Northnode and 16 Cohasset: Sitting Down to Peace

2010-11-10T09:29:00.000-05:00

The Global Art Project for Peace comes together every two years. This gives lots of time to work on the next Northnode adventure which comes together in 2012. Why not start now?! Recent wanderings and wondering and musings in the company of other artists have ignited some little sparks that could eventually become our next expression of peace. Start now, shall we? Who what how where?

One project that inspired me was a group show in which the artists each responded to the same local historical theme and each agreed to used the same framework (literally)--a certain sized box. From there they each used their own medium, their own response to the theme, their own expression--and the result was magnificent. Did they collaborate in the sense of helping each other develop the individual responses? Did they give support and feedback along the way? No matter.

My thinking is to come up with a theme (more specific than "global peace"--related to our local community and everyday peacemaking--specific) and a framework (box, chair, circle, x by x paper or canvas, or something else; invite a core group of artists; decide whether it's limited to a core group; connect to a bigger community, maybe; meet regularly for the next two years; get going...

More will be revealed...wanted to put it in writing to help me move. Paz

2010-04-01T10:26:00.002-04:00

Karen, Marcia, and Helen (with support from Judith) are the 2010 peace project artists. Our art work is just about finished and displayed (blowing in the wind of loving kindness) at 16 Cohasset Street. We've just received our "global partners." More about all this soon...

2009-11-29T09:58:00.002-05:00

Northnode friends, it's time to get the juices flowing and start thinking about our project for 2010. If you want to participate or if you have ideas, either comment here or send an email to HH. All the best.

2008-10-31T22:59:00.002-04:00

Orange: Mandala of the Butterflies

The mandala represents the wheel of life, the Dali Lama represents compassion for all beings, and the butterflies represent the transformative possibilities of embracing the concepts working to create a peaceful world.

2008-10-31T22:58:00.002-04:00

Green: The Earth Chair

This chair emphasizes our relationship with our planet: a peaceable connectedness with our natural environment to foster sustainability among all people on earth. The rhythms of nature are represented by the lunar phases, the seasons, and the five elements. As the earthly cycles are infinite in their continuity, so is our hope for an eternal wellspring of compassion for Mother Earth and all of humankind.

2008-10-31T22:48:00.004-04:00

Indigo: The Jeweled Net of Indra

This chair conveys the interdependence and interpenetration of all beings and all phenomena. At each node of the golden net of Indra* are images of beings—some known members of the 16 Cohasset community as well as many others, including some contemporary public figures, to mark this moment in our time and space.

*Indra's net provides a beautiful visual metaphor from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions for the structure of all reality. This net extends infinitely in all directions. At each node of the net where threads cross, there is a perfectly clear jewel that is intimately connected with and reflects all other jewels in the net of the universe. A change in one jewel means a change, however slight, in every other jewel.

2008-10-31T22:32:00.003-04:00

Blue: Peace Among Nations

The joined flags of nations that have transcended histories of hatred and separation in order to be at peace are placed close to the flags of nations that have yet to find such a way. With the earth at the center, this chair offers a vision of one world whose distinct yet interrelated communities live together in harmony.

2008-10-31T22:25:00.005-04:00

Red: Sitting in the Fire

The red chair is deliberately left unadorned. It represents the effort to maintain peace in the midst of inner turmoil, when there is nothing to do but just sit—to sit in stillness with the unrest until it burns itself out.

2008-10-31T22:18:00.003-04:00

Yellow: Joining Hands Across Color in Peace

This chair speaks to bringing together the Black and Brown or African American and Latino communities, as well as Afrodescendant communities of Latin America and the Caribbean, including French-speaking Haiti and Portuguese-speaking Brazil, in order to find unity in a common history and struggle and to build peace for our future.

2008-06-19T16:55:00.002-04:00

We are just about done with our Kitchen Chairs. A few small finishing touches and we're there! Watch for descriptions of each chair.

2008-05-30T16:21:00.000-04:00

After waiting almost a month from the time the Dos Pueblos Fiber Arts Club mailed their peace flag, it finally arrived in a beautiful package with about 15 quilt stamps on it. We wrote to them to say, " Well, she finally made it! And what fun! We are smiling every time we look at your beautiful peace work! The sentiments in your poem so well capture the fabric art. Your piece feels quite simpatico with our little chair and isn’t that great. We loved seeing your pictures as well. I like to think that on the journey from CA to MA it made many folks smile (happy package!) and therefore has been doing it’s peace-making that will continue in yet to be revealed ways.

2008-05-05T18:51:00.010-04:00

From our peace partners:

The chair arrived on Friday safe and sound and wonderfully peaceful!!! Thank you to all of the group, i love the entire program and "sitting down to peace!"

I am trying to secure a space at our school to display the chair and your materials, but no definite word yet.

Apologies for not sending our project promptly - this friday was "International Day" and we wanted to display our "flag" at the festivities. It should make it to you soon.

Again, Thank You for your most wonderful contributions to world peace.

The art and the power is skilled and love-filled. I can't wait to show the Fiber Arts Club tomorrow!!

Be in touch soon. ~Tatiana

2008-05-01T12:33:00.010-04:00

The child’s chair for our peace partners in the Fiber Arts Club of Dos Pueblos High School in Santa Barbara was sent off carrying love and good wishes from all participants. They should be receiving it very soon.

The next phase: adding peace themes to our kitchen chairs

2008-04-22T20:55:00.004-04:00

The art of peace continues. Meanwhile we are sitting down to peace on the chairs with their unfolding themes.

Below is a slide show of our work on these chairs--more to come! If you click on the album, then click slideshow, you can view it in a larger format.

Getting Started

2008-04-20T14:37:00.006-04:00

On our first day, we brought our ideas and prepared all the chairs, including the child's chair to send to our peace partners in the Global Art Project. We worked together the second day to continue the collaboration, painting and completing the child's chair.

Watch a slide show by clicking on the arrow.