Gone but not forgotten: Beloved elm tree from Brown sees new life in the form of handcrafted art

The wood for the project comes from pieces of the elm that were set aside when the tree was removed. In all, the Brown Design Workshop received eight seven-foot branches from Brown's Facilities Management team, which oversees the University's 155-acre campus and cares for its approximately 2,500 trees.

On a recent September afternoon, Spilker continued his work crafting abstract sculptures from the elm's wood - carving and refining it to his satisfaction. Previous days have involved splitting some of the wood, sawing it, stripping away bark and hollowing pieces out. Each day brings different steps, especially because he acts more in the moment than through carefully prepared plans.

"With my process for sculptures, I don't plan everything beforehand," Spilker said. "I don't have a set design that I just execute. I'll do one thing and then sit with it for a while - honestly just staring at the work - until I figure out what that next step is."

That creative process has served Spilker well in the past, including when he crafted a sculpture with wood from New Hampshire's Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park. In terms of how Spilker hopes people receive the new project, he's still working that out as well.

"I try not to over-prescribe the concept beforehand; it develops alongside the piece itself," he said. "After I've finished the first one and start to have an idea of where this body of work will go, I'll have a clearer idea of the audience or what I want to convey to a viewer."