“Guns Into Flowers” Project installed on March 16, 2019, at South Natomas Community Center Park, Sacramento, CA

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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”.

Laying down the Guns into Flowers Quilt on the prepared “bed”.

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

Detail showing two students installing a Guns into Flowers handmade paper quilt square.

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).

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“Living Quilt for Santa Rosa” art installation is blooming!

On Sunday, March 17, 2019, after returning to Santa Rosa, CA, from my artist in residency project “Guns into Flowers” in Sacramento with Natomas Charter School and sited at South Natomas Community Center Park, I went again to see my installation “Living Quilt for Santa Rosa” installed on Nov. 25, 2018, at Rincon Ridge Park in Santa Rosa, CA. I was so happy to see that some of the wildflowers that were in the handmade paper quilt are starting to bloom.

Here are a few photos of the Living Quilt for Santa Rosa when it was installed on Nov. 25, 2018, and a few photos of how it looks on March 17, 2019, when some of the flowers are starting to bloom. This installation has brought new life and some blooming flowers to the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa that was so heavily impacted by the devastating October 2018 wildfires.

Some of the Baby’s breath white flowers are blooming now, and I also spotted a California bluebell flower in bloom. None of the golden poppies or yellow wildflowers that were in the borders of the quilt are blooming yet, but hopefully they will start to bloom in a few more days.

The weather here is nice and sunny now, and the plants are growing taller. For some reason there seems to be an area on one side of the installation where no flowers are growing, and seeds did not sprout. With these installations that depend on nature as a partner, there is always some uncertainty about how it will turn out, but for me that is part of the exciting process of making art that is all biodegradable and designed to work with nature and change over time.

I will post more photos of Living Quilt for Santa Rosa as it continues to develop and change. Photos are all taken by my husband Timothy S. Allen (https://allentimphotos2.wordpress.com) Also, keep looking at this Blog for more photos of the “Guns into Flowers” art project in Sacramento that was installed on March 16, 2019.

“Guns into Flowers” Art Project and Handmade Paper Quilt to be installed Saturday, March 16

Tags

gun violence, guns into flowers, handmade paper, natomas charter school, Performing and Fine Arts Academy, sacramento, seeds in the pulp, south natomas community center, wildflowers

The public is invited to see the installation of a handmade paper quilt with seeds for wildflowers in the pulp placed on an artist-created “flower bed” at South Natomas Community Center, Sacramento, CA.  Visual Arts students from Natomas Charter School and the artist Jane Ingram Allen will be there to speak about the project after the installation of the handmade paper quilt, starting at 2PM on Saturday, March 16.  

The “Guns into Flowers” public art installation will begin at 2PM on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at South Natomas Community Center Park, 2921 Truxel Road, Sacramento, California.

Sponsors for this art project include Natomas Arts and Education Foundation, N Magazine, City of Sacramento, Natomas Charter School, Natomas Charter School PFAF, Edward L. Anderson Jr. Foundation, and the Arts Engagement Foundation of Kansas City.

This art project has been created by artist Jane Ingram Allen and students at Natomas Charter  School, Performing and Fine Arts Academy, during a three-week artist in residency from Feb. 25 to March 16, 2019.  Read more about this art project and see photos from earlier posts on this blog.  Photos are by Timothy S. Allen.

Check back to see how the handmade paper quilt with seeds in the pulp changes over time into living blooming wildflowers.  It is hoped that this project will raise awareness about gun violence and create more public dialogue about possibilities for change.