Tree-mendous artwork produced from fallen beech by Hutton Buscel artists - when and where to see it
Two years ago, a storm hit Hutton Buscel and a beech tree was uprooted opposite the village hall.
As sad as the destruction was, the Hutton Buscel Artists looked upon the demise of this tree as an artistic opportunity – tnot only mark 14 years that the group has been in the village but also to potentially extend the life of a small portion of the tree.
The idea for Arboreous, meaning ‘tree-like’, was born and nine artists, through a series of workshops, produced their latest art installation, which is now ‘a different kind of standing tree’ using sections of the fallen tree which were donated by Wykeham Estate.
Though the sculpture is quite a collaborative piece, the original concept and design was that of Stasia Valentine.
The materials chosen to produce the piece were wood, glass, sheet-lead and wrought iron.
Don Barker, a blacksmith, who has previously worked on Westminster Cathedral, was invited to join the project as an adviser and he brought all the elements together.
As well as producing the wrought iron stems, he also offered a wealth of knowledge and his time, enabling the artists to bring the project to life.
Steve Fearnley, of Ryedale Wood-turners, prepared all of the sections of wood, which were to be decorated with individual designs from each of the nine artists.
Stasia said: “It’s been an absolute labour of love which has been months in the making and we are really excited to share it with everybody.
"None of us have worked with sheet-lead as an artist medium before, so with Don Barker, we all helped each other at our workshops.
"The Hutton Buscel Artists usually create an art installation every year to run alongside our art exhibition but this is by far the most ambitious project we have undertaken in our 14-year history.”
The group hopes that the finished piece will not only commemorate a much-loved village tree but also stand as a lasting celebration of creativity, collaboration and the community spirit that continues to inspire Hutton Buscel Artists.
As active members of the North York Moors National Park Arts & Culture Partnership, Hutton Buscel Artists were Best of British Fund Winner 2026 from Airbnb.
Arboreous can be seen in Vicars Walk, in front of St Matthew’s Church, Hutton Buscel.
The Hutton Buscel Artist’s annual exhibition of art and craft will take place at the village hall on Saturday October 24 and Sunday October 25.
It is open daily from 10am to 4pm.
Entry is free with refreshments and free parking