Last spring, when city employees put chainsaws to the overgrown crape myrtles in downtown Tampa's Kiley Gardens, fans of the intricate, Fibonacci-inspired landscape took the blow to heart. With the future of the park by renowned landscape architect Dan Kiley still uncertain, a gathering of artists, architects and activists is planned for Sunday morning, when artistically-inclined members of the public are invited to "plant" their own handmade "trees" in the gardens. (Think freestanding sculptures created from found or recycled materials: aluminum cans, cardboard, mannequin parts. Make your tree at home and bring it to the garden for installation on Sunday.) This Thursday, a cocktail party and silent auction of the art-trees will benefit Friends of Kiley Gardens, the nonprofit group dedicated to the park's restoration. For more info, call 813-516-9943. Conceptual Kiley Gardens Project, Sun., May 20, 10 a.m.; and Friends of Kiley Gardens Silent Auction, Thurs., May 24, 5-7 p.m. Both events take place in Kiley Gardens, adjacent to the Rivergate Tower, 400 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa.
This article appears in May 16-22, 2007.