CHICAGO (WLS) -- Throughout city parks, the Chicago Tree Project commissions transformations of trees that would otherwise be cut down, turning them into public artworks.
"Using art as a vessel for public engagement, sculptors will transform a variety of trees into fun and whimsical experiences for the greater Chicago community," said a release on the project's website about the annual effort.
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In Palmer Square Park, artist Carrie Fischer put "The Helping Hand" into place Friday. This massive concrete hand is wrapped around a tree trunk and will have over-sized Emerald Ash Borer Beetles surrounding it. Those beetles are in large part the impetus for this project, having eaten through city trees according to a placard next to Janet Austin's "The A'maze'ing Larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer."
Steve Gaeth, another artist, hammered away at his project across the park's grassy space.
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Their creations are among more than two dozen spread throughout the city.