Mosier Art for the Sky
“Stay Close
to the Earth”

Photo by Daniel Dancer
“Sunglyph,” with humans forming the outline of the deer, and donated clothing as the antlers.

News staff writer
May 6, 2006

Daniel Dancer meant two things when he told students and staff to “Stay close to the earth” in last week’s “Art for the Sky” human-formed artistic creation on the school grounds.

Dressed in deer-brown and other earth tones, the kids and adults crouched for about a half hour while Dancer directed them to form “Sunglyph,” a recreation of an ancient petroglyph once carved upon the basalt walls of the Columbia Gorge. The sun inside the deer figure represented the enduring power of nature.
“As you kneel, give thanks to the earth for its many blessings,” Dancer said from 100 feet in the air, atop a Honald Crane Service platform.

It was the third Gorge school Art for the Sky Dancer has directed in three years.

Photos by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Above, students and adults crouch near the solar panels that provide 20 percent of the school’s energy, which Dancer pointed out as a connection to “Sunglyph.”
From left are Maddison Simons, Chloe Clark, and
Michael Parrish. In back are volunteer Suzi Conklin and Kindergarten teacher Abby McLean. Below, students gleefully try on donated clothing that formed the antlers.

Mosier fifth grader Allie Ferrick was there for the creations at both Westside and May Street schools.
“This was the most fun,” Allie said. “I’m glad we’re doing something that’s based on an actual petroglyph.”

Fourth-grader Ty Hansen said, “I really liked it. It was kind of unexpected. It was fun doing it everyone together.”

After Dancer photographed the Sunglyph, the students dispersed, happily trying on and taking home the shirts, dresses, pants and other clothing that was used to form the deer antlers.

Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul of The Dalles gladly donated the clothes, Dancer said.
— Kirby Neumann-Rea