallery at Embassy Row Hotel on Dupont Circle; and from April 1 to May 31, 2025, at the Martin Luther King Library in downtown DC. From June to December 2025, individual DC branch libraries will showcase the traveling panels.
Washington, DC – November 16, 2021

Washington, DC – November 21, 2020

Washington, DC – November 21, 2020