PeaceJam | Community Benches

Community Benches

Investing in Human Security

Affiliate:	Great Lakes

Club:	The Greenspire School

Location:	Traverse City, Michigan, United States

Created:	6/3/2012

Last Update:	6/3/2012

Project Goal: The mission of this project is to create a series of community benches that highlight local artists and authors. The ultimate goal is to design a map to be used as an educational tool to guide people to the different benches and provide information about the artist and author that each bench represents. Root Cause: There is not really a root cause or a problem. It's more that a community art center, Blackbird Arts, asked for our help to pilot this project, and we volunteered to help. It will help promote our local artists and authors and create a more beautiful downtown. Project Plan: Step one is to meet with the artist and author that we will be working with on this project, which we have already done (Artist Glenn Wolf and author Jerry Dennis) Step two is to paint 200 small pictures that illustrate the authors work about the Great Lakes which will then be used as a mosaic on the bench. Step three is to choose passages from the author to be written on the bench. For example, this bench will be using Jerry Dennis' work about the Great Lakes. Step four, the artist will apply the 200 small pictures we painted to the bench and paint on the passages. The city of Traverse City has already agreed to this project. The bench we are working on will be the first one displayed.

• What specific problem does this project address? • What research was done for this project? • How was this project decided upon? • How will this project remain ongoing? • How is this project going to make a difference?