Art + Technology + Participation in Development

March Update for Peace Tiles

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:13:27 GMT

Hey everybody,

Quick roundup of some interesting updates for the beginning of March. If you think this is good stuff, please encourage others to join the Peace Tiles groups on Razoo and at: http://www.ned.com/group/devarts /news/

* image Had a chat with a program officer at ArtVenturein Singapore, an arts charity run by businessmen. They are interested in funding Peace Tiles because of the "microgrant" program. The irony is that that is all they are likely to fund, which helps get creativity around important matters to where children are, while doing nothing for my bottom line. Creative ideas to leverage this opportunity welcome! Also, drop me an email at peacetiles@gmail.com if you would like to have a workshop included in the grant request.
* In a conversation with Susan Addy over in the Homowo group, the idea of a Peace Tiles "Create-A-Thon`_ was fleshed out. Its been something I've noodled on, but never really nailed to the wall until this concrete discussion. I have proposed two more, one to a local non-profit I consult with, and the other the Stephen Shames Foundation (Monica Nankoma) in Uganda. You can see a sample proposal by clicking the image to the right. Feedback welcome!
* Today am running another Peace Tiles training for AmeriCorps/VISTA members in the state. The theme will be, "What is the change I want to make in the world," and the purpose is to encourage reflection on how their AmeriCorps service fits into a longer path, as well as provide an introduction and training in the basic process.
* On the 11th March will run the first "Memory Tiles" idea, bringing together Senior Citizens in Cabot to reflect on "Life's Lessons" and produced a community mural from their works. I am really looking forward to this because it is very local, and a new topic for me.

This will be great groundwork to inform an emerging conversation with a Senior Citizens group in Barre, Vermont that is looking at ways to augment their civic involvement. I have proposed a similar workshop with their members, and we'll talk more in April.

* Have been in correspondence with the Goree Institute in Senegal through my mum around some possibilities of workshops for their leadership training programs. Their programs target youth and senior civil society actors around ways to strengthen participatory governance and culture sectors in Africa. If anything emerges they would take place in Q3 and Q4 this year.
* Getting ready to file papers for incorporation. Big leap and I've stalled in the past. The level of activity and the nature of some of Peace Tiles' barriers to growth leads me to believe its the right time to do this. I am also very grateful for Gayle's comment about a Peace Tiles "foundation" and I think this is the approach I will take: a public benefit corporation that receives monies for the purpose of promoting creativity in hard to reach places. One of the areas will be IDP camps. Please let me know if you have ideas in this area.
* I will close with a pointer to the incredible work of Anasuya Isaacs and Frerieke Van Bree who are bringing the Peace Tiles process to groups in the southwestern Cape of South Africa. Many of you have been instrumental in enabling these workshops to continue through your generous gifts (thanks to you $320 was sent to support a few more workshops there!). The HIV/AIDS workshops culminate with participants making Peace Tiles as a gift to someone who is also HIV+, something that, even if the person doesn’t speak their language, would understand their gift just by seeing it... Beautiful. You can follow along at Love to the World.

That's all for now. As ever a huge, massive attack of thanks to everyone contributing to the pool of ideas around what Peace Tiles is and can be - you help enormously!

Peace, and keep strong.

lars

Crisis In Kenya

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:58:21 GMT

Please follow the situation in Kenya via the Vigilante Journalist who is now in the Rift Valley. I encourage you to do what you can to support our Kenyan friends and colleagues.

http://www.vigilantejournalist.com/blog/

What Is "Green" Art?

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:05:02 GMT

I've been invited to participate in Earth Day celebrations that take place in Ithaca, NY every year through the Center for Environmental Sustainability (CES) which will sponsor,"GREENING THE ARTS."

They're hoping I'll be part of an informal panel on Friday morning exploring the questions "what IS 'green' art" and "why is it important"?

