A powerful and profound need exists within each of us to know that peace is possible in spite of the violence that surrounds us on so many different fronts. It invokes the image of an emerging Buddha sculpture as a universal icon of peace inviting people to think about how they can find peace in their own lives and their communities. Ten Thousand Ripples (TTR) is a collaborative public art, civic
engagement and peace project. It uses art as a catalyst to foster dialogue about peace and non-violence and create innovative solutions to address contemporary social issues. Through TTR, artists, neighborhood leaders, and residents are at the heart of community-driven planning and public involvement efforts. At the center of TTR are 100 fiberglass and resin Buddha sculptures designed by Indira Johnson and installed in sites in 10 Chicago area neighborhoods. The locations are chosen by stakeholders in each community who are also planning and implementing related artistic programming. TTR is a partnership between artist Indira Johnson and Changing Worlds, the lead organization in a consortium of local community, social service, educational and cultural organizations. Guided by a city-wide advisory council, TTR uses an innovative approach that engages entire communities and brings together people from various sectors in pursuit of transformational, sustainable change.TTR is rooted in the beliefs that art is for the people, that community art should contribute to daily life, and that creating safe forums for residents to talk creates a habit of dialogue and a foundation for trust and mutual understanding. When these elements are in place, communities come together and quality of life is raised. TTR aims to leverage public art as a springboard to build responses and solutions to vital social concerns and to improve neighborhoods. Each community brings its distinctive approach to TTR. However, the common threads include neighborhood based dialogues sessions, artistic programming, the installation of public art and arts infused community development plans. In spring 2013, TTR will culminate in an exhibition at the Loyola University Museum of Art in downtown Chicago that will include some of the Buddha sculpture sculptures and document the various artistic responses from all 10 communities. Through TTR, each community will create written and visual documentation of its planning process, implementation and outcomes, as well as a community-designed plan for continued integration of the arts into its neighborhood development process going forward. We would love for you to be part of our conversation.
