Yesterday, WCSG aired Jeremy and Amanda’s radio interview with Pamela discussing her Broken Wings installation at ArtPrize Ten.
Listen to the interview on SoundCloud…
Broken Wings
Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl Street NW (west of the river)
September 19 to October 7, 2018
Vote #66688
In light of the recent tragic school shootings across America, find out how you can create positive change from national bullying specialist Jeff Veley.
Share your story #BrokenWings
Over the last decade, I have learned through my interactive art exhibits, as thousands of ArtPrize visitors have responded, that art facilitates healing. Interactive art also serves as a catalyst for individuals to express their stories. Both adults and children alike are very eager to share.
Over the last decade, with each sacred story, the artwork transforms. Like a cluster of butterfly cocoons opening simultaneously—each story adds healing to the collage of hope—ready for flight. Teachers often will mention that their students, after viewing dozens of ArtPrize exhibits all day long, will end up talking about my work when they return to school; the interactive nature of the work leaves an impression. Students end up remembering the interactive experience and talk about how it impacted them.
What kind of art has an impact on you?
Broken Wings
Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl Street NW (west of the river)
September 19 to October 7, 2018
Vote #66688
In light of the recent tragic school shootings across America, find out how you can create positive change from national bullying specialist Jeff Veley.
Share your story #BrokenWings
While visiting a butterfly house, a magnificent Blue Morpho Butterfly landed on my wrist like a “live” ornament bracelet. The Lepidoptera, or four-winged insect, remained on my hand for about the next thirty minutes—whether I walked or stood still. Curiously, the butterfly’s gigantic five-inch wingspan would flux in tandem with my movements. The butterfly’s wings would tilt downward, like the flaps on an airplane when I started walking. If my pace increased, the butterfly’s wings tightened down even more to maintain stability.
Spotting the giant blue butterfly on my hand, a group of children clustered around to marvel at the regal creature’s beauty. Of course, they all begged to hold the butterfly. It was delightful experiencing created wonder through the eyes of the children. Their enthusiasm, while experiencing the mysteries of life, gave me a new appreciation for the tiny gifts of beauty cocooned within each day.
What small moments of wonder cause you to stop and take note?
Broken Wings
Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl Street NW (west of the river)
September 19 to October 7, 2018
Vote #66688
In light of the recent tragic school shootings across America, find out how you can create positive change from national bullying specialist Jeff Veley.
Share your story #BrokenWings
Get the behind the scenes story of Broken Wings at ArtPrize Ten and Whitney’s story of courage and kindness. Watch time lapse clips of Broken Wings being set up and ArtPrize visitor interaction with Broken Wings.
Broken Wings
Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl Street NW (west of the river)
September 19 to October 7, 2018
Vote #66688
In light of the recent tragic school shootings across America, find out how you can create positive change from national bullying specialist Jeff Veley.
Share your story #BrokenWings
Art making isn’t easy! The printmaking process is very technically challenging. To complete a print, an artist needs to successfully complete a series of steps. If a mistake occurs at any point, the print must be discarded, and the entire time-intensive process needs to be restarted.
Here’s a brief look into steps of printmaking: First, an interesting design needs to be created. Next, the desired ink colors and paper type are selected. But before pulling a squeegee loaded with ink across the surface of the silk screen, the paper needs to be carefully lined up underneath the screen. The squeegee is then used to press the ink, one color at a time, through a series of tiny hole in the screen onto the paper below. To add each new color, the paper needs to be carefully realigned.
With my Broken Wings series, most of the prints are made up of six colors. If I make an error on any one of the six colors, with a tiny ink smudge or by the paper slipping out of place, I have to start the process from the beginning—with a brand-new piece of paper.
Silk screen printmaking looks easy, but it takes a great deal of patience and practice to create an exquisite print. When I first started, my error rate was around 100 percent, meaning I had to discard about one hundred prints per one hundred pieces of paper. But with hours and hours of practice, my printing skills improved. Eventually, my perseverance paid off, and my error rate dropped down to only a few mistakes per one hundred prints.
What new skill would you like to learn?
Broken Wings
Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl Street NW (west of the river)
September 19 to October 7, 2018
Vote #66688
In light of the recent tragic school shootings across America, find out how you can create positive change from national bullying specialist Jeff Veley.
Share your story #BrokenWings
Broken Wings empowers students to overcome bullying and toxic relationship by starting a Butterfly Effect of kindness. The interactive artwork also invites visitors to come up with their own creative solutions on how to diffuse negative social situations. In this video, one student offers his advice on how he has learned to personally overcome negativity and social aggression.
At Broken Wings, we love to hear how individuals are starting a Butterfly Effect—where one positive choice impacts another positive choice. This ancient wisdom still speaks: “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” We can all learn appropriate strategies to deal with adversity. Positive choices and kindness can impact our family or our community for good, and collectively we have the potential to influence our entire globe with the message of healing.
How can we transform negativity into a positive butterfly effect to encourage others?
Broken Wings
Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl Street NW (west of the river)
September 19 to October 7, 2018
Vote #66688
In light of the recent tragic school shootings across America, find out how you can create positive change from national bullying specialist Jeff Veley.
Share your story #BrokenWings
We create spaces where visitors feel personally cared for and validated. Our healing work has touched thousands of ArtPrize visitors—one person at a time (ArtPrize is a huge art event held in Grand Rapids, Michigan). Last year, 70,000 ArtPrize visitors participated with our soul healing artwork by writing Let Go notes.
An ArtPrize visitor wrote: “I will be clean from crack cocaine sixteen years. Finally letting go!”
A mom wrote: “I want my son back. I feel like watching his internal battle is slowly killing me. I’m now choosing to let go of my lack of control. I need to take this step for my own emotional healing.”
A third grader wrote: “I am letting go of perfection because I want to be myself—the self that is not perfect!”
A son wrote: “Dad, you’re supposed to protect me from people like you. All I ever wanted was your love and approval. My heart longs for a real father.”
This year’s interactive work will address bullying and school shootings by starting a Butterfly Effect—where one positive action impacts another positive action—to help better our world.
We would love for you to be part of this journey. Since our art is very much collaborative and interactive, we would like to invite you to be part of our team for ArtPrize…and beyond. We would be so grateful for your help. Come join our team! Our healing art involves you—because you matter!