| PETER
W. MICHEL, Sculptor
● Sculpture
in Celebration of Self, Relationship and Community |
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PARTICIPATORY "COMMUNITY TOTEM PROJECT"
- SYRACUSE ARTSWEEK - JULY 25, 2009 |
On display in Clinton Square in Syracuse -
Saturday August 1st
during the "Family Friendzy" festivities |
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| Primed
totem at City Hall Commons Saturday morning |
The
fully painted totem at City Hall Commons |
Detail
of the painted community totem
with the Syracuse City Hall in the background |
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"Community Totem"
©
2009
by Peter W. Michel with the help of many children and volunteers. |
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The Community Totem is an example of arts creating
community. It does this in two ways. First, the visual metaphor of
individuals supporting each
other can spark the imagination and consciousness of what is
possible: creating
the kind of community where each
indiviual is supported in thriving and being fully self expressed and
each individual in turn contributes
to a dynamic, vital, robust, and whole community.
Secondly, the process
is also a metaphor - the participation of the children and the setup
team
is a symbol of the power to accomplish the improbable that becomes
available by working
together.
The lower part of the primed 22 foot tall wood totem was on display on
Friday July
24th near Columbus Circle in Downtown Syracuse as part of the Syracuse
Arts and Craft Fest. On Saturday
morning, July 25th, the entire primed totem was set up at the City Hall
Commons then taken down and the parts set up like easels which the
children then painted. More photos can be seen on Peter's
Picasa website also see slide show preview below.
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clicking on these images will take you to an enlarged view of the photo
at the Picasa website where others are available as well. |
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SCHEDULE |
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Day |
Date |
Time |
Activity |
Location |
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Friday |
July 24 |
10am - 6pm |
Primed Totem
on display |
Columbus
Circle |
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Saturday |
July 25 |
9am
-10:30am |
Primed Totem
on display |
City Hall
Commons |
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Saturday |
July 25 |
11am - 3pm |
Children
paint the totem |
City Hall
Commons |
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Saturday
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July 25
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3:30pm - 6pm
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Painted
Totem on display |
City Hall
Commons |
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Saturday |
August 1 |
10am - 6pm |
Painted
Totem on display |
Clinton
Square |
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| Many thanks
to the Rosamond Gifford Foundation for its generous support of this
project. |
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| The
Community Totem Project for
Artsweek was inspired by a participatory totem project completed in
Houston during the International Year of the Child. It was
painted on an afternoon at Houston's Miller Outdoor Theater by 116
children. (photos below) |
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| © 2009
by Peter W. Michel
Posted 07-16-2009
updated 11-30-20 |
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| Peter
W. Michel, sculptor ● 185 Brookside
Lane ●
Fayetteville, NY 13066 ● 315-632-4780 ● peter@petermichel.com |
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