Canton Land Conservation Trust chooses artwork by Eduardo Barrios to commemorate 40th Anniversary Celebration

Submitted release 

A digital graphic design by Eduardo Barrios that alternates silhouettes of leaves, insects and animals representative of Canton’s indigenous flora and fauna, including a person hiking, has been selected to commemorate the Canton Land Conservation Trust’s 40th Anniversary.

Earlier this year the Land Trust called upon area artists to create an original work of art inspired by the Trust’s landscapes. The winner will be used as a commemorative print to mark the Trust’s anniversary, which will be celebrated with events for the public Saturday, Sept. 29. 

Barrios, of Torrington, has an advertising and graphic design studio in the former Collins Ax Factory in Canton’s Collinsville section.

“The winning artwork was chosen after being judged from a selection of seventeen artworks by eleven different artists. Three jurors used a numeric system to assess all submissions with the chief criteria being the best representation of the spirit of the Canton Land Trust,” said Trust Director John Rohlfing. “The process involved four different rounds of eliminations with the winner finally achieving the highest point value."

Barrios said he aimed to animate the diversity of flora and fauna on the Trust’s lands and depict the colors of all four seasons, as well as the strata of colors from sky to earth.

“I had fun with this,” he said. “When you think of the name ‘Canton Land Conservation Trust,’ it sounds a little bit formal and kind of focused on land in and of itself. But the rest of its mission statement is really cool – to maintain the plant and animal life through best conservation practices. So I was just trying to animate their work.

“The second thing I wanted to do was create something that was fun and bold and that could be, since it was marking 40 years, a keepsake item.

“I tried to include a broad range of flora and fauna in the design and to make it lively.” There are 40 images on the poster, each representing a year. 

Each layer of the piece is a different color. “I wanted vibrant colors and earth colors at the same time, and I just thought of using the blue sky and working down to the earth,” said Mr. Barrios. He also represented all seasons, including green for growth and yellow for fall.

The Land Trust will be selling a limited edition of 100 prints of the poster.

The 40th Anniversary Celebration will begin Saturday, Sept. 29 with free outdoor activities for all ages from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Mary Conklin Sanctuary on Indian Hill Road. The party will continue in the evening with an informal dinner dance at Ski Sundown from 6:30 to 10 p.m. featuring a barbecue; fresh, local produce, cheese and breads; homemade desserts and dancing to the Hot Cat Jazz Band. See www.cantonlandtrust.org for details.

The Canton Land Conservation Trust is a non-profit conservation organization formed in 1972 to acquire, preserve and protect land of scenic, natural or historic value within the Town of Canton; to maintain this land and its plant and animal life using the best conservation, wildlife habitat and forestry practices available; and to promote public awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the land.