www.marysvillepictographproject.com
Art has been an integral part of cultures across the world for thousands of years providing individuals and societies with a means of communication, expression, and celebration. Pictographs have been created on rock surfaces across the vast landscape of earth and have endured the natural elements of wind, rain, and sun along with the impact of the technological advance of human evolution. Images have been drawn or painted onto stone for the past 50,000 years with the oldest images originating from Africa. In France and Spain rock art has been dated to 30,000 years old in some areas and in California some of the rock art dates back to 20,000 years. As we begin to trace the footsteps of human evolution through such images with the aid of carobon dating we can begin to understand the role that the pictographs had in human development. Prior to written languages, images were a way to communicate with not only fellow humans, but with the spirits that were integral to the culture's foundation and beliefs.
The Marysville Pictograph Project is a multidimensional project that embraces the arts and culture not only within the school itself, but within the surrounding community as a whole. By using the art of pictographs created by 65 4th and 5th grade students at Marysville Elementary as a means of communicating the story of "Tongue" from the Clackamas Chinook Texts we are able to keep the story alive for future generations to enjoy regardless of language barriers. The student's art will be sandblasted and painted on the basalt columns that will be part of the new addition to the playground remodel that is in development.
Due to the vision of the Confluence Project, which has been monumental in bringing funding to over twentyfive public and private schools in the past two years as a means of educating future generations while preserving the culture, history, and environment of the Pacific Northwest. The main goal of the Confluence Project is to use art and culture as a way of exploring the role of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery's influence on the native cultures as they made their way along the Columbia RIver to the Pacific Ocean. As a result of the inevitable change that took place when two completely different cultures merged, we now have the opportunity through projects like MPP to address issues that we now face together as humans hoping to create a sustainable environment for future generations to enjoy.
The Marysville Pictograph Project is a multidimensional project that embraces the arts and culture not only within the school itself, but within the surrounding community as a whole. By using the art of pictographs created by 65 4th and 5th grade students at Marysville Elementary as a means of communicating the story of "Tongue" from the Clackamas Chinook Texts we are able to keep the story alive for future generations to enjoy regardless of language barriers. The student's art will be sandblasted and painted on the basalt columns that will be part of the new addition to the playground remodel that is in development.
Due to the vision of the Confluence Project, which has been monumental in bringing funding to over twentyfive public and private schools in the past two years as a means of educating future generations while preserving the culture, history, and environment of the Pacific Northwest. The main goal of the Confluence Project is to use art and culture as a way of exploring the role of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery's influence on the native cultures as they made their way along the Columbia RIver to the Pacific Ocean. As a result of the inevitable change that took place when two completely different cultures merged, we now have the opportunity through projects like MPP to address issues that we now face together as humans hoping to create a sustainable environment for future generations to enjoy.
Portland artist Scott Sutton worked with the students for 7 weeks in which each of the three classes of 4th and 5th grade students had two hours each week to focus on developing ideas and images that would capture the essence of the story of "Tongue". As part of the educational process the students were presented with slide shows of Columbia River style art and got to see first hand the pictographs and petroglyphs that are located at Columbia Hills State Park 10 miles east of Dallesport, WA. As part of the field trip they visted Maryhill Museum and listened to storyteller Ed Edmo bring to life such vivid memories of not so long ago. In class the students got the chance to learn how to make egg tempra paints out of native minerals from Oregon and Washington that Scott Sutton has been collecting and using in his own art. The students created images on paper and canvas that will then be transfered onto the basalt next summer in a more modern form of sandblasted petroglyphs that will be painted with the natural mineral paints as well. Beyond working with paints, the students also got the chance to create images in clay that were fired and then painted.
Marysville Pictograph Project which is in part funded through grants from the Conflunece Project and also through Regional Arts and Culture Council. At the time that this project was just a seed waiting to propogate, there happened to be another project that was becoming a reality, which is the Marysville Park Plan. As a result, the two projects have joined together allowing for a greater vision to unfold into a multidimensional relationship between the public school and the community that will become a reality in the summer of 2008. The Marysville Park Plan is a project that is being funded by private individuals and organizations who understand the need for investment into the public schools to allow the students to have an education that is wholistic in nature.
The Marysville Park Plan is made up of a team of individuals and businesses that are donating time and energy to create a model of what can happen if we put our enegy together to create something incredibly unique. On completion of this project, Marysville Elementary School will be a place for community gathering, social dialogue, and inspiration for other communities to reconnect to their environment.
Marysville Pictograph Project which is in part funded through grants from the Conflunece Project and also through Regional Arts and Culture Council. At the time that this project was just a seed waiting to propogate, there happened to be another project that was becoming a reality, which is the Marysville Park Plan. As a result, the two projects have joined together allowing for a greater vision to unfold into a multidimensional relationship between the public school and the community that will become a reality in the summer of 2008. The Marysville Park Plan is a project that is being funded by private individuals and organizations who understand the need for investment into the public schools to allow the students to have an education that is wholistic in nature.
The Marysville Park Plan is made up of a team of individuals and businesses that are donating time and energy to create a model of what can happen if we put our enegy together to create something incredibly unique. On completion of this project, Marysville Elementary School will be a place for community gathering, social dialogue, and inspiration for other communities to reconnect to their environment.
Vision
Home Vision Culture Columbia River Art Tongue Marysville Park Marysville School Student's Art Contact Links
MCM Architects - Architectural design
Portland Impact - Project management
Hoffman Construction - Project management and cement
Williams and Dame - Project management
Marylhurst University - Fundraising consultation
Kaufman Excavation -Excavation and earthwork
Jersey and Son - Excavation and earthwork
Janet Otten - Landscape design
Scott Sutton - Art design
Portland Impact - Project management
Hoffman Construction - Project management and cement
Williams and Dame - Project management
Marylhurst University - Fundraising consultation
Kaufman Excavation -Excavation and earthwork
Jersey and Son - Excavation and earthwork
Janet Otten - Landscape design
Scott Sutton - Art design
Marysville School Park Plan
Marysville Park Ground View
Marysville Park Aerial View