GRATITUDE from the roots of our tree to the tips of our branches ...

 for John at GOOD LIFE CERAMICS 3717 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz

Just this past weekend we finally started gluing down the earth and roots of the tree! In June and July of 2018, John poured his love and expertise into helping us create roots and fertile soil for the mosaic tree. We worked together to carve various themes that emerged as participants talked about the meaning of their leaves. 

May we all ... EMBRACE (little did we know how this would be such a rare occurrence during Covid restrictions), 

PLAY,     CELEBRATE,     CARE,     NURTURE,     RESPECT,     GROW,     HONOR,     PROTECT,    DANCE,     GRIEVE,     NOURISH ...

and so much more!

Public Art Seeking a Home

Thank you Shmuel Thaler, senior staff photographer at Santa Cruz Sentinel. What a delight to see our community project featured prominently on today's front page of the Santa Cruz Sentinel as "A Joint Venture". Indeed it is. This is especially helpful as we shift gears and begin to look for a home for this co-created Communi-Tree.

We are seeking a permanent location where the tree will be visible and accessible to the community. This community created art project is a colorful 10-foot-wide by 11-foot-high flat mosaic of a majestic tree with over 180 spectacular leaves, each about the size of your hand. Each mosaic leaf was crafted by an individual community member, from four-year-olds to elders, who came together to create mosaic art symbolizing their deep hopes, concerns, and values and to express their emotions as a way to be united in our care and respect for one another at this time in history. As an experienced mosaic artist, Christine led this year-long project, supported by myself and dozens of other motivated volunteers. Participants time and again told us it was a gift to take the time to stop and think about what they care about deeply and what they would like to see supported by our leaders. Together each person translated these deep feelings into a tangible creation that united so many in working on a common art project.

We look forward to having the tree available for public viewing. If you have ideas or leads about where and how this installation could be visible and accessible to our community, please contact us at mosaicswithmeaning @ gmail.com.

Join us for our next GROUTING day!

April 22 11am - 2pm (adjusted time)

There are about 75 more leaves remaining to be grouted. 
We would love for you to join us ... reconnect with the meaning of your leaf and the many contributions of others. 

And ... if you have connections with the press, please share the news. We're excited about taking the next step of find a home for this tree, a symbol of our values, to set down roots in our community.

Hope to see you here!

Christine & Julie

Moving Right Along ...

Thanks to all who helped, lots of leaves were loved into being during the first grouting day. This beautiful mosaic communi-tree is bursting with life.

Please join an upcoming grouting day ...

Sundays
February 4  -  March 4 
1-4pm  

Let us know if you can join. You are welcome to grout your own leaf 

and/or help grout the leaves of others in our community. Many hands make for little work!

Email us at Mosaicswithmeaning@gmail.com

ONE STEP AT A TIME ...

On Tuesday, November 7 (election day) a final small group joined us to complete the remaining leaves on our community tree. Their contributions communicated their values and hopes for us all. That we may ...

radiate peace
soften and be held in light
hold space for understanding & what is yet to be born,
remember love as the healing force in the face of differences

Solidarity and collaboration reigned during this journey of leaf creating during the past 10 months. We came together, regardless of our political affiliations, to create with care and respect for ourselves and one another as we shared what has heart and meaning in our lives.

And now we're ready for the support of our community as we take next steps ...

The first is to grout each leaf on the tree.
The second is to find a home for this tree to set down her roots in our community.
The third is to organize the photos, video and feedback of participants. We hope to find creative ways to communicate the meaning and values evident in the tree to those who see it in the future... augmented reality?

Step 1: 

First Grouting Day
Sunday, December 3  1:30-3:30pm

If you'd like to grout your own leaf, we hope you can join us on that day! Please email us to RSVP. mosaicswithmeaning@gmail.com. People will join on that day to grout their own leaf and help grout other leaves as well. Hope you can make it.

Coming Together

This community mosaic project is moving along ... and, is nearly done. Last weekend we held our final day of public leaf making. All along the way our intention was to bring people together to create, express their cares and concerns, and be united in care and respect. 

Since inauguration day, 169 adults and children have participated by creating individual mosaic leaves using a variety of colorful pieces to represent what they care most about at this time in history.

Everyone’s involvement in this project to date has been possible due to dedicated volunteer efforts. Additional volunteers are welcome now to aid in creating augmented reality digital options for communicating the tree’s messages to viewers.

On Monday (Labor Day) we had a prep session - filling in between the leaves with mirror and also refilling the stash. Sunday (9/10) more leaves were created and participants brought special homemade goodies. Those who chose to shared aloud about their leaf and cares. 

Many have told us it is a gift to take the time to stop and think about what we care deeply about and what we want to have respected and cared for by both ourselves and from our leaders ... translating our emotions into a creation and united in a common project. A highlight at the end of Sunday's session was putting the four large panels together to get a birds-eye view. 

The next phase of the project is to find the right Santa Cruz home. 

