Lars Hasselblad Torres's Blog

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/

Report from Nakuru, Kenya - Rhone Odhiambo, Educator

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:22:45 GMT

I received the following email from a colleague in Kenya today - I was introduced to Rhone Odhiambo and other educators in Kenya when I joined the online discussion group, ActALIVE, in 2005. Since then, Rhone and the many others I have met have so impressed me by their commitment to raising AIDS awareness and other concerns important in their community through theater and the arts.

As post-election violence continues in Kenya, Rhone and many others who I have come to respect are being directly affected by the conflict that is erupting across the country, in particular the Rift Valley area.

Please take a moment to read Rhone's latest correspondence below to experience first hand the skill of this young trainer.

We are now displaced me and my family from home. I live in Nakuru at teachers estate. On 25th at ten in the morning am I was still volunteering my services at the Redcross as a disaster manager evacuating displaced individuals to one the stadium when I was called home by my younger sister Edna. I did leave work and headed home immediately.

While on the way near home I met young boys approximately aged 14 -21 years manning the roads and putting road blocks. I was given safe passage after talking to them and also because of wearing the red cross jacket. I did approach the house and entered the compound, about 400 young people known as 'mungiki' were in there. I was directed to the leaders who were 4.2 of them were well dressed and the other 2 shaggly dressed. I did introduce myself but they knew me well enough as if they had stayed with me. We started talking and discussing politics though by then I was so tensed seeing death with my very own eyes. I did talk about peace efforts headed by Mr. Annan and a little of what I knew. I did also talk to them to release my brothers 3, my sister and her 2 kids and my nephew.

They were released and given safe passage to town though war erupted on the way to town and they were given safety in one the estates until yesterday when we were given police escort out though we paid for it, we speak.

Well as I was talking to them one of the neighbours Mr.Gathuo well known as Baba Kate came. His appearance sought of brought tension and slight stubbornness from the youths because he was seen as a betrayer of their tribe because he was Kikuyu helping me a Luo. We were able to talk to them and calm them down talking to them about peace and development at the point as young people. I was allowed to get important documents and what I needed. I got all the documents and I was not allowed to take any other things not even clothes but just a bag full of documents. we tried negotiating with the leaders not to burn the house citing the issue of peace that is being negotiated by the political leaders.

I was able to also show them some peace tile messages that I had made by some kids and they seemed to have softened their stand on burning the house.

We chatted still but with the leaders only trying not to mention ethnicity but that emerged as the main factor why they were displacing us and wanting to burn the house. We negotiated also for them not to kill, burn and harm other individuals in the estate who were not of their ethnic group. They agreed about the suggestion and promised to tell them to pack before today Monday... We talked about the peace process and the youth power and the choices we make and the influence. They raised issue of innocent killings of people of their tribe, children and women being raped thus making them vulnerable to infection of HIV and STI's.

After talking with them for about 1 hour they forced me to leave as they were pouring fuel on the servant quarters to burn. I left the place under escort of about 100 youths to the road. I came home as a housed person and left displaced. Well I was free; long so low and down but I said a silent prayer to them and their families asking God to help them and guide their thoughts.

Yesterday morning the neighbour called me to tell me they did not burn the house but left and now they are asking for protection fees to the house and the properties inside. Well am trying to get in touch with the leaders again and try and talk with them. I have been able through the peace talks to help evacuate over 106 families and singles about 340 peace fully through negotiations.

I have talked with the District commissioner and the police about the issue but they are reluctant about it saying that will not be the first and only house to be burned. I want to leave the office and head up to the estate and try talk to the leaders of the group about the protection fee and the not burning the house and Peace. I have been in contact through mobile phone calling and honestly I would like to seek assistance of phone credit to be able to call families and individuals who are still stuck in the area and to help get loved ones to collect them. This is an experience that I never thought I would pass through but I have known that one needs courage and good negotiation skills to help.

I am now housed in the Orthodox Church with other families who are seeking assistance like me for protection. Passing one of the towns Naivasha for luos is heading straight to death, I think some of you saw the killings in the television.

The police honestly cannot and are not able to give protection to innocent kenyas, please help us tell the government to fully accept that and call the army in full force. I wasn't to try and get to the press about the extortion of innocent kenyans by such groups.

I ask all of you to have courage and face issues if Peace has to come to Kenya.

Two New Free Online Arts Resources

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:45:41 GMT

Peace Tiles has two new resources available for arts educators.

