Broken Wings: Visitors Respond

Behind the Artwork

Each year ArtPrize visitors thank me for providing the opportunity for them to be a part of my work. The interactive nature of my work invites collaboration. Each unique installation offers an immersive art experience.

Year after year, ArtPrize visitors say that they seek out my work. Their enthusiasm to be involved in the creative process truly inspires. As a result, the art personally connects the artist and audience, unlike the traditional formal exhibits where the artist and audience rarely interface.

The nurturing quality of my art deepens relationships and facilitates healing. Visitors are drawn towards culture care, or soul care, they sense within the art. Some even call it a Divine Encounter.

How can you help facilitate soul care for yourself and others in your community?

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

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

Broken Wings: Participatory Art

Behind the Artwork

While on a cross-country flight, I took along some children’s butterfly books to prepare for my next exhibit, Broken Wings. As the flight was landing, a fellow passenger tapped my arm and asked, “Are you a teacher?” She had been watching me underlining important phrases in my children’s books that were sprawled across my tiny airline desk.

I told her that I was an artist and that I was preparing for my next installation about butterflies, bullying, and school shooting. With that, the look on her face changed. Perhaps she was imagining that I was this sweet kindergarten teacher. But instead, she discovered that I was an artist creating an exhibit about butterflies and school gun violence.

I explained that the butterflies represent the beauty and fragility of childhood. If a child, or our culture for that matter, is healthy, then the scales on butterfly’s wings refract light—producing gorgeous shimmering colors. But when the wings are broken, light can’t reflect. So, the colors grey or disappear.

Bullying and school gun violence reflects a broken culture and destroys children. To help each child emerge from cocoons with beautiful wings, the transformational process will require everyone. If each of us starts a Butterfly Effect of kindness and compassion, then the next generation of beautiful, delicate butterflies will begin to thrive and flourish—and restore the balance of our cultural habitat.

How can you help nurture or show kindness to one specific child?

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

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

Broken Wings: Strengthening Kids

General

Broken Wings is about strengthening and nurturing kids. To help promote safe schools and healthy home environments, the art challenges viewers to become collaborators. Children with broken wings can undergo a transformational process—when a caring adult helps build emotional stability—and emerge from the cocoon with resilient wings.

Jeff Veley, a national bully specialist, offers some helpful tips on how to help at-risk youth and victims of trauma. This bully expert offers strategies and solutions to help children with emotional issues at school or at home. To learn more about helping children overcome social aggression, visit Jeff’s website for free training materials.

How can you empower one at-risk child to solve their own social challenges and cope with negativity?

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

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

ArtPrize: Everyone’s Story

Behind the Artwork

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

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

Broken Wings: Solutions

From the Heart

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

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

ArtPrize Ten: Whitney and Butterflies

Behind the Artwork

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

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

Broken Wings: Making Prints

Behind the Artwork

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

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!