Why are Cary trees wearing tutus? It's all in the name of art

CARY, NC (WTVD) -- Ever since crowds descended on downtown Cary for the annual Cary Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, many have been asking about something unusual that caught their eye -- tutus in the trees lining Academy Street.

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Turns out, the fabric banded high around tree trunks is an art installation by Helen Lessick, called The Arbor Anime, meaning Dance of the Trees.

Lessick's website says 'the fabric sculptures, tree branches, and tree trunks move in the breeze, and make visible the slow and stately dance of living trees.'

It's part of the Town of Cary's Academy Street Artwork Projects, a collection of installations from six artists who played on this year's theme of "Music, Dance, and Poetry."

The streetscape artwork was installed in June and will stay through November 2019.

The Town paid the group of artists $16,000 from its cultural arts/public art budget. Town staff will perform regular inspections and maintenance. Since the tutu installment is more fragile, it may need to be removed sooner than next November if damaged by inclement weather.

"It's another way for people to find new and different things when they come to downtown Cary," said Lyman Collins, Cary's Cultural Arts Manager. "Part of what makes us human is to look at things that make us ask, why? Well, why not?"