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News Coverage of Starr Earthwork

Photo: John M. Galloway
High schoolers design a 9-foot square peace banner to be included in a 37-acre "Starr Earthwork 2002" exhibit from Sept. 29-Oct. 6.

Students draw to make the world a better place
Pinckney art class work to be displayed in Albion

By Linda Theil / Special to The Detroit News

Liz Leonard, a junior, and senior Jim Urbin do some of the detailed work on the banner, which features a human figure made of colorful puzzle pieces cradling the Earth.

Starr Earth work 2002

• What: A 37-acre, 1,000-foot diameter installation made of hundreds of peace banners, mazes, crop plantings and an aerial sculpture created by artists from Norway, China, Australia, Italy and the United States. It was designed in 2000 by a group of international artists and carried out by Michigan residents. Pinckney High School students, members of the Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Pinckney and other members of the Pinckney community painted some of the peace banners that will be shown locally.
• When: Sept. 29 through Oct. 6. On Oct. 5, musicians, dancers and special effects will be presented at a kickoff celebration, starting at 3:30 p.m. Campfires, luminaries and Harley-Davidson motorcycle headlights will illuminate the art work.
• Where: Southwest corner of I-94 and Starr Commonwealth-26 Mile Road in Calhoun County near Albion.
• Who: Project is chaired by Starr Commonwealth Director of Fine Arts Nobel Schuler and Western Michigan University Professor Lou Rizzolo. It is funded by Starr Commonwealth, a school and treatment facility for troubled youth in Albion and Battle Creek United Arts Council and community volunteers.

PINCKNEY -- Students from Joanne Ash's advanced drawing and painting class dabbed pale blue paint on the background of a nine-foot square banner made of Tyvek home-weatherization material.

In the center of the banner, a human figure made of colorful puzzle pieces cradled the Earth. White doves and stylized olive branches formed the borders.

The Pinckney High School students were at work on a peace banner that will be included in a 37-acre "Starr Earthwork 2002" exhibit in Albion from Sept. 29-Oct. 6.

Starr Earthwork 2002 is an international project that aims to further world peace through the arts.

"We're setting a model for other countries to take off from," said Nobel Schuler, the project's co-chairman. "We believe the creative human spirit is the thing that links us together as human beings, and we're trying to nurture that."

Ash's student, Jeanette Chanyi, 17, created the central design for the Pinckney High banner.

"It's Mother Earth holding the globe," Chanyi said. "I was having this whole idea about people coming together, but we're not there yet."

Chanyi conveyed her idea by showing missing puzzle pieces floating in the background of the banner.

Ash said her students submitted designs for the project. The class voted to use Nikki Getsoian's border designs and Chanyi's central image for the banner.

"I really like it. I think it's very mature for high school kids," Ash said. "It struck me as such a strong design -- showing those pieces coming together to form a whole body. I didn't know kids thought at that level."

Ash's class prepared the banner by outlining the drawing, then all high school students were invited to paint the banner in the commons during lunch on Sept. 11.

The Pinckney Key Club organized the lunchtime event and solicited donated paint from area hardware stores.

"It was a good idea to get the whole school involved and not just the drawing and painting classes," said art student Eric Hesch, 16.

"It's a good idea to show respect for what happened on Sept. 11. What happened that day changed everything. It showed the world how important world peace is."

Key Club sponsor Karen Diamond worked with Ash and art teacher Hallie Levine to pull the project together in less than a week after Jana Kosko of Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Pinckney asked them to participate.

As chairperson of the church's board of Christian education, Kosko led church and community members in the creation of several banners for the enormous earthworks installation.

"I was 100-percent in favor of the project," said the church's pastor, Robert Ridenour. "I think cooperation among people and nations is one of the most important things people can be involved in.

"This was one way we could become involved and get others involved in the pursuit of world peace."

After the high school students painted the design on the banner, Ash's art class worked on the background and added finishing touches.

Key Club member Alisha Chenault, 16, said she was impressed that students took their lunch hour to help with the project.

"Knowing how many people helped, when they didn't have to, makes it really cool," Chenault said.

"I believe that by us promoting peace we show that the World Trade Center tragedy is not enough to kill our spirits or stop us from wanting peace. We're still a world peace kind of country."

Linda Theil is a Metro Detroit free-lance writer.

News Coverage of Starr Earthwork

• Kalamazoo Gazette CROP CIRCLES ARE SIGNS FOR WORLD PEACE
• Battle Creek SHOPPER NEWS - May 9, 2002 Starr Commonwalth breaks ground for "Earthwork"
• The Battle Creek Enquirer  Farmer transforms field into art project for peace
• The Detroit News  Students draw to make the world a better place
  Pinckney art class work to be displayed in Albion
• The Jackson Citizen Patriot  Organizers hope to draw thousands to artistic project
• Great Lakes Radio Consortium Growing art in the field
• The Battle Creek Enquirer Oct. 3, 2002 Peace initiative opens Saturday
• The Battle Creek Enquirer Oct 6, 2002 Earthwork 2002 opens at Starr Commonwea