Community Mural Project
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This summer, Alchemy Art Center is partnering with the San Juan Island Sculpture Park to bring our community mural project to islanders and visitors! Every Sunday from June 20th to September 19th, visitors to the Park can find Alchemy Art Center Director Maria Michaelson facilitating the creation of hundreds of clay tiles, each one a small but essential piece of what will be a 15-foot sculpture of a King Salmon. This freestanding, double-sided sculpture will be permanently installed at the Park- and everyone is invited to help! This project marks the first partnership between Alchemy and the Sculpture Park, and is supported in part by the generosity of the San Juan Island Community Foundation. Alchemy is profoundly very grateful for the support of the Sculpture Park and the Community Foundation, as well as ArtsWA and the NEA, in making it possible to bring this project to the broader public. Background |
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When Washington’s stay at home order went into effect last March, Alchemy Art Center got to work creating a community mosaic that islanders could participate in from home. The project, a 15-foot salmon made up of about 240 individual tiles, was intended to create a feeling of connection and collaboration during what was an incredibly difficult and isolated time for everyone. The salmon image was chosen for its key role in our Salish Sea ecosystem, and its symbolism for our interdependence.
Some 80 quarantined islanders participated in the project, working from home to create their unique pieces of the larger whole. Later that summer, as restrictions were lifted and some outdoor activities were reintroduced, Alchemy brought this same project to kids at Camp Eagle Rock and the Family Resource Center- creating nearly two more salmon! Now, one year later, that first quarantine salmon is glazed, assembled, and proudly installed on the main art building at Alchemy. And this summer, Alchemy is bringing this wonderful project to the San Juan Island Sculpture Park!
Some 80 quarantined islanders participated in the project, working from home to create their unique pieces of the larger whole. Later that summer, as restrictions were lifted and some outdoor activities were reintroduced, Alchemy brought this same project to kids at Camp Eagle Rock and the Family Resource Center- creating nearly two more salmon! Now, one year later, that first quarantine salmon is glazed, assembled, and proudly installed on the main art building at Alchemy. And this summer, Alchemy is bringing this wonderful project to the San Juan Island Sculpture Park!
JOIN IN
If you would like to be part of this project, all you have to do is come to the San Juan Island Sculpture Park on Sundays from June 20-September 19! Maria Michaelson will get you all set up with clay, a tile template, and instructions for making your very own piece of San Juan history right there on site. Stop by from 12pm-3pm and help create this unique community project!
