About Firetree

Firetree is a steel and copper sculpture that celebrates the power, ingenuity, and extraordinary potential held within our world society to embrace our gifts, each other, and to overcome the challenges that threaten a peaceful and vibrant way of living on this small, yet remarkable planet, that we all call home.

Symbolism - Book #1

Beginning as a collaboration with fellow artist, Saige Baxter, Duncan MacDiarmid undertook a six-year project to construct Firetree, a 24-foot-tall steel sculpture that is rich with details formed in copper and other natural materials. There's a child's sense of playfulness and fantasy seen in its design, however through symbolism, Firetree imparts a message to all ages about human life within our finite, planet habitat. It takes little effort to realize that we rest undeniably within an extraordinary planetary ecosystem.

Developed and fabricated as a collaborative artwork,
Firetree represents humanity and our global society as one historically interconnected and ever-evolving family tree.

Fire can represent many things.
Within this steel sculpture, fire rises as a symbol of humankind's impressive power to achieve extraordinary global goals.

Come touch the tree!
Everyone can engage, contribute, advocate, and advance the world toward a strong planet future for all life on Earth.

Lighting a path forward.

The Firetree Project was launched from a coffee shop conversation between two artists, Saige Baxter and Duncan MacDiarmid. On September 22, 2018, the Pittsburgh-based Society of Sculptors hosted the first Firetree Celebration in Millvale, PA. USA.

We enjoyed sharing Firetree at First Night, Pittsburgh 2024!

Press Release