The Symbolism of the Singing Tree of Climate Solutions

by Laurie Marshall

The students from Ukiah High School in northern California co-created this powerful image. They used Project Drawdown as a resource for the top 10 solutions to reduce the CO2 in our atmosphere. Planting trees is among the top 10. Four trees are honored in the mural: the oak, the redwood, the madrone and willow. Without trees, there is no human life.

In the mural, Mother Earth holds the planet as she weeps. Her hair is on fire. An hour glass symbolizes the reality of the finite time we have to stop the warming trend before a tipping point is reached. At the top of hour glass is the pollution and burning and the destruction of the earth. At the bottom is the world where Nature is thriving, with bees and flowers, windmills and whales, coral growing and cows grazing.

The butterfly is a monarch, whose population has decreased 86% in the last two years on the California coast. Windmills and solar arrays form its markings.

The birds in each upper corner hold a city with wind turbines, solar arrays and roof top gardens.

The madrone tree is a female figure with a gas mask on. The students wore masks during the 2017 wildfires. They lost classmates and homes. They have an intimate understanding of the Climate Emergency. The figure is pregnant with the earth. She says “No” to the rise in the temperature, the rise in emissions, and the rise in extinctions. She has a garland of flowers on her head to symbolize the power of the life force of Nature. In educating girls, more stewardship of the earth will take place and fewer children will be born.

The Oak tree is a male figure. He holds a red panda in his hand to symbolize people as guardians of the animals and plants. Family planning is in the realm of men as well as women. Supporting boys is essential to create Warriors for the Earth who view all life as sacred.

The human hand offers a bean plant to Mother Earth. The bean plant is wrapped around and caressing the human. The message written on the hand is “Plant-Rich Diet” and “No Food Waste” – important actions to strive for to bring down carbon emissions.

The collective wisdom and imagination offering by “The Singing Tree of Climate Solutions” is a sign post of the genius of youth. They are “the brightest lights in the darkest world.” ( Alejandro González Iñárritu)

Connecting Through Art

By Laurie Marshall

Students at Howard Elementary in Oakland, CA, transform their school with Create Peace Project

Belonging and connecting are tools against violence. My colleagues and I at Create Peace Project in San Francisco, CA use art to help people feel they belong and are connected.

As a lead artist for Create Peace Project, I am facilitating a 30 foot mural, sponsored by Young Audiences, with 220 K-5th students at Howard Elementary School in Oakland, CA. I ask the students why do you think we “create peace” by using art. The answer of the children reflect current research: “I release my negative feelings when I paint.” “I have less stress when I make art.” “Painting makes me feel peaceful.” “When I’m painting, I’m not fighting.” “When you make something beautiful, it brings peace and joy to the world.”

Mr. Z and his class.

San Francisco Unified School District has awarded Create Peace Project the prestigious “Dream Catcher” Award for the dozen murals that have been completed by students around the city. Hundreds of students can say “I made that!” as they witness their mark on their schools. You can see a video here of a recent magnificent mosaic project that involved 500 Longfellow Elementary School students and transformed a city block.

Longfellow mosaic mural.

To learn some more about Create Peace Project’s focus on decreasing bullying through the arts, check out this conversation hosted by the Peaceful World Foundation in their blog. As a guest facilitator, along with members of the No Bully organization, I encourage more dialogues about using the arts to prevent bullying. Collaboration and Creativity makes a more peaceful world. These projects demonstrate what’s possible.

“I feel loved when I look at our Mural.” 2nd grader, Howard Elementary School, Oakland, California

Healing Art Project Created One Year After The Tragic Parkland Shooting - Turning Pain into Beauty

by Laurie Marshall

Parkland Art Project

Westglades Middle School in Parkland, Florida coped with the first anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2019. There is nothing more humbling than facing the grief and helplessness that arises from the act of murder of innocent people. The shooter had gone to the middle school for three years. The staff had worried about him, but he slipped through the cracks.

Many of the students who died had gone to the middle school as well. One high school student had visited, Deborah Golding, her middle school art teacher, the week before the shooting. She came to tell Ms. Golding what a great teacher she was. And then her young life was over. Ms. Golding could not contain her tears as she told me the story.

Students collaborate in the painting of the rainbow that symbolizes the celebration of diversity and different sexualities.

Building Peace Through Art

I facilitated the 75th Singing Tree mural through the help of De Palazzo, Safe Schools Director at Equality Florida and a private benefactor. The Singing Tree™ Project is an international collaborative mural project the incorporates Peace Building Through Art, inspired by Nature. Each mural envisions healing of heartbreak and creates a shared vision of success.

A Collaborative Image Dedicated to Love

At Westglades Middle School, 350 art and drama students creatively processed their community’s nightmare together by making a collaborative image dedicated to love. The principal, Matthew Bianchi, was under pressure to have the middle school locked down on the anniversary of the shooting. The Broward County School District is entangled in law suits for negligence, because they failed to prevent the massacre which left 17 people injured and 17 people dead.

Only one-third of the students attended school on the first year anniversary. The rest of the students were home with their families or participating in memorial ceremonies at the high school.

Students working on the Parkland Art Mural Project

The Lead Design Team and The Equality Club

Principal Bianchi, with support from art teacher Ms. Golding, chose to have the students work together outside on the Mangrove Singing Tree of Love – expressing themselves instead of being shut inside the classroom.

The Lead Design Team of the project was six students from the Equality Club – a gay-straight alliance which supports LGBTQ students. As facilitator, I incorporated the club members’ ideas for the mural, including the Mangrove Tree and its roots, a peace symbol, diamonds and stars in the sky, hanging flags that symbolize different sexualities, a rainbow earth where differences are celebrated, figures in the trees and nested hearts. The Equality Club ‘s vision served as inspiration for their school, which increased the status of this oft-bullied group.

As the students worked, they spoke tangentially of the massacre. They expressed their sadness on this tragic day and how glad they were to be outside, to be together, to be using their hands, to be immersed in color, to be making decisions, to be creative, to solve problems in a finite space, to invite their classmates to add their artwork, to connect, to touch the wall, to touch the paint.

Detail of the Parkland Art Mural Art Project showing the Mangrove Tree and its roots, a peace symbol, diamonds and stars in the sky, and the rainbow of different colors that symbolize different sexualities.

A Symbol of Strength and Diversity

Westglades principal, Matthew Bianchi, said of the project, “The mural is beautiful and a powerful symbol of strength and diversity. The painting of the mural was therapeutic to our students who are healing from the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. It will be a constant reminder of the resolve our community has.”

You can see a short slide show of the process of making this tribute to love and resilience. The goal is to create soul strengthening imagery to deal with the heartbreak of gun violence and young death, transforming pain into beauty. The project strives to help prevent violence, to create a world where every child knows they belong, they have purpose, they have meaning, they are unique and they are loved.