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Speaking for the Trees

NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2025

York Public Library is pleased to present “Speaking for the Trees,” a joint exhibition by artists Victoria and Lawrence Elbroch, on view from November 3 through December 27, 2025. An artist reception will be held on Monday, November 10, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., free and open to the public.

Blending mixed media drawings and photography, “Speaking for the Trees” celebrates the beauty, resilience, and ecological importance of ancient trees. This deeply personal exhibition emerges from the Elbrochs’ lifelong partnership and shared artistic vision, rooted in a reverence for the natural world.

“We travel together, reveling in our two ways of seeing ancient trees,” the artists commented. “Trees hold profound significance for us, their strange, gnarly bark and peculiar anatomy fire the imagination. We draw parallels between the trees and all we hold dear—wisdom, family, connections, shelter, and resilience. They represent a testament to biological continuity, in fact a marvel of evolution that spans millennia.”

“Beyond their beauty, they remind us of the crucial role trees play on our warming planet,” they continued. “They not only provide us with the vital gift of oxygen, but also serve as sanctuaries for fungi, lichen, insects, birds, and small animals. Beneath each tree lies a complex web of interdependence, creating a giant ecosystem that thrives both above and below ground, all nestled in the enduring landscape.”

A Dialogue Between Two Mediums

Victoria’s work begins en plein air, sketching directly from life in graphite and Inktense pencils. Back in her studio, she enriches her drawings with layers of sumi and walnut inks, water sprays, collage, and texture to evoke the mystery of memory and time.

Lawrence’s photographs, taken from the same vantage points, are later merged with Victoria’s drawings in a meticulous digital process of layering and masking. The resulting compositions blur the boundaries between mediums, inviting viewers to look closely and ask where drawing ends and photograph begins.

Together, the Elbrochs’ work draws powerful parallels between trees and human experience — connection, endurance, and renewal — while serving as a reminder of our interdependence with the living world.

Exhibition: Speaking for the Trees
Dates: November 3 – December 27, 2025
Reception: Monday, November 10, 5–7 PM
Venue: York Public Library, 15 Long Sands Road, York, ME
Admission: Free and open to the public

About the Artists

Victoria Elbroch is an award-winning mixed media artist and printmaker based in Kittery, Maine. A member of Zea Mays Printmaking Studio, The Boston Printmakers, and The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, she is the recipient of the 2019 Piscataqua Artist’s Advancement Grant, which deepened her study of ancient trees in the U.K. and New England. Her work has appeared in exhibitions at the Danforth Art Museum, Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Gallery Twist, and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fair, among many others.

Lawrence Elbroch, a self-taught photographer originally from New York City, has exhibited widely across New England and internationally. His work has been featured in Artscope Magazine and Photographer’s Forum Magazine, and he has received recognition from the Sony World Photography Awards. His photography explores light, texture, and stillness, often capturing spiritual and natural themes. Together with Victoria, he creates visual dialogues that merge drawing and photography into poetic meditations on the natural world.

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About York Public Library Exhibits

When you stroll into the York Public Library (YPL) to find a book, read a magazine, work at a computer, or attend a meeting or program, you will undoubtedly discover more than you expected. In fact, you will have an opportunity to see major exhibitions by some of the area’s most talented artists, past and present. The art is displayed throughout the Library.

The exhibits at the York Public Library include a broad range of art and represent artists from York, Eliot, the Berwicks, Ogunquit and the Portsmouth area. The common denominator is the quality of the work. Exhibits run the gamut and have included sculpture, fiber art, and traditional, abstract, and contemporary art. Our goal is to reach not only those who have a strong interest in art but also patrons who may or may not visit museums and galleries on a regular basis.

One of the highlights on the calendar is the “Student Art Show” held each year in April. The show features art created by young people in York from kindergarten through high school and is designed to foster excellence in art for generations to come.  

Every year the Library mounts a group show called “Community Collects”.  This show features the work of one or more well-known local artists from the past. Collectors from the area generously lend pieces from their personal collections during this three-month long exhibit.

The York Public Library (YPL) Art Committee

The YPL Art Committee, composed of a small group of volunteers, selects and organizes six exhibits throughout the year. Committee members are knowledgeable in the field and familiar with the reputations of artists in our area.  An Opening Reception is hosted by the Committee for each exhibit during which the artists are invited to give an informal talk about their creative process. Exhibits are by invitation. For more information contact info@yorkpubliclibrary.org