{"id":1190,"date":"2026-04-30T07:33:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T07:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/?page_id=1190"},"modified":"2026-05-02T12:27:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T12:27:21","slug":"artist-proposal-1-bruce-rosenbaum-steampunk-mechanical-dogwood-azalea-fusion-tree","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/the-exhibition\/artist-proposal-1-bruce-rosenbaum-steampunk-mechanical-dogwood-azalea-fusion-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"Artist Proposal 1 &#8211; Bruce Rosenbaum &#8211; Steampunk Mechanical Dogwood-Azalea Fusion Tree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-539457af alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<p>The Steampunk Mechanical Dogwood-Azalea Fusion Tree is envisioned as a bold destination artwork and enduring symbol of pride for Charleston, Missouri \u2013 honoring the city\u2019s legacy as the home of the beloved Dogwood-Azalea Festival and its deep-rooted culture of creativity, resilience and community. Blending history + art + technology, the sculpture transforms Charleston\u2019s Town Center into a living landmark that connects past craftsmanship with future innovation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-1d041a86 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1080\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1080;\" width=\"1920\" controls src=\"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Proposal-DogwoodAzaleaFusionTree_mv.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-35b4b340 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-6a65f1aa\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-50e94c43\">\n<p>Rising approximately 12\u201315 feet tall with a 15-foot branch span, the life-sized-plus mechanical tree emerges from a 4-foot hollow steel plinth, its roots wrapping the structure and anchoring the work physically and symbolically. Constructed from found and repurposed objects meaningful to Charleston<br>and Southeast Missouri, the sculpture celebrates the region\u2019s agricultural, industrial and cultural heritage \u2013 reimagined through a Steampunk past\/present\/future lens into something wondrous, contemporary and alive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-df96d50c\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-mq7v9\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-mq7v9 \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-mq7v9 no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-mq7v9\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper-inner eb-img-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Proposal-DogwoodAzaleaFusionTree_1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-71c9d682 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-2360697c\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-zbwpb\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-zbwpb \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-zbwpb no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-zbwpb\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper-inner eb-img-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Proposal-DogwoodAzaleaFusionTree_2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-7b6731b4\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-71r0w\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-71r0w \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-71r0w no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-71r0w\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper-inner eb-img-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Proposal-DogwoodAzaleaFusionTree_3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-4a20abfc alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<p>Nine main branches unfold into mechanical Dogwood and Azalea blossoms that open and close every hour, suggesting continual growth and renewal. Each flower glows from within at night, powered entirely off-grid by integrated solar \u201cflower\u201d arrays \u2013 a living metaphor for sustainability, resilience and self-reliance.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-d3fc27d5 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-953a11cc\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-fdlj6\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-fdlj6 \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-fdlj6 no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-fdlj6\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper-inner eb-img-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Proposal-DogwoodAzaleaFusionTree_4-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-9177573a\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-3b5jj\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-3b5jj \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-3b5jj no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-3b5jj\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-image-wrapper-inner eb-img-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Proposal-DogwoodAzaleaFusionTree_5-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-86edb59f alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<p>At the base, repurposed farm tools and machinery \u2013 weathered axe heads, rakes, farm wheels and plows \u2013 retain their rusted scars, honoring the grit of Southeast Missouri\u2019s working agricultural past. As the eye travels upward, these materials transform into precise mechanical blossoms and light, symbolizing Charleston\u2019s evolution forever rooted in its heritage while reaching confidently toward a bright and innovative future.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Steampunk Mechanical Dogwood-Azalea Fusion Tree is envisioned as a bold destination artwork and enduring symbol of pride for Charleston, Missouri \u2013 honoring the city\u2019s legacy as the home of the beloved Dogwood-Azalea Festival and its deep-rooted culture of creativity, resilience and community. Blending history + art + technology, the sculpture transforms Charleston\u2019s Town Center [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1091,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1190","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Charleston Landmark Project","author_link":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/author\/ccadmin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Steampunk Mechanical Dogwood-Azalea Fusion Tree is envisioned as a bold destination artwork and enduring symbol of pride for Charleston, Missouri \u2013 honoring the city\u2019s legacy as the home of the beloved Dogwood-Azalea Festival and its deep-rooted culture of creativity, resilience and community. Blending history + art + technology, the sculpture transforms Charleston\u2019s Town Center&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1190"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1268,"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1190\/revisions\/1268"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charlestonlandmark.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}