2020, mixed media, dimensions variable.
Leesa was artist-in-virtual-residence at Kennedy Heights Arts Center in Cincinnati, OH in April-May of 2020. Working from her studio, Leesa created four public art installations helping the community, isolated by the pandemic, to send messages of hope. These powerful messages were gleaned from online submissions from community members, and translated into the form of plants using “floriography,” the coded language of plants.
The project consisted of four sculptural installation sites — Kennedy Heights Arts Center, Woodford Paideia Academy, Pleasant Ridge Branch Library, and Pleasant Ridge Montessori.
Garden of Hope 
Garden of Hope 
Working on Garden of Hope 
Installing Garden of Hope 
Garden of Hope 
Installing Blackeyed Susans 
Garden of Hope 
Making Daisies 
Leesa with a Daisy 
Donivan Hahn in Garden of Hope Daisy Field 
Garden of Hope Daisy Field 
Garden of Hope 
Garden of Hope in Progress 
Garden of Hope in Progress
To learn more about the project, visit the Garden of Hope website.