This will allow the trunk, bark, base and roots to be custom to the location. Our co-created mosaic “communi-tree,” will need a space 10 feet wide and 10-12 feet high to reside. We seek a permanent location where the tree will be visible and accessible to the community, honor the voices, concerns and values of the many diverse participants, and mark this time in history. And... ideally, we'd like to have a bench below. If you have ideas about a great location, or know volunteers to help with the augmented reality portion, please contact mosaicswithmeaning @ gmail . com!

Compare the two photos below and imagine our delight of seeing this vision materializing.

Lots of creativity and care continue to fill the leaves of our tree

The gathering in July brought together new friends and old

to create another 24 leaves on our mosaic communi-tree. 

New hope and visions of a future emerged ...

each contributing to the possibility of a wonderful world 

for the baby who joined us 

and the foster youth who will step into the safety 

of one of our participant's life. 

Only 34 leaf templates remain,

ready for 34 more people to join us. 

Please share the news with friends 

about our next gathering on 

Saturday, September 9 at 1:30pm

Saturday, September 9 at 1:30PM

... is our next community gathering. 

You're invited to come

with your values, concerns and cares 

in heart and mind. 

Hope you'll join us!

History in the Making

We continue to be moved by all that is happening in this project! Since our last post we participated in the History Jam at Santa Cruz MAH and were just one of the community collaborators. Our focus was to share about this MOSAIC Communi-TREE project and to invite others to attend and participate.

Christi creating the board - MAH event co-developer

We asked community to consider what's important to each individual at this point in history and created bowls on the top areas of interest. Watch a little piece on our evening.

Those pieces were then used at the Community Leaf making event. We were delighted to have folks join us Saturday who learned about the project because of the Friday night gathering.

At the event, we also invited community to start helping us consider where it should live. We would like somewhere that is publicly accessible and as easily visible by as many people as possible. Maybe enjoying the ability to have bench nearby and possibly along the ocean's edge, as so many have wanted protection of ocean and nature. 

Then on Saturday... we had another amazing community creation day!

Just to share about one leaf.... two co-creators made a leaf on Immigration... using community pieces from the MAH event. The creators included every piece without cutting or changing the tiles in any way. They took turns placing the tiles and moved us to consider how families are broken apart, and wanting to make sure there is always a way to come together, and that every one has a safe place.
 Really there is so much more to share and tell you about... but, today we begin a period of retreat, where we will be away for almost a week, learning and practicing cultivating wisdom and compassion. May peace, joy, connection be with you all.

Thank you for your interest and support of this project. Our next community event is on July 9. There are no cost for events and we provide all the supplies. We are asking people to register (as it creates some ease for us) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sunday-july-9-2017-mosaic-communi-tree-tickets-34578861305

Hope you are staying connected to what you care about and what you value. Join us in July... the events are awesome and meaningful.

...Love, Freedom, Justice, Ocean, Health, Nature, Creativity, Community...

Barks and Bikes

It is rewarding to see the ways this project is turning out to be a fun and meaningful learning experience for us and everyone involved. We have taken to calling this our
MOSAIC Communi-TREE... somehow this name makes us smile.

While each day tends to be surprisingly different, there are similarities in the care, focus and attention that people bring. And, in reviewing our gatherings, we notice at least one canine companion most times. Another similarity, often we have had folks arrive by bike. Sweet, unexpected surprises. Here we are building our mosaic leafs, with meaning, reflection and purpose, and in community... our Communi-Tree.

Our next community leaf-making event is Saturday, May 20 at 1:30 p.m.

Sign-up here for the next MOSAIC Communi-TREE day.

We are trying this free event system out - let us know what you think. To us, it's less personal but has the big advantage of helping us prepare and know how many plan to come.

Take a look below. We thought you might enjoy a few pictures of our assorted bikes and barks. If you know the names of the dogs, please add them in the comments.

  

Poder a la Cultura

Equality, immigration justice, care for the environment, family, love and joy were prominent themes during our sunny Sunday of leaf making. Many shared meaningful personal stories and actions they intend to take in their lives to support what is important to them. We are so grateful for what we are learning from one another!

Immigration justice: Freedom from ICE

Kiernan & Hilary (daughter-mother team) give some life and color to our posters.

With the caring attentiveness of some hardworking & helpful volunteers, participants touched into the heart and meaning of what they care most about.

Anne-Ly, our master tile nipper, hard at work. Nick photobombs. 

Word is Out

We are honored to be featured in the KQED Arts series, "First 100 Days: Art in the Age of Trump."

Check out our first press coverage: https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2017/04/13/tree-bursting-with-mosaic-leaves-sends-political-message/

Another highlight is Julie and Christine had a lovely initial meeting with Helen from the Museum of Art and History (MAH) in Santa Cruz, exploring potential collaboration opportunities. We learned about an upcoming event that you might be interested in. Find out more here.

In 3 seconds... What's it all about?

Spring is here ... Leaves are growing!

Sometimes it's tough to put into words how we feel about things that are important to us. Making art can help ... clearing space for relationships (even without words) and movement beyond the stuck places in our lives. On the first Sunday of spring, 26 people gathered to make their own unique contributions to our community mosaic tree.

Laughs, tears, questions and answers were shared as families, couples, singles, elders, parents, teens, and young children all shared their thoughts, feelings, intentions, and creativity while contemplating what matters most to them.

