More than 1,000 local people contributed to two art pieces that were selected for the ArtPrize art competition in Grand Rapids, Mich. The mother-daughter team of Dianna Williams and Christi Ziebarth, both of Warsaw, are the artists behind the artworks, titled “Ripple Effect” and “A Thousand Prayers”. In a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon, Ziebarth said “Ripple Effect” is the culmination project of the “dye4LIFE” art in education program. It was a grant-funded initiative from the Dekko Foundation with Warsaw Community Schools. Ziebarth and Williams initiated the program. The two were awarded the grant in fall 2011, and the project was carried out in spring 2012. Between March and May, Ziebarth said, they visited all eight elementary schools in the Warsaw school district. They spent 60 minutes in each sixth-grade classroom at each of the eight schools. A total of 584 sixth-graders participated. During that time, she said, there were four components. Ziebarth and Williams presented their art exhibit with an age-appropriate message, drawing awareness to children in Africa trafficked into the fishing industry. It carried with it an abolition message. It was tied to the Indiana curriculum, pulling noted abolitionists, past and present, from history. Students also did a hands-on response project. Each child participated in Batik, the African culture dye process. Ziebarth said each student dyed a piece of fabric in their school colors. A 24-foot, 12-paneled art quilt, “Ripple Effect”, is made up of fabric swatches students dyed. There is a representation of each school and classroom in the final art piece. There is one panel for each school, with Williams having finished the first two panels herself to show students. The purpose is a message. The final piece is a big wave pattern, Ziebarth said. “Our goal is education awareness through the catalyst of art,” Ziebarth said. The ripple effect concept is that they’re throwing out a seed, Ziebarth said. “We hope to touch people to share the story of the voiceless children in Africa.” Action has to start with compassion, she said, and they are engaging students in a memorable way with the art. There was a great response to the project, she said, and the artists were overwhelmed. The other selected piece, “A Thousand Prayers,” is a 12-foot work on canvass created as a performance art piece commissioned by a local church expressing hundreds of prayers and a call to compassion for a world in need. Ziebarth said the six-canvas piece goes together as one. It was done through two Sunday mornings during five church services. On the first Sunday, Ziebarth painted flowing abstract colors as a representation of the heart of God. On the second Sunday, everyone was invited up to the canvases to paint a prayer on them. “Half of it was an interaction process with people,” Ziebarth said. “It was definitely process driven, versus end-product driven.” On the art work now are “hundreds and hundreds” of prayers, she said. “Ripple Effect” and “A Thousand Prayers” will be at the Lakeland Art Association Gallery in Pierceton until Sept. 13, though Williams’ and Ziebarth’s exhibit will be there through Sept. 28. Ziebarth said abolitionArt has a talk scheduled at the gallery Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. It is open to the public. After Sept. 13, the two art pieces will be transported to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize. In its fourth year, ArtPrize will feature the work of more than 1,500 artists in venues throughout downtown Grand Rapids. During the 19-day event, Sept. 19 through Oct. 7, the public will vote for their favorite work using mobile devices and the web. Grand prizes will be awarded to the top 10 works of art. More information on ArtPrize can be found at artprize.org For more information on abolitionArt, see its website at abolitonart.com