Other panelists will hopefully include Liesel Fenner, Coordinator of Americans for the Arts' Pubic Art Network; Sam Bowers, founder/director of greenmuseum.org; 2 local Ithaca artists who have curated 'green' art shows; and the director of Cornell's art museum.

After the panel session, folks will be invited to form lunch groups to come up with their own definitions - and then to return for an afternoon Open Space aimed at generating action plans both for local next steps and for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

This should be really cool. Only problem is, I don't really consider myself to be a "green" artists. Put differently, this is the standpoint from which I approach my artwork although I can see many intersections.

So I thought this might be a great opportunity to be a spokesperson for a larger "voice" than my own - a "Ned" voice, a "Peace Tiles" voice - whatever!

My question is, how would you answer the questions, "What is green art" and "why is it important?" Unless otherwise noted, I'll attribute the views I use to you as members of the Razoo forum. Sound Okay? Thanks in advance!

Topping Swank Peace Tiles in January!

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:58:54 GMT

well, 2008 is looking like its kicking off to a great start. here's an update to the update:

- Boston International School has held a 3rd workshop and they've got some tiles to share with a school a Francophone Africa. I am working on Senegal - this will be fun to see happen. Check out their lovely collection of environmentally oriented tiles at:
http://tinyurl.com/yqgg8x

- A New Peace Tiles Design guide is available - I've noticed that one of the challenges - both in communicating the essence of "collage" as well as the possibilities for creativity within that 8-inch square "sandbox" I like to call a Peace Tile - is moving participants away from what we learned as collage back in third grade: cutting out pictures we like and gluing them to a surface.

So I've selected a few Peace Tiles I like, and tried to - very superficially - "dissect" them and distill some ways for participants to think about using the surface of the wood panel. Here's the design guide - I'd really be very interested in your feedback:
http://mixedmedia.us/peacetiles/files/designing_tiles_guide_0108.pdf

- Twinfield Union (http://www.twinfield.net) all-school workshop is shaping up great - busy but great: I meet with faculty on Thursday to pitch the idea of classroom integration. This means I'll develop a basic set of activities for teachers to help generate some ideas and mental images around the theme before I get there for the actual workshop. I think if they will buy into this, the student work will be much more reflective and meaningful.

- Peace Tiles champion Nil Navaie (http://www.art4development.net) is organizing a Peace Tiles workshop at Washington, DC's Sewall-Belmont House and Museum (http://www.sewallbelmont.org/)on March 15th with up to 100 Girls Scouts. The theme that will be explored through the arts is Girl's education and empowerment. Go Nil!

- A school in the Kootenay's of Canada's Western Rockies is looking into hosting a school-wide Peace Tiles project. Don't know much more than that, but it would be exciting to have the process used in an entirely new region.

- An expanding community center (http://www.riverartsvt.org/) in a town called Middlesex one county over would like to have a "mini residency" in March or April, which is to say about a week of Peace Tiles activities for all ages - from kindergarten to the seniors they serve. The way it has been discussed so far is to "put the tiles to work" as a service learning effort - they'll be donated to a local health clinic or similar place that can use bright walls.

- Nedster Fre Van Bree (http://www.umeebee.org) is organizing a Peace Tiles workshop in South Africa. The details are still falling into place - but look for some great work from the amazing Fre!

- In the very early stages of developing a pilot project for a major national coffee retailer. The idea is to connect children in coffee producing communities with consumers through a Peace Tiles workshop that invites the children to explore some theme - like "waking up in the morning" as one champion suggested. These collages would then be reproduced for in-store decor and accompanied by a book and feedback cards that would make it back to the children. Still in flux - keep your fingers crossed. I may need your help in fundraising for this pilot!

- Peace Tiles has a workshop proposal in to the Global Health Council (http://www.globalhealth.org/) to present the process to health care and development professionals during their annual meeting in Washington, DC. Nil Navaie presented a successful workshop in 2006, and we'd be thrilled to have the opportunity to participate a second time. Stay tuned...!

