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Inner Peace, Family Peace, Community Peace

"Tributaries: In the Direction of Peace" earthwork installation on display in March

>> See Photos of the Installation Hundreds of Walla Walla Valley residents and visitors, students and seniors, artists and art lovers—have been sticking their hands in mud this month. And the fruits of their labor are being displayed all this month at the Walla Walla Foundry Outdoor Sculpture Garden. Those muddy hands have been turning out pinch pots—clay vessels that fit in the palm of your hand. In fact, over 4,000 such vessels will go into the earthwork installation of Walla Walla artists, Anne Bullock, Jeanne McMenemy, Elizabeth Harris, Colleen Sargen and Vicki Shafer. Each small, hand-formed pot, a “soul vessel,” serves as a “pixel” of sorts which comprise the earthwork. “I think visitors will find the site engaging and I hope they bring cameras to capture various compositions of these thousands of “soul vessels,” said Bullock. The work is titled, “Tributaries: In the Direction of Peace.” The idea for a community art project started with Bullock, who was seeking a way to acknowledge the importance of each soul in making up a caring and peaceful community. “Each of us has been affected by violence in one way or another,” Bullock said. “I think about how families everywhere, all over the world, have been pulled apart by war. I know that soldiers return with trauma and our community (like every other community) is feeling that pain. Every soul matters.” About the process used in creating these pinch pots Bullock explains, “Once the soul vessels are dry they are fired to 1800 degrees F, cooled down and then fired again within combustible chambers. It’s hard work loading and unloading, firing and re-firing kilns. William Matschukat has been a great help to me in this heavy, time-consuming and messy work.” “Pine needles, sawdust, leaves, straw, third world packing material, spruce branches, walnut shells, bark and other tender are layered between and in and around clay pots in the firing chambers. This sort of primitive firing yields varied, unpredictable, and rich natural patinas. The combustible materials and the burning process of the soul vessels are equal to and important to the overall concept and installation. To further complement the month long emphasis of peace and the earthwork “Tributaries: In the Direction of Peace,” Elizabeth Harris and Jeanne McMenemy are creating Weathergrams, a strictly non-commercial art form inspired by the Japanese tradition of Tanzaku. McMenemy said, “Nature is the traditional theme, a sudden insight about that, or about oneself in relation to nature. But in this case, we are expanding into "peace" of course.” A former Oregon Calligrapher Laureate, Lloyd Reynolds, originated the art form. Weathergrams are 10 x 2 inch strips of brown craft paper with “insights” written on them with black India ink and given in friendship. McMenemy describes other parameters of the art form, “The initial letter of the Weathergram is done in vermillion. Pens or brushes are used writing poems 10 words or less. Traditionally, Weathergrams are hung outside between the times of Equinox and the Solstice or between Solstice and Equinox.” Harris and McMenemy have organized other artists and students and even an Amnesty group to create Weathergrams. Harris involved her art students at WWCC in making both soul vessels and Weathergrams, but concerning their Weathergrams she says, “I believe that the experience adds another whole dimension to the installation because so many times young people can say things with their hands that they might not be able to express any other way.” She notes, “I have observed this happening with this work. Writing these poems for Weathergrams is just a quiet way of responding to these important issues. You never know when there is going to be an epiphany and I feel so strongly about the project; I could sense that students also resonate with the concepts.” A conceptual foundation that makes the parts of this installation cohesive is impermanence. For all aspects of the installation the elements of the weather and climate play a role in the art—another way of embracing the natural elements and honoring them. The process of the vessels breaking down and going back to Mother Earth and the paper and twine “weathering” is all part of the planning. McMenemy and Sargen have collaborated on another feature of the installation. Visitors to the peace path will see these two metal sculptures marking the trail. Sargen said, “I’ve wanted to build a peace sign with found objects for some time. Anne’s March of Peace project—“Tributaries” along with Jeanne’s excitement in the idea and interest in doing a collaborative piece, gave me (us) the incentive to do it!” “Using salvaged metal objects and materials, Jeanne and I created a sculpture incorporating the traditional peace sign. The second sculpture, a banner also made from metal salvaged materials, displays the word ‘peace’ written in many different languages by calligrapher Jeanne McMenemy.” The metal sculptures are suspended and are titled “for peace” and “Own it. In your way. daily.” Wayne Chabre, sculptor, provided technical assistance. The installation runs March 1-7, but will be displayed through the month at the Walla Walla Foundry Outdoor Sculpture Garden at 405 Woodland. The garden is open to the public during daylight hours at no charge. The earthwork is part of a month-long series of activities focusing on peace themes during March. >> See Photos of the Installation