September 17, 2007

Soul Cafe hosts 'Pinwheels' projects Sept. 21

In today’s world, peace needs to be more than just a word. On Sept. 21 Soul Cafe will take part in an international art and literacy project, “Pinwheels for Peace,” by “planting” pinwheels with messages of peace on the lawn of the Hood River Public Library.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, of Coconut Creek, Fla., as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives.

That year, groups in more than 1,325 locations throughout the world set over 500,000 pinwheels spinning on Sept. 21.

Last year, over a million pinwheels were spinning at more than 2,350 locations, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, Africa and South America. Locally, Soul Cafe will be coordinating the Pinwheels for Peace project this year.

This project is non-political, according to Clyde Sanda, Soul Café coordinator.

“Peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war; it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to peace of mind,” he said. “To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: ‘a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people.’”

As part of the creation process, the public is invited to Soul Cafe to write their thoughts about “war and peace/tolerance/living in harmony with others” on one side. On the other, they will draw or color to visually express their feelings. These pinwheels will be assembled and on the International Day of Peace, the pinwheels will be “planted” at the library as a public statement and art exhibit.