By Taylor Rees

Muster the troops. On Friday, January 14th, 2011, at Jackson’s Center for the Arts, TreeFight kicks off its second year. To get the momentum rolling, we’re joining forces with acclaimed artist Thais Beltrame, who will be celebrating the Whitebark Pine, object of our affections, with a wall sized mural in the Center gallery.

Here’s the link to the Facebook event.

Haven’t heard of Thais? Check it. This Brazilian-based artist melds careful draftsmanship with a street art ethos. Her intricate drawings, which seem both lighthearted and portentious at the same time, have landed her in the upcoming February issue of Juxtapoz, the global street-art-meets-contemporary-art bible. So we’re lucky indeed to have her in residence for a few weeks here in Jackson, and for her support of TreeFight, as she adds her own imprint, on a ceiling-high scale, to the plight of Whitebark Pine.

She’s also donating a beautiful pen and ink drawing, part of which is at the top of our flyer, to TreeFight. We’re raffling this amazing piece of art at the conclusion of TreeMier.

Thais’s art receptions starts at 5 p.m. in the Center Gallery. (Beer and wine will be served). At 7 p.m. we’ll make like trees and …. head into the theater for the world premier of “Seeing Red – TreeFight’s First Year.” These are our beginnings, the basics, the testing of a voice. Please come and add your own voice to our fight, as we strive to preserve what we have left of a vital keystone species.  And stay for the beats, beverages, and our raffle, featuring Thais’s piece and some other out-of-this-world prizes. Not an evening to miss.