The Tree Gets a Vote is an interactive design experience exploring what changes when the natural character of a material becomes part of the creative process.

Guests will begin by receiving a conversation card featuring an idea from forest ecology alongside a design question. They’ll find someone with a different card, exchange perspectives, and consider how those ideas might influence an object’s form.

From there, each participant will select from a collection of distinctive Michigan wood pieces—each with its own grain, shape, imperfections, and history. Furniture maker and tree specialist Shawn Anderson of Stories in Grain will help participants respond to what the wood offers rather than imposing a predetermined design upon it. The pieces will then be shaped, drilled, sanded, and finished on-site, becoming small sculptural objects that guests can take home.

Hosted at Nocturnal Bloom, the event combines conversation, forest science, material exploration, and hands-on making. Participants will leave with a finished object and a different way of thinking about trees—not simply as raw material, but as collaborators whose forms and histories can guide the design process.

Open to all; Suggested donation to cover materials