Here's just one snippet of the wisdom we heard throughout the day ...

One of the young people shared about his creation, "Escaping the Wall -- If people can't come into our country we won't be able to be friends with different kinds of people." When asked how he felt about that, he seemed surprised and immediately replied, as if we should know the answer. "Sad," he said, with a downward gaze and slumped shoulders, his disappointment evident to us all.

Couldn't have done it with such ease and flow without our faithful support team!

We welcome you to join us at our next gathering: Sunday, April 23 or Saturday, May 20 at 1:30 (support team at 1:00). Send us an email to mosaicswithmeaning at gmail dot com if you have questions or imagine you'd like to be a part of the Spring bloom. (Wrote that email address in a weird way to avoid spammers)

Creative Co-Conspirators

We haven't said much about ourselves before now and we had a reason. For us, this project is about all the people who are coming together to create and to share what they care about. We envision this tree rooted in our community as a symbol of our ability to co-create with care and respect for one another and for what we value. And, as this project moves out beyond our circle of family, close friends, neighbors, and colleagues, people want to know ... who's behind this project? So here's a snapshot.

Julie Norton is an artist and lover of life with an incredibly magical gift of combining images with her trusty sidekick, her iPad. And she's committed to supporting endeavors that spark her passions - like this project. She's a teacher of teachers in the area of social and emotional well-being, ever committed to learning as she has helped schools be a bit more fun, supportive, and healing for everyone involved. Benefiting from the gifts of mindfulness practice, a wonderful husband and two beloved cats, along with a circle of faithful, supportive friends and family, she lives life filled with gratitude and awe for each moment. In her interactions with others, she leads with playfulness, sensitivity, curiosity, and kindness. She is such a fun playmate!

Christine Evans is an expressive arts facilitator and mosaic artist in this "season" of life. She shares with others her passions for the mystery and magic of the creative process, mindfulness practices, and healthy living in mind, body and spirit. Few things bring her more joy than seeing others filled with the excitement of creating, especially when it is joined with the gift of expressing one's inner experiences and the surprise of meaning-making as a result. Her generosity, care for the well-being of others, and excitability are evident in her ways of being in the world. Be careful, it can be contagious!

Grateful for Community

Special thanks to Christi, Susan, Silvia, Cynthia and Carli for your help at our last leaf-making day.

* making and distributing thin-set












* cutting tessera pieces to just the right size

* translating materials











* greeting visitors and answering questions about the project







* helping out with young ones






All made for a smooth day of 10 more people creating leaves on our community tree.

With only 161 leaves to go, we're excited to see who will join us at our next community event on March 26, at 9:30 or 1:30 start times. So eager to see what they'll create as a symbol for what they care about. If you'd like to join please email us at mosaicswithmeaning@gmail.com.

Treasure Box

On Friday, Nick opens the door, nearly singing with delight, “Christine, someone left you a present!” Indeed, a mystery friend left an entire box of beautiful treasures, with the simple note, “Do you have any use for these?” Christine cupped each item in her hands. She exclaimed, “Look at this! It’s so beautiful…. (deep breath and gleeful noise) I can’t even imagine breaking it!” Body wiggling. A deep sigh of delight. 

We stood together honoring the treasures with reverence: the artistry of the red bowl, the blue vessel, a mug with variegated colors and textured edges, a box full of delights including a rose quartz heart-shaped stone. We noted the blue vessel could be a holder for colored pencils and pens. It could be so many things. We noticed the fracture, sharing a guess as to why the owner was ready to part with this item that we were all admiring. And the guessing began, "I wonder who this is from. Is this from Robin?"

This box of goodies was gifted to Christine because her friends and neighbors know that she transforms broken treasures into whole pieces of beauty and is inviting the community to join us in this project. 

We hope this project ... and its unfolding ... of people coming together to share their cares … will bring us all unexpected presents and presence, in a time of personal and national turmoil. Yes, it was you ... thank you, Robin, for your generous donation to this project. 

Side note: Hello Mosaics with Meaning (MWM) Community. If you have a very special broken plate or mug we welcome your donations. And Christine assures us that we're in very good shape with a wide selection of ceramics pieces. 

Thank You Taylor Farms

What a surprise to hear Taylor Farms' enthusiasm
and willingness to support our project. They donated
recycled plastic containers perfect for sorting our tessera! 

We couldn't be more delighted and grateful for their generosity -
sending what we needed and more.
We are looking forward to sharing them with others
who might be interested in starting their own community tree!

Check out our new containers... ready for action.

Many Hands Makes For Little Work

Lots of different ways to cut ceramics

Preparation continues for launching our community project. We are grateful for the extra helping hands, ones filled with excitement and eagerness to contribute. Happy helping hands! Even with a down pouring tempest of rain and wild winds, we gathered to break ceramics and sort tessera.

It Takes a Village

Exciting week of creating tshirts with Dennis. Lots of laughs and creative energy went into the design and layout. Breathing deeply, shared decision-making, and listening to our energy levels all contribute to a process filled with joy, ease, gratitude and meaningful connection.