From Costa Rica to Liberty, NY... getting to the root of it all

By JONATHAN FOX

As I was cruising through Sullivan County a few months ago, I spied an interesting looking vehicle in the lot at 87 Mill Street in Liberty, NY and turned the truck around, curious to see what was happening. The Root 52 Road Show Trailer was making a pit stop at its new permanent home.

Proprietor Tiffany Moore greeted me enthusiastically and invited me to take a look at the van, which now makes its way through the countryside carrying its educational message (and precious cargo) from the heart of the Costa Rican rain forest, traveling (figuratively) across 2,212 miles to communicate awareness of an ambitious conservation program and display examples of eco-friendly, nature-inspired art... and to set down roots in the heart of the Catskills.

The van’s home base is the Root 52 Gallery in Liberty, a newcomer that opened just last year. The 5,000-square-foot showroom contains a cornucopia of one-of-a-kind “functional art,” hand-crafted from roots harvested in an environmentally conscious manner from the rain forests of Costa Rica. Moore explained the process by which the raw roots are harvested.

“In the tropics of Costa Rica, most roots are considered waste and have been in the ground for many years... Our workers have learned to remove the roots without damaging the environment. Using an age-old method with the help of oxen, very little impact is made on the delicate ecosystems of the country.”

As we chatted, I learned how Moore took on the challenge of bringing this art form to the Catskills. She told me that she has lived in the region for 10 years and started vacationing to Costa Rica a few years ago. Communing with nature and seeing what lay at the base of the rain forest, Moore had an epiphany.

“It occurred to me that these incredibly beautiful natural wonders were art in the making, and I realized that there could be a market for it here in the United States. I believed that people would purchase what could be considered a luxury item, especially in this economic climate, if they recognized the unique connection between the Earth and the art that springs forth from nature.”

Instead of being forced into alien shapes, the roots themselves determine the ultimate shape of the object, “for within that root is the heart,” Moore said. And the “waste-not, want-not” motif extends even to the scraps left over from carving the larger pieces, which are used to create a unique jewelry collection.

Environmental commitment is at the heart of the gallery. Costa Rica is an icon of ecology and natural wealth, as the gallery website ( www.root52.com ) informs us. “Perhaps one of the most developed among tropical rain forest countries, the government protects more than 10 percent of the country. Costa Rica is considered by many to be a ‘shining example of environmental stewardship.’” Moore noted that the Costa Rican government has certified that her products have been harvested responsibly.

The gallery collection is made up of over 20 exotic woods, none of them felled for the creation of the pieces themselves. Moore feels an intense connection to all of the works that are presented at Root 52. “There is a natural connection to wood and each piece represents something different to everyone. Whether the connection is from the story of the root and its journey, or the way I feel when I walk into a room and see the beauty of the final result, I know that each piece is special,” she said.

Environmental education is important to Moore, and that’s why she has created the Root 52 Road Show Trailer, which is always “on the road,” informing, educating and sharing the story of the rain forest and its natural wonders. To make arrangements for the mini-gallery to pay a visit email info@root52.com or call 845/292-3053. To learn more about saving Costa Rican and other rain forests around the world, visit www.Rainforest.org.

The Gallery 52 website concludes with the words: “Transforming tree roots into a piece of art is our passion. Discovering all of the ways to use them will become yours. Root 52 creates a passage into the roots’ soul, a journey that combines the past and present, a story that will be told forever.”