Stepping Out ~ May 11th noon ~ message reading

Spring in New England is pure magic. After long, dark months where the only color one sees is grey, or maybe shades of brown; all of a sudden one day you wake up and kaboom...! there is an explosion of greens, pinks, yellows and purples. Seemingly overnight the world is transformed from a dull, colorless vista to a wild parade of joyous technicolor, akin to what happens to Dorothy when she steps into the Land of Oz.

I actually have no right to complain about the long winter because I was away for all of it. But never the less, I am still in awe of the magnificent celebration that Mother Nature is putting forth this week.

Here in my studio I continue to celebrate being home and getting back to what I love to do ~ weave, make art, teach and build community. With the Woven Voices Project, I have messages to read and flags to be woven. Here are the details ~

On my travels across the Atlantic I stopped at St Helena, where I visited with the students and teachers at Pilling Primary School. I gave a dozen prayer flags with this sweet school who have installed the flags going up the inside stair way.

While at the school, I was given over 100 messages of hope and peace from the students and teachers. On May 11th at noon in Market Square, Portsmouth, NH I will read these messages along with dozens other beautiful messages. I hope that you will join me.

My other invitation is to come weave prayer flags. There are four looms in the studio ready to go. To entice you to join this community art project...here is what your prayer flag will do ~ bring a ray of hope, a moment of peace, a ray of sunshine to someone somewhere in the world.

Here is Sedick Davidson, curator of The Heritage Museum, Simon's Town, established in his family's house (built in 1858), which belonged to the Amlay family until they were forcibly removed from the town when it was declared a white group area in September 1967 under the Group Areas Act of the Nationalist Government. There is still much sadness and pain from this era of South African history. Sedick was touched to receive the gift of a prayer flag. I gave him two, one for his daughter who suffers from a debilitating disease.

If you have a couple of hours, I welcome you here to weave and spread hope and peace around the world. Email or call me to make a date to weave!

I will keep posting images of prayer flags from my recent travels, as well as share the inspirational stories. I hope to see you on May 11th at noon in Market Square! Peace and gratitude ~ Sarah

Voices in the Square

September 11th 2009.

Many thanks to the ten folks who joined me yesterday to read about 200 messages of hope, peace and goodwill. I am very grateful for your support to sustain this project and keep peace alive.

Each time I show up to read in Market Square in Portsmouth, I uncover new truths about myself and the world in which I live. Yesterday, the simple truth that revealed herself was the importance of reflection. After each message that was read, we paused and savored the words as well as the intent of the writer.

Some of the messages were as simple a three year old child saying"I want everyone to have cake". While others held loftier visions of all national leaders speaking truth.

With each message reading and reflection, I felt a deep sense of honor being offered to that voice.

Blessings and gratitude to those friends who read, laughed and paused yesterday to honor these wise and heartfelt messages.

My studio door is open to weavers, and messages are always welcome. Keep peace alive through your daily actions.

Namaste, Sarah

Spring is busting out!~

Happy Spring to all~

I am knee deep in projects here in the studio. I have weavers coming about every week to help weave prayer flags, I have two commissions as well as a project for a local historical house. I am an artist in residence at Milford Elementary School in NH.

The Macomber Looms blog has taken off, and I am fielding emails from all over the US to help weavers with their Macomber equipment. Then there are the gardens. The peas, spinach and lettuce are planted. The rhubarb has been harvested once and the flower beds are almost all mulched. Phew!

All of this is to say, Spring is a busy time here in Maine! I have decided to postpone the May message reading that I had planned for May 11th in Market Square. Hopefully June will offer a better window of opportunity.

The top photo here is of an Italian book group enjoying their prayer flags. The lower photos are from an artist in residence project I did with a school in MA. The students are weaving a giant globe, that has now been installed in the school. This project feels very aligned with Woven Voices project. It was a community wide art project that was driven by a vision of unity, integrity and cooperation.

Please keep in touch. Messages and weavers always welcome!
Sarah