Tags
handmade paper, Jane Ingram Allen, natomas charter school, sacramento, south natomas community center, wildflowers

Detail of installing first of 20 squares for the Guns into Flowers handmade paper quilt with seeds for wildflowers in the pulp.
These photos are of the installation ceremony on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at South Natomas Community Center Park, Sacramento, CA. Many people came out to see the installation and support this project that focused on raising awareness about the issue of gun violence. The Guns into Flowers “quilt” will dissolve into compost over time and the wildflower seeds in the handmade paper pulp will sprout and grow into a living blooming bed of wildflowers in the same colors and pattern, thus transforming the “guns into flowers”.

Natomas Charter School visual arts students laying down the quilt squares and staking them to the ground with bamboo skewers having a wine cork on top.

Natomas Charter School art teachers Chelsea Greninger and Jim Vetter and school founder and executive director Dr. Ting Sun speaking at the installation ceremony for the “Guns Into Flowers” art project in Sacramento, CA

Natomas Charter School visual arts students, principal and art teachers with the artist Jane Ingram Allen after the installation is completed.

Students and teachers spoke at the installation ceremony to tell about their experience of working on the Guns into Flowers art project.

Artist Jane Ingram Allen directs the students in laying down the Guns into Flowers handmade paper quilt on the prepared “bed”
The installation of the “Guns into Flowers” handmade paper quilt with seeds for wildflowers in the paper pulp was done with the participation of the visual arts students of Natomas Charter School. The students were involved in the whole process of creating a public art installation in a city park at the South Natomas Community Center. The Guns into Flowers art project was created during a three-week artist in residency at Natomas Charter School working with the students to make the handmade paper quilt and create a “flower bed” with a headboard and footboard woven of local branches. The quilt was installed in a public ceremony with students laying down the 20 squares and borders to form the quilt on the 8 feet x 10 feet “bed”.
Thanks to all the students and teachers at Natomas Charter School Performing and Fine Arts Academy for their participation in this project and to our other sponsors: Natomas Arts & Education Foundation, N Magazine, City of Sacramento, Edward L. Anderson Jr. Foundation and The Arts Engagement Foundation of Kansas City. It was a great experience working on this project with the students to create a public art installation in Sacramento.
Photos of the installation are by Timothy S. Allen (allentimphotos2.wordpress.com).