Holding Up the sky

The Sky is Falling and We Will Hold It Up

A public art project, a shared action, a community movement!

Chicken Little panics when an acorn falls on her head. She runs to her neighbors, frantically trying to convince everyone that the sky is falling, and that the king should be told; her friends follow, and ultimately, meet their doom at the hands of “Foxy Loxy,” who convinces the frightened group that he knows the shortest way to the castle, luring them instead to his den, where he eats them. The original story has been retold many times, with variations, including as a wartime parable about the danger of mass hysteria and fascism.

But more relevant for our times is the character of Chicken Little, a hero unafraid to speak her mind and determined to save her community. She is frightened, her world is collapsing, but she dares to raise an alarm.

In my project, “Holding Up the Sky,” I am inviting my community to join me and work together to hold up the falling sky. Art is an effective means to communicate ideas and initiate problem solving. Raising awareness through community action is a way forward to repairing our environment.

I am seeking volunteers from our community to create pieces that represent the falling sky, and then carry our fragments of broken sky to the top of a hill, where, holding them aloft, they will work to repair the sky. Workshops will be held for volunteers to make pieces of the sky. Later, we will hold a community event in which we walk up the hill together and mend our fractured, tumbling sky. The event will be documented with film and video and ultimately presented in an exhibition. This is a durational, collaborative, cooperative effort.

There are three ways to participate! Choose one, or join the journey!

1) Local participants: Attend a workshop, painting or glazing pieces of the fallen sky (fired clay slabs), matching the color of our beautiful Arizona sky.

How can you participate? 

Paint the sky blue!

Sunday, January 28th, 12-4

Rocking S Art Ranch, 3131 E Sheridan St, Phoenix 85008

or

Saturday, February 3rd, 12-4

Just Roughin It, 10880 N 32nd St Ste 17, Phoenix 85028

Paint slabs of fired clay to match the Arizona sky. The painted slabs will be used in a performance, and carried (by you!) to the top of a mountain!

Join the Hike/Performance!

Saturday, February 24th, 10am. Meet at Just Roughin It. We will head to a trail in the North Phoenix Mountain Preserve, hike to the top, and replace pieces of the fallen sky.

questions? sign up? psclaystudio@gmail.com or https://patriciasannit.com/portfolio/holding-up-the-sky/

2) Anyone, anywhere: Create on your own time, in your own space, with your own materials. Paint, or color, with markers or pencils, a shard of a broken object, or a torn piece of heavy paper or cardboard, to match the color of your sky. Write, on the back, or on a separate piece of paper, where and when your sky fell. Mail your paper or object to the, “Holding Up the Sky Project, 3214 E Shea Blvd #472, Phoenix, AZ 85028-33365. Objects need to be received by April 1st.

3) Don’t want to glaze a piece of the fallen sky, but want to climb the hill? Be part of the work! Join me as we, “Hold up the Sky.” We all will climb to the top of a ridge in the North Phoenix Mountain Preserve and hold up the pieces of the falling sky.

Please, join me in creating a beautiful event, featuring all of us taking action, drawing attention to our ability to mend the falling sky.

Let’s work together!

Patricia Sannit

More details:

· Participants will have the opportunity to work with a choreographer; we will practice movements that express a falling sky and our mutual effort to support each other in holding up the sky.

· Participants will have the option of developing their story with a storytelling facilitator

· Participants will agree on appropriate clothing for the performance. Shades of sky-blue work great!

· Saturday, February 24th- participants will meet at Just Roughin It, 10880 N 32nd St Ste 17, Phoenix 85028. We will head to a trail in the North Phoenix Mountain Preserve, hike to the top, and replace pieces of the fallen sky. Participants will carry their piece of sky, either in their arms or on their backs. The pieces will be somewhat heavy as repairing the sky won’t and shouldn’t be easy. When we all arrive on the ridge, we will hold up our pieces of sky, repairing the sky. As people tire, they may drop their piece of sky, but other participants might help; we help each other if the burden is too great to be borne alone.

· A videographer and photographer will document and record the event. Participants must agree to by photographed.

· I will edit and combine filmed footage to be presented as part of the “Holding Up the Sky” for a future exhibition.

contact me at psclaystudio@gmail.com to participate, support, or for more information

This project is supported by the Phoenix Office of Art and Culture.