‘Roots of Cool,' a new Descanso Gardens exhibit, honors climate resilience

Shade equity, tree cover, and the delights, and benefits, of a well-dappled city are often in the headlines, as are ways that urban planning can address these increasingly important issues in an urgent fashion.

A new exhibition at Descanso Gardens featuring works by over a dozen artists, including textiles, paintings, mixed media, will go on view for three months, starting in July, at the La Cañada Flintridge destination.

"Roots of Cool: A Celebration of Trees and Shade in a Warming World" is a show that "... blends visual art, music, and storytelling into a multi-sensory exploration of the past, present, and future of shade in Los Angeles."

"Installations span from historical reflections on discriminatory planning policies to forward-looking, community-centered visions of cooler, greener neighborhoods."

Approaching the topics surrounding "shade equity," the exhibit, curated by Edith and Jolly de Guzman, "features all women artists."

The exhibition will be on display both indoors and outdoors, with works found around the gardens as well as at the Sturt Haaga Gallery and the Boddy House.

"When Descanso issued a curatorial call on the theme of trees, we were thrilled to apply and propose the topic of shade equity," said curator Edith de Guzman, a Cooperative Extension climate researcher with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.

"Even with all of the good intent to improve the livability of neighborhoods in a warming climate, it is clear that the challenges to providing life-protecting benefits of trees and shade remain very significant."

View a few of the works from "Roots of Cool" below:

Pictured above: "Hyperion," Diana Kohne (detail)