Exhibition >> The Lost Chamption (Activation #2)

THE LOST CHAMPION – MEASURING
activation two of a five-part series

Saturday, September 19 @ 10AM Meet
Location: GCAC Lobby
*This is a free program and includes walking. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring water.

If you joined us for Activation #1, you already know the magic of The Lost Champion —and if you missed it, this is your chance to experience it for yourself!

Join us for the next activation of Ben Kinsley’s artist-in-residence project The Lost Champion on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 10AM. The Lost Champion – Measuring (Activation #2 of 5) will be in collaboration with Orange County resident Michael Cutchins, a citizen scientist who has measured and submitted Orange County trees to official registers for consideration as State or National Champion trees. We will visit trees he nominated that have now become champions and learn the insight and techniques required in the measurement of trees.

Ben will once again be using specialized microphones placed in the ground to “listen” at the trunks and canopy line, allowing our community to hear the subtle tones the trees are producing—an arresting reminder that trees are living beings communicating with the world around them. Plus, we anticipate a few surprise guests joining us along the way.

Ben Kinsley’s artist-in-residence project, The Lost Champion unfolds through a series of five guided walking experiences—Exploring, Measuring, Living With, Listening, and Remembering—that combine guided observation, shared conversation, and opportunities for field recording, listening, and collective attention. Together, these walks invite participants to notice what is present, what is changing, and what has been lost—and to consider what it means to care for the trees that shape our everyday urban forest environments.

Ben Kinsley’s artists-in-residence is supported in part by The Segerstrom Foundation and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.