Image above: “Whale Bones” by Suzanne Charleston.
Words above by Jeremy Blackwater, a member of Spirit Journey Youth: an Episcopal Native American youth group in Northern Arizona. You can see some videos from Spirit Journey Youth here.
Note: Kaze Gadway works with the emerging leaders of the Episcopal Church within the Native American community of Northern Arizona. She says: "They are youth of promise from twelve to twenty."
Artistically, “Danville U.S.A.” is my expression of the lively, personable people that I encountered here, the depth of the souls who live/lived in this place. It is not the river, the architecture, nor the industries that are the things that exist here. Rather, it is the “spirit” of all who have built and are building Danville.
I was touched by these people — their perseverance; their tenacity; their love of where they live. At its core, this sculpture is a “family portrait” of yesterday, today and tomorrow — a loving reminder of how important it is to remember who we are as we build what we are to become.
Remember, the sculpture does not stand alone. The old Temple Arc, the redesigned exterior wall and its arches, the bandstand, the landscape, the seat wall, the walkways and perhaps most of all, the sculpture site’s central physical location are all integral to the complete presentation. All of these elements work in concert to create a powerful statement of the need for beauty that we constantly seek in our lives. Beauty completes us.
Images above and on front-page mastheads: "Danville U.S.A." by Donna L. Dobberfuhl.
Words above by Donna L. Dobberfuhl, "Sculptor's Reflections." See also "Creating Brick Sculpture."
Image above and on front-page mastheads: “Descending Dove” by Sherry Byrd.
Words above: “The Living Flame of Love” (3) from The Works of St. John of the Cross, Copyright ICS Publications.