- An NGO in Tennessee which serves some 40 senior citizens homes in interested in having "Memory Tiles" in their centers as a creative activity/resource for their clients. The idea we've been kicking around is to share "life lessons" - one thing they've learned that they would like to pass on, and the tile would recreate that learning moment (Tom Munnecke's "Aha" moment lives!)

Alright - that's it through March-ish... Thanks!

Peace Tiles Update :: 9 December 2007

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:52:36 GMT

December 9, 2007

December is on us - 2007 has, as the years are wont to do, flown past... It has been a real gift in my life - and my family's as well - to work with so many of you on the Global Peace Tiles Project. I hope for those of you who have been able to experience Peace Tiles directly that you have found it to be a gift as well. It is the many contributions of all of us that keep this modest yet vibrant little process going around the word. For that I thank you heartily!

On to the update for December:

1 :: World AIDS Day
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Individuals and organizations around the world found inspiring ways to use the Peace Tiles process to contribute to the global campaign against AIDS. Here is a sample:

- Peace Tiles partner Gram Bharati Samiti hosted a vibrant workshop, exhibition and award ceremony for youth in Rajasthan, India:
http://mixedmedia.us/peacetiles/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=85

- Champions Auni Husted, Maura Roth-Gormley and Laura Langberg - all students at Goucher College - hosted a dynamic campus workshop, creating tiles that will make their way to South Africa in 2008:
http://mixedmedia.us/peacetiles/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=126&Itemid=85

- Other workshops took place in Washington, DC, Georgia, Nigeria, Kenya and Cameroon. I'll share more as soon as reports come in.

- Finally, a huge thanks to Art for Development Network (http://art4development.net/) for making Peace Tiles a part of how they recognized World AIDS Day. I think it is really important that the works produced by children and youth around the world continue to inform how others understand the pandemic.

2 :: Boston International School Workshop
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I had a wonderful time with Katie Moncton and her after-school students at the Boston International School for a real Peace Tiles melée! After a brief presentation about the intersection of art, craft and ecology at a municipal dump in West Africa, the children - most of whom were in 2nd and 3rd grade - dove into their activities. The session before they'd been asked to collect recycled (or "reclaimed") materials from the house, and they used much of this content in their final works, which numbered almost 60 by the end of the 1.5hr session. Thank you Katie and BIS for such an inspiring time!

3 :: 2008 Preview
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While 2008 will likely see some changes in my attention to the Peace Tiles project (gotta get a job!), there are still a number of exciting initiatives on the horizon including:

- Summer Workshop 2008! Yes, I think it'll happen again: 3 days of creativity and sharing among the Green Hills of Vermont. Interested? Just drop me a line at peacetiles@gmail.com. More information in the New Year.

- "Memory tiles" will continue, with a workshop of senior citizens in Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom who will share vignettes of their rich lives using collage in March.

- Green Art in April. Peace Tiles has been invited as a guest speaker and community workshop presenter in Ithaca, New York as part of their Earth Week celebrations. This will be a great opportunity to really develop some curricular modules around the environment, much of which can build upon the work begun with Katie at BIS.

- Georgia in '08? Peace Tiles champion Cynthia Gentry has offered a tentative invitation to be a part of a city-wide Peace Tiles activity tied to the "Playful City" campaign taking place in Atlanta. As part of an effort to create more access to play areas for children, Cynthia has bitten off a real leadership role as "Professor of Play" - go Cyn! Check out their great video (and vote for it too) at:http://kaboom.shycast.com/contestant/27/

- And of course my ongoing commitment to support groups looking to integrate visual arts and exchange into their World AIDS Day 2008 efforts.

4 :: Peace Tiles Kits
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Their popularity is growing - but still limited by production capacity (or lack thereof!). December saw the production and sale of 30 kits, including a new distributor in downtown Montpelier, Woodbury Mountain Toys. So somehow I'll need to get a better table saw (ie more powerful with a larger table) to support faster cutting, as well as possibly hiring someone to put together the paper kits. An exciting area to explore for 2008 - along with the possibility of distributing at least one "themed" kit, around an issue like HIV/AIDS or children in conflict.

