Ash Project: British artists commemorate ash trees threatened by disease

The Ash Project, spearheaded by the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, and Kent County Council, seeks to honor and document ash trees throughout Britain prior to the impending threat of ash dieback disease (Chalara dieback). First identified in 2012, this illness has rapidly proliferated, potentially affecting up to 98% of the 150 million ash trees across England, Scotland, and Wales within a decade. A significant aspect of the initiative is a large-scale public artwork by British artists Ackroyd & Harvey, renowned for their 25-year focus on art, ecology, and biology, to be showcased in the Kent Downs from April to October 2018. Before this, "The Ash Archive," an inaugural exhibition featuring works by various artists, will be on display at the Jarman Building, University of Kent, until April 14, 2018. The two-year public engagement program includes artist-led walks, events at the University of Kent, and a curriculum for schools in Kent. Nick Johannsen, AONB director, emphasized that with a cure unlikely, the project’s goal is to document and celebrate ash trees and their environments before they are lost.