AS SUMMER COZIES INTO AUTUMN and temps drop, I pull out the fleece, flannel and sweaters, wrapping myself in warmth. And in the evening, when I settle in to read a book, I snuggle under a throw or an afghan.
Those images came to me as I meandered recently around Bridge Square in Northfield where crocheted art wraps the rough bark of tree trunks.
This is the “Friendship Trees” project, an effort of the local Hispanic community to share beauty and friendship, according to Mar Valdecantos, director of Rice County Neighbors United, the lead on this artistic endeavor. Grants from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council funded the project.
But these crocheted pieces created by 39 individuals rooted in nine countries is about much more than beauty and friendship. This is also about healing, specifically recovering from the trauma of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota last winter. Although dubbed Operation Metro Surge, the lengthy, targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in my state impacted communities far beyond the metro area, including Northfield.
If you’ve ever crocheted, you understand that rhythmically working a crochet hook through yarn calms and soothes. Gathering to crochet in the arts space at Northfield’s Mercado Local helped ease the anxiety many in the Hispanic community were feeling, and continue to feel, over immigration enforcement, Valdecantos noted in an email.
As I wandered among the many artsy trees, I thought of all those fingers manipulating yarn to create something beautiful and meaningful from emotional trauma. I expect every artist intentionally crocheted art with meaning.
Some intent seems obvious to me. Flags hugging a highly-visible tree along Division Street show pride in country of origin and in America.
Monarch butterflies on another tree are symbolic of migration, solidarity, hope and resilience. Monarchs became a national symbol of resistance against ICE.
Likewise, I spotted a frog, that, too, a form of resistance with a humorous take.
A lion, I expect, is meant to stand for bravery, fierceness, the power of standing strong.
All around Bridge Square, which centers Northfield’s downtown along the Cannon River, these crochet-wrapped trees represent the strength, courage and resilience of the local Hispanic community. I saw that in the designs, in the bold and bright colors, and felt it simply by seeing.
Art is powerful.
These inter-generational crocheters continue to meet at Mercado Local, pulling crochet hooks through yarn, crafting not only for themselves, but also for the greater Northfield community. Connecting. Creating. Calming anxieties, building and strengthening community through art.
FYI: “Friendship Trees” is a temporary two-month art installation. I photographed the art in early September, shortly after it was installed.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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