Also, kits are available again for sale online using Paypal. Check 'em out at:
http://mixedmedia.us/peacetiles/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=90

5 :: Facebook Rocks!
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I've been having alot of fun developing Peace Tiles' facebook presence - its a fun social utility that enables anyone conducting a Peace Tiles activity to share information within the growing network. At the same time, anyone who joins can create their own personal profile and connect directly with others. Come join the fray!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4819594719

So as 2007 winds down, that's about it - with deepest thanks for the contributions so many of you have made to help the Peace Tiles project flourish in the hands of our grassroots partners.

lars
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www.peacetiles.net + www.mixedmedia.us
802-563-2757

Peace Tiles Coverpop by Jim Bumgardner

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 01:45:08 GMT

A few weeks ago I was sent an interesting link from my father about an interesting group in Canada that makes large-scale murals from individual fine-art paintings. The results were striking, and got me thinking about the possibilities of using mosaic techniques for Peace Tiles - online as well as using physical Peace Tiles. I followed up the conversation on Ned.com – a social network aimed at collaboration through social enterprise – where a friend pointed me to the work of Jim Bumgardner, the creative mind behind Coverpop.com. And Jim made a Coverpop for Peace Tiles!

Coverpop is an elegant mosaic-maker that draws images from the photosharing site Flickr and, mapping their source over a customized mosaic of thumbnails, enables users to enlarge the view through a dynamic "fly-out" effect. Its a really fun way to organize - and view - a large number of images. Not sure, given the static nature of the background image, whether it will grow as new tile images are added.

To host the Coverpop, Jim provided an xml database file, a flash file, and a background image which are easily saved to a directory. Everything seems to be working flawlessly - thank you Jim! Why not try the Coverpop for yourself?

Check it out at http://www.peacetiles.net

Razoo $10k - Peace Tiles Is In - Thank You All!

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:28:03 GMT

Hey everybody, just received this good word today from a Razoo rep - please stay tuned for the next step :)

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Just wanted to say congrats on the Global Peace Tiles Project getting 100 members in your group on Razoo! The Global Peace Tiles Project has now qualified for the $10,000 Contest and so will be entered in the voting on October to compete for the $10,000 prize.

Keep recruiting and make sure to get your friends to vote after October 1st to win! The organization with the most votes will win. Also, check out the recruiting tips of the Group Leaders Page:

http://beta.razoo.com/groups/razoo_group_leaders

Let me know if you have any questions. Great work you're doing!

Peacetiles.net BETA - Open!

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:05:31 GMT

After about two weeks of getting to know Joomla and several powerful plug-ins I am pleased as pie to say the "new" Peacetiles.net is open for BETA testing. Please visit http://mixedmedia.us/peacetiles and sign up. Kick the tires a bit. Let me know what you think! Among some of the features that help to promote the work of our Peace Tiles partners are:

- Photo gallery of tiles and workshops
- Lots of great resources including a video library
- "Connection" maker enabling groups to link up and arrange tile swaps
- News and announcements from members

The site is clean and pretty simple, making use of the JA Teline template developed by JoomlArt. Come on by!

Peace Tiles Workshop - August 2007 - Cabot VT

Allison Coyne Carroll — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:20:48 GMT

What a wonderful weekend we spent in Cabot, VT, at Chez Lars, and 20 or so O.netters making Peace Tiles (http://beta.razoo.com/groups/peacetiles) and talking about a better world!

I haven't even finished organizing our photos yet (all 247 taken by Jim, myself, and yes, Aidan!) but here is the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mrs.maple/20070803PeaceTilesHighlights

I'll also post this on .

Thank you all for a "great happening". I am still inspired by the time we spent together, and I look forward to more opportunities to collaborate in the future!