Throughout ArtPrize Seven, guests approached the Hometown Hero painting with visible excitement. Laughter, smiles, hugs, and tears were evident. The bonds of love deepened as families honored important individuals. For some, moments of silence commemorated the life of a hero. Times of remembrance, contemplation, and sadness. Many Vietnam veterans shed tears. Others needed to talk.…
Wars in places like Iraq show us that our world is broken. Because of this, we need heroes like Eric Burri. Heroes we can look up too. Heroes who inspire us. Eric joined the military after 9/11 to protect our country and, sadly, died while serving. But Eric’s heroic service is about more than laying…
Before ArtPrize even began, a father and son took a quiet moment to interact with Hometown Hero installation. Their surprising determination to write a hero’s name on the painting, while we were still installing the work, hinted what was to come during ArtPrize. In that spontaneous moment, the father’s determination to have a teachable moment…
My series called Hometown Hero II has joined Reflections of Generosity—a military traveling exhibit founded by veteran sergeant and artist Ron Kelsey. The work promotes healing with military members and their families. In 2016, Reflections of Generosity along with Hometown Hero II, with the generous support of west Michigan BlueStar Mothers, showcased at the Pentagon…
Over the last decade of creating interactive healing installation at ArtPrize, I have discovered that the audience reaction to the artwork often ends up being different from what I imagined. The visitors somehow end up creating their own unique response to the work. For ArtPrize 2013, we created four thousand origami birds and prepared 20,000…
The Scarlet Cord Collection, which first debuted at ArtPrize 2014, helps raise awareness for sex-trafficking. But it also speaks to deep emotional wounds caused by sexual abuse. Many male and female visitors have taken the first brave steps towards healing while experiencing the artwork. By using words or releasing tears in acknowledgement of what happened,…