Peace
Fence
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Peace |
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Fence |
A Grassroots Project to Express Visions of Peace and Well-Being for the Planet
"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he or she sends a tiny ripple of hope. Crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these simple ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." - Robert F. Kennedy
Souper Bowl, First Friday, February 5:
Thanks to all who came out in the cold to eat soup! We appreciate your support.
Photos of all the panels may be seen by visiting every page of this web site.
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In March, 2007, a group of friends were having dinner. One of them, Jean Bakewell, shared an idea she'd had - to transform an unsightly chain link fence that runs along the railroad tracks near her home in Ashland, Oregon, into a Peace Fence, a place where artists, non-artists, writers, children, poets, grandparents - people of all stripes - could post positive expressions about the human spirit and hopes for peace and the planet's well-being. The Peace Fence was born. In
the ensuing weeks, word of the project spread - enthusiasm is a contagious
thing. Seven women organized the effort, but dozens of people contributed to the
fence. And so, on the dark, blustery Saturday night before Mother's Day, 2007, a
large group gathered to fasten 67 fabric panels to the fence - a Mother's Day
surprise for the city of Many more panels were subsequently added, and throngs of visitors walked the fence, many adding written comments of appreciation to a guest book posted nearby. The panels express each contributor's vision about the human spirit and hopes for peace. There are intricate quilts and beautifully sewn works, oil paintings on canvas, collages, batik and tie-died works, hand painted signs and statements. We intentionally kept partisan politics out of the project. You'll see no candidates or issues promoted; the Peace Fence is for everyone of all political persuasions. The story continued. People in other communities, and indeed around the world, inspired by the Fence, created new panels which were hung among the original ones. If you view every page on this web site, you'll see photos of all the Peace Fence panels. There are over two hundred of them. Update 2009: In the summer of 2008, the entire Peace Fence was destroyed by vandals. But the Peace Fence is neither gone nor forgotten. Out of the rubble, a new project has emerged: Ashland's Peace Wall. Artist Kay Cutter is transferring photographic images of every Peace Fence panel (over 200 of them) onto ceramic tiles. Read about this exciting project on our Peace Wall page.
This panel was created by ten veterans of the Viet Nam War from Oakland, California. At size twelve feet by six feet, it is the largest panel on the Fence. It was added on Mothers Day, 2008.
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The Peace Fence gratefully acknowledges our sponsorship by Ashland's Lithia Artisans Market. http://www.lithiaartisansmarket.com.
We are grateful for the help and support Ashland's Peace House: http://www.peacehouse.net.
Grateful acknowledgement to Sue Springer of Illahe Gallery for her design and oversight in building the Peace Wall. Visit her web site: http://www.illahegallery.com/
Panel by Jan Rice, a Peace Fence organizer. |
Panels by Jane Higgenbottom
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Mother's Day Eve, 2007 - Jean Bakewell, organizer, hanging fence panels. Photo by Debi Smith
Peace Fence "mothers" Kay Cutter and Jean Bakewell. Photo by Kate Geary |
Quilted Peace Dove by Lilly Beryl Bowes |
Pastoral Peace painting reflects Ashland's hills. By artist Kay Cutter, added to the Fence on 9/11/07. Photo by Jerry Stein.
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"We are not our mistakes - We are our possibilities." By Kay Cutter |
Peace Madonna |
By Wade and Maggie Bernard |
By Georgia Otterson, Lillian Johnson, Judith Hedgpeth, and N Parker |
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"Laugh More" by The Hamazons
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"Love Peace Family Community" |
Collage - World Peace |
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Nancy Bardos reads her poem at the 2008 Mothers Day Peace Fence Opening Ceremony. See Poem, Right. |
Peace
called us here And we came Our tender hearts filled with longing For her. And we came Our hearts clapping and insane With the joy of each other. Peace called us here And we came Saw instantly we need wait no longer, Need wait for no one. Peace called us here And we knew at last
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Dennis Dunleavy plays bagpipes for the Mothers Day, 2008 ceremony. |
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Ashland Peace Choir singing at Opening, May 11, 2008. Cindy Patterson conducts.
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Louise Pare reads the Mothers Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe (1870), May 11, 2008. |
By Rosemary Dunn Dalton, Melissa Lorien Michaels, and Susan Waterman. |
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Linda Lanzhammer
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By Cindy Southworth |
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"Listen! The wind cries out for PEACE. The Mountains dream of it." - Cathy Moore - Added to the Fence July 12, 2007.
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"We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For" Cyril Maitland
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"People, get ready...there's a train a comin'." |
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By Betty Wynn (2007) |
By Betty Wynn (2008) |
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By Jean Bakewell |
"The Many Languages of Peace" Created by Jerry Kenefick and Kellee Bergendahl, Riley Bergendahl (age 14), Janis and Brian McBride. "In Loving Memory of Beverly Kenefick." Added to the fence August 1, 2007.
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By Jean Bakewell |
Prayer flags by Kathleen Meagher, with help from Jody Woodruff. |
"An Oasis of Peace & Unity on the Great Hiway" by CSY |
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By Shan Lollis
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Web site designed & created by Nancy Parker on behalf of www.peacefence.org. Copyright 2009. Photos not otherwise attributed are by Kate Geary, Teri Dixon, and Nancy Parker.
