Creative Recovery
When hurricane Ike ripped through Galveston, it killed more than 40,000 trees, including the magnificent stately old oaks on the main boulevard. As those of us who love Galveston grieved this loss and the recovery got underway, the city was finally able to pay contractors to cut and remove the dead trees, leaving all those unsightly stumps that would have to be dealt with. Enter creative artists who come to lift our spirits by turning something ugly and sad into something wonderful. Here are a few samples of the many “stump sculptures” that Galveston artist Earl Jones, Houston artist Jim Philips, and Indiana artist Dayle Lewis, among others, have created so far. May we all choose to create something beautiful out of our own future misfortunes!