The first is a "Pattern Book" intended to help students think about ways to design and create effective collages:
http://mixedmedia.us/peacetiles/files/peacetiles_pattern_book.pdf

The second is Peace Tiles' "What Is My Place" topic pack, which is designed to help students of any age explore aspects of "place" through visual art - leading up to a tile-making workshop on the topic of Identity and Place
http://mixedmedia.us/peacetiles/files/what_is_my_place_pack.pdf

Feedback is welcomed on both of these guides. Thanks!

Bringing the Arts to Coffee-growing Communities

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:46:14 GMT

Over the coming months, the Global Peace Tiles Project may have the opportunity to send an artist trained in the Peace Tiles process to run a workshop in a coffee-growing community.

The aim of this pilot project is to create a way for children who's lives are directly affected by the coffee industry to speak directly to consumers in the United States.

So the concept is to work with a local partner organization to convene the workshop. The artwork produced will be digitally reproduced and exhibited at a select number of test locations of a national company.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a "coffee table" book about the community and the children, as well as "feedback" forms which will enable customers to write back to the children in response to the artwork.

At this stage, the Global Peace Tiles Project would like to expand its contacts in major coffee producing regions, including Africa, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. If anyone has solid leads to youth, education, and arts organizations in these regions, could you please share them? Email peacetiles@gmail.com

Thanks!

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

This World AIDS Day Make and Share Art with Children!

Lars Hasselblad Torres — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:42:27 GMT

Hi everyone,

World AIDS Day is just around the corner - a day to commemorate our heros and to celebrate a shared hope that we can beat the global AIDS pandemic - that we can Make AIDS History. As you probably know, UNAIDS estimates there nearly 40 million people living with HIV, including 2.3 million children. During 2006 some 4.3 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations.

World AIDS Day is a wonderful opportunity to help shift young people's awareness around the global pandemic toward one other: toward ways they can support and share and learn from each other.

For the last couple of years I have been working with partners in Africa and elsewhere to test and expand the Global Peace Tiles Project's World AIDS Day initiative. The basic aims of the project are to:
- Educate young people about the global AIDS pandemic through art
- Engage young people in the creation of peer-to-peer messages through mixed media art
- Brighten the spotlight on the pandemic by creating large-scale murals composed of images gathered from around the world

The basic idea of a "Peace Tile" is that young people tell their story on an 8-inch square tile used mixed media and collage techniques. These are produced during safe, structured workshops that respond to local needs and the context of the young people themselves (ie take into account the needs around safety, status, age, etc). I've been working to create ways to deepen the possibilities for sharing and exchange of tiles online, but that's taking some time...!

For now, the Peace Tiles project supports the growth of the network by offering training workshops as well as providing small "micro grants" to interested community-based organizations in the global South that would like to purchase necessary supplies to host a workshop. For World AIDS Day 2007 I am encouraging as many groups as I can to host local workshops and exhibitions, and to send a few of their tiles to me for inclusion in a 2008 World AIDS Orphans Day mural that will be exhibited in a location to be arranged in May of next year. I also hope well-resourced schools would be willing to use their World AIDS Day experience as a way to raise funds to support workshops elsewhere.

You can learn more about Peace Tiles at http://www.peacetiles.net

I'd like to ask for your help in a couple of ways:

1) Would you have a look at our AIDS discussion guide, "A Triumph of the Spirit" and provide some feedback? The aim here is to use the Peace Tiles created by children as an entry-point into discussions that illuminate various dimensions of the pandemic. The guide is available online as a download:
http://www.mixedmedia.us/files/peacetiles_wad2007_guide.pdf

2) Would you also be able to review the Workshop Design Guide, and provide some feedback on that as well? It is available for download at:
http://mixedmedia.us/files/peacetiles_workshop_design_2007.pdf

3) Would you be willing to convene your own Peace Tiles workshop, and encourage the young people you work with to reach out - share their "visual voice" on AIDS with other young people? This can be done through Peace Tiles exhibitions and exchanges.

I offer these as examples of the spirit of our work, with the hope that you'll consider helping us to disseminate the materials to a larger international audience. Of course, if you are involved in a different way of commemorating World AIDS Day this year, I'd love to learn about that too, without exception.

Many thanks for your consideration - do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions - on email I'm at peacetiles@gmail.com or 802-563-2757.

Warmest regards,

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