Broken Wings: Art That Involves You

General

To help solve our national problem of bullying and school shootings—from Columbine to Parkland to Santa Fe—what steps can we take to start a positive butterfly effect?

Broken Wings is an artist/citizen work. This participatory installation invites a response. The work gives individuals an opportunity to get involved. To take action.

Broken Wings visitors are invited to connect a colorful band onto the interactive panels as a commitment to start a butterfly effect—where one positive choice impacts another positive choice. With each band, we collectively make a promise to help bring an end to the suffering, chaos, and brokenness. From the broken wings across the United States—let’s make new choices for a better future. Let’s help heal our nation.

How can you get involved and help heal our nation? What can you do to help heal your family or your neighborhood?

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: A New Journey

Behind the Artwork

Broken Wings invites individuals on a new journey. While some of the traditional arguments over bullying and school gun violence are stalemated, why not consider new ways—different ways—on solving our national problem? How could each of us personally help to make a difference? For ArtPrize Ten, we are inviting visitors to consider starting a positive Butterfly Effect to empower children and help heal our broken nation.

The Butterfly Effect, an alternative scientific theory, challenges us to consider that every action has a reaction. Like the tiny flutter from the butterfly’s wings, the smallest deed or word has impact. Every interaction—positive or negative—has the potential to change the course of a child’s life.

We may not be able to stop all bullying and gun violence from happening. But we can all create positive change and be part of the solution.

What is one thing you can do to help bring about positive change and help heal your school, your family, or 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: Connecting With You!

From the Heart

Let’s connect! You are the reason we create our interactive healing art. You motivate us year after year to design the next creative work to authentically connect with you. We spend long hours trying to figure out how to communicate hope to our broken world.

We love to make art. But without you, our participatory healing work wouldn’t have any real meaning or value. So, look us up for ArtPrize Ten at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. We’d love to hear from you.

Here are four ways to make our connection happen during ArtPrize Ten:

  1. Visit the Broken Wings installation and introduce yourself
  2. Watch for our daily video releases by subscribing to our YouTube channel
  3. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
  4. Share your stories and hashtag them #BrokenWings

How can we connect with 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: Unity Through Adversity

From the Heart

Today we remember the heroes of 9/11. Men and women who put their lives on the line for others. Like the firemen who tried to save lives or the Catholic priest who died while praying for and helping others at Ground Zero. This event was a time when our country pulled together. A time when we helped each other.

But today, America is going through a different struggle. A struggle where divisions are growing deeper and wider. Broken Wings is about coming together, like the Monarch Butterflies clustering on the trees to survive, to overcome our differences and recapture the spirit of unity and love.

What is one thing you can do to impact another and foster inclusion? Share your story #BrokenWings

To learn more, visit watercolorbypamela.com…

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

Color Me Orange: Words Matter

Behind the Artwork

Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind shines a spotlight on bullying. The installation is specifically tailored for middle school students–often the most vulnerable. Sadly, some of these students suffer so intensely from bullying that they believe that suicide is the way to end it all.

By choosing to be deliberately kind, our actions have the potential to brighten someone’s world. Maybe kindness, love, and understanding could have helped those who had struggled with bullying and then committed suicide. Life-affirming creativity that invites reflection and flourishing can heal.

How can you help stop bullying? Tell us your story #ColorMeKind

To learn more, visit watercolorbypamela.com…

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

Color Me Kind: Treating Everyone Like a Friend

Behind the Artwork

Kindness matters. The paintings of the koi fish swimming against the strong currents in Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind depicts our struggles with difficult relationships. No one is immune from hate. The words “Stop bullying” don’t cause change. But words like “Be kind” empower us to bring out the best in others.

Deliberate small acts of kindness—like encouragement, forgiveness, and love—display strength.

During ArtPrize 2016 as viewers tied orange ribbons on the canvas, the see-through orange mesh fencing became opaque with color. Thus, as a community, we symbolically made a commitment to color our world with kindness.

PS: Year after year, there are always surprises in interacting with the ArtPrize audience. In this video, enjoy this spontaneous moment with some random students. The kids are sure to make you smile!

Who needs a little kindness in your life?

Share Your Story #ColorMeKind

To learn more, visit watercolorbypamela.com…

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

My HEART and My ART: A DECADE as an ArtPrize Artist

From the Heart

Butterfly art

So MANY of you have LOVED our past exhibits. Broken Wings promises to be just as powerful and encouraging. But we can’t do these gigantic exhibits by ourselves. Well, we can. But then YOU would miss out on the blessings and excitement of being part of our powerful work during ArtPrize. So, we invite your partnership. We offer you the opportunity to take part in our art and stand with us—as collaborators.

The Purpose

Art touches deep places in the human spirit. When the viewers encounter the work, significant conversations result. Usually the tears start to flow too. Many seek us out just to talk. Some even return just to talk again.

Your Part

You can be part of our sidewalk ART ministry. We invite you to partner with us in joy of giving—the pouring out of ourselves and our resources for others. We invite you into our circle of giving—giving away all our strength and energy during ArtPrize—for the benefit of others. So many leave our exhibit changed and renewed!! Then, in turn, some of them end up pouring out their lives for others as well. The circle of giving is a beautiful model. Isn’t this what Divine sacrifice is all about?!

Crazy Numbers!

We had 70,000 people interact with our work last year. So perhaps around 150,000 visitors actually came to our work. But only 70,000 (maybe 50%) wrote notes. We can count the interactions because we know the amount of supplies that we purchase. Last year every box contained 1,000 sheets of paper, and we went through seventy boxes!! That equals 70,000 interactions!! I don’t even have to struggle with MATH on that one!

The UPS Guy

The UPS GUY probably knows me by name!! I mean, how many ladies buy 5,000 golf pencils? I can just hear the UPS guys, “Yeah, that lady where I delivered the 5,000 golf pencils…” I didn’t actually want to buy 5,000 pencils. But IF I’m going to continue to serve the ArtPrize audience then I NEED to buy 5,000 golf pencils!!

A Decade!!

This is our 10th (last??) year of ArtPrize! Join us and fasten your seatbelt! Every day is an action packed adventure!! Every day is a chance to see the POWER of healing. The power of compassion. THE POWER OF ART!

Will you join our team and help us bring a message of hope to ArtPrize? Click here…