OPEN COMUNITY ART PROJECT: TREASURE BOXES OF REMEMBRANCE

Honoring important memories is at the heart of the “Treasure Boxes of Remembrance” project kicking off this month. Hundreds of wooden cigar boxes are available to be transformed into a shrine, alter or memory box. Boxes will be shared in a community Remembrance installation during the October Exhibit at Odd Fellows; they can also be part of the Day of the Dead weekend in Fort Bragg. This Treasure Box, "FLY AWAY..." is by Inga Peterson

Boxes are available at Racine’s in Ft Bragg, and historic Odd Fellows in Mendocino; $5 contribution per box is requested.

Last year, about 150 boxes went out and over 65 Treasure Boxes became part of community “Remembrance” celebrations. Says organizer Self "We were amazed by the interest and even more, by the beautiful and personal Boxes people created and shared. Some were extraordinarily moving; they let someone come to grips with recent loss of a loved ones. Others created real family treasures, incorporating “heirlooms”, special photos and more, while other boxes were simply charming or playful memories. A set of beautiful Art Boxes that honored the exhibit’s theme were available for sale; most were very personal keepsakes. All in all, this Treasure box installation created a compelling experience for visitors and was a beautiful expression of our community.”
The Treasure Boxes of Remembrance will be a part of the SOULFUL REMEMBRANCE Exhibit, October Open Door Arts @ Odd Fellows and will be part of the Day of the Dead weekend at the end of October in Ft Bragg.

email FLOCKworks1@gmail.com or join us on facebook.

Garden, Community & ART Celebrated!

Stone Soup Community Garden of Safe Passage Family Resource Center in Fort Bragg is celebrated today, January 23rd! The Garden was created with the support of Noyo Food Forest and the Mendocino Coast Children's Fund. It is a learning garden for the families involved with Safe Passage.

A family lively event brings together music, dancing, soup tasting, garden talk and art; it is also an INTERCAMBIO, a language and cultural exchange between Spanish & English speakers. It weaves important strands of our community together into a unique, and beautiful blend.

FLOCKworks Banners come to play...trying out some fun ideas for "paint tools"...an assortment of fruits, vegetables and plant stuff plus basic shapes like circles, triangle, rectangles, from recycled elements. We'll also play with Spanish and English "food and garden" words into the mix.

This art making will capture something of the day, recalling to those who were here the fun of the day and reflecting the collective energy that makes Safe Passage successful. The resulting banners will become part of the "decorative stock" of Safe Passage, installed in the garden, on fences and inside working spaces of the program.

FLOCKworks adds this unique "art play" as part of our collaborative commitment to community. Laura Welter, Executive for Safe Passage, asked "Can you come and how much will it cost?" FLOCKworks "Surprise YES!"...means we bring it all...materials, experience, ideas and leadership....because we support this important thing you add to our community! No chasing funds, or finding the budget. "Yes, we would love to be there to help!". And thank you for including us!

CHILDREN's BANNER PROJECT

The CHILDREN'S Banner Project started out simple... Just a visit of kids to see art...

Deena Zarlin and 32 kids plus moms on the Big Yellow Sc

hool Bus down to a contemporary Art exhibit. Things got hands-on, art was made, everyone took part, and being creative together just worked! We all had fun!

I took this "banner" home to work on, take it a little further as Art...calm it down and help bring these energetic parts into a whole... I guess it turned out. After the "art" went back to class for finishing touches, it was put in a TEXtile exhibit and people from North Carolina bought it put in their vacation home in Maine...With $450, I invited the kids to help decide how to "invest it"...in supporting kids art...

Our Grammar school is undergoing 2 year reconstruction. Classes in portables are hidden behind chain-link fences, mountains of dirt and heavy equipment: “It felt like a prison yard.” We decided to use ART TO CHANGE OUR ENVIRONMENT...and remind folks that "KIDS ARE HERE". THE CHILDREN'S BANNER PROJECT emerged, aiming to positively change that atmosphere, bring creativity to the playground and shape a lively setting with children’s art.

With a large scale, free-form process, I lead a weekly 20 minute recess session open to all; between 35 to 70 kids participate in each session. The challenge is how to make it fun, keep it flexible, not too messy, engage kids ages 6 to 12, and produce something worth putting up!

To date, 20 outdoor nylon banners have been completed; Bannering sessions have also been done with local leaders, teens and at special events. The Project is on-going. The Banners appear on school fences, community art shows & events and will be featured at the Mendocino FIlm Festival, the Big Fun Fair in Mendocino and the July 4th Parade.

My driving passion is drawing people into the creative process--and breaking down barriers to art & creativity. This is reflected in my own Art and in establishing FLOCKworks, a local nonprofit to aimed to support the community’s creative spirit. It is working!