Making collaborative work is a joy and a challenge. I have made public work with both young children and disabled adults. It is a way of giving a voice to those often unheard.
The “Alternative Energy Ceramic Mural” was installed in Tule Elk CDC in 2002. The "Energy Education Through Art" grant, a partnership between the California Arts Council and the State and Consumer Service Agency, was awarded to Ms. Creed.
This was an in-depth, cross-disciplinary project which combined visual arts, literacy, and environmental science. The focus was on Energy Education, emphasizing conservation and renewable energy sources.
The visual art work created with third grade students is a handmade ceramic tile mural installed in the yard-garden at Tule Elk Park. It consists of three 42 inches X 24 inches panels depicting three alternative sources of energy (water, wind, and sun). Each of the panels focus on energy, the environment, and the conservation of both.
“Art and Evolution of the Written Word,” a ceramic mural, was installed at Tule Elk Park Child Development Center in San Francisco in 2004.
This mural, made with the children, explores how and why writing was developed. It is a brief timeline through art history exploring the written word in its many cultures and traditions. It is rendered in scroll format. This mural received funding from the San Francisco Youth Fund.
Wabi Sabi is the Japanese concept of “Perfectly Imperfect.” It symbolizes the idea that there is beauty in imperfection. I made this mural with artists from Alchemia, a program for adults with developmental disabilities. The inspiration for the mural came from a play by Alchemia theatre art performers about their lives as disabled people. A line from one of their songs is, “Nobody is perfect, not you, not me, all we can be is Wabi Sabi”.
