About 50 people came out for this very special event. We actually lifted the sculpture up during the ceremony. There was food, performance, and people spoke about Sandy and added candles and flowers to the sculpture. 
 
 
We're getting ready to unveil Sea Song, just in time for the one year anniversary of the storm. Over nine months in the making, numerous Rockaway residents as well as Sandy recovery volunteers have helped to assemble this piece using salvaged storm materials, and over a hundred people affected by Sandy have created "resilience flags" that will hang from the top of the sculpture.

This event will be a time of remembrance and community togetherness, reflecting on how far we have come and sharing our hopes for the future. We will be enjoying locally prepared food, appreciating performances by local artists, and also sharing our stories about this collective experience.
Please bring friends, stories, and candles and mementos to add to the sculpture. Also bring blankets to sit on and warm clothes. Join us and add your voice to Sea Song!

When: Saturday, October 26th, from 3 to 6pm

Where: Hip Hop Community Garden Beach 59th Street and Rockaway Beach Blvd. A Train to Beach 60th Street (Be sure to catch the Far Rockaway bound A train!)

https://www.facebook.com/events/509532892460529/

http://sandysculpture.weebly.com/


We can't wait to see you there!

--Sarah Quinter, Robert Pluma, and the rest of the Sea Song Sculpture Team



 
We just got a write up in the Rockaway weekly, the Wave! Check it out: http://www.rockawave.com/news/2013-09-20/Community/Sculpting_A_Sandy_Remembrance.html
 
Robert, Kalin, her husband, and two sons at yesterday's build day. The wood pieces being affixed are salvaged boardwalk planks.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Sarah Quinter

[email protected]


Rockaway, Queens -- Public build sessions have begun for Sea Song, a collaborative Sandy memorial sculpture being constructed using materials salvaged after the storm. 

The project was initiated by a small team of artists and relief workers who want to use art to bring people together and create a testament to the strength of Rockaway communities. The sculpture will stand 16 feet tall in a community garden on Beach 59th St and Rockaway Beach Blvd. 

The sessions take place at 23-04 Cornaga Avenue every Saturday, weather permitting, from 12 to 6pm. People ages 16 and up are invited to use tools, and there are arts activities for younger children. We can especially use people who:

- Are handy and artistic who want to help design and build

- Are bilingual speakers

- Can to bring food and beverages to share

- Want to help things run smoothly and keep an eye on children

- Want to do outreach and make sure that people have a chance to get involved

- Would like to help facilitate folks of all ages in making "resilience flags" with messages to be suspended from the top of the sculpture

- Would like bring other educational / artistic activities to the space

- Are local organizers who want to let people know about relevant campaigns and projects happening in the area

There will be an unveiling ceremony in the garden on Beach 59th street when the sculpture is complete, sometime around the one year anniversary of Sandy. The artists want to have local performers and catering, and invite people get in touch with ideas.

[email protected]

http://sandysculpture.weebly.com/

Project info line/voicemail: (347) 699-6031

 
We have just started holding public build sessions at 23-04 Cornaga Avenue off the Mott Ave A stop. They take place every Saturday, weather permitting, from 12 to 6pm. People ages 16 and up are invited to use tools, and there are arts activities for younger children. We can especially use people who:

- Are handy and artistic and want to help design and build

- Are bilingual speakers

- Can to bring food and beverages to share

- Want to help things run smoothly and keep an eye on children

- Want to do outreach and make sure that people have a chance to get involved

- Would like to help facilitate folks of all ages in making "resilience flags" with messages to be suspended from the top of the sculpture

- Would like bring other educational / artistic activities to the space

- Are local organizers who want to let people know about relevant campaigns and projects happening in the area

We'll be holding an unveiling ceremony in the garden when the sculpture is complete, sometime around the one year anniversary of Sandy. We want to have local performers and catering, so please get in touch with ideas! 
 
Exciting news! We have finally moved the steel substructure of the sculpture, tools, and building materials to the 23-04 Cornaga Avenue in Far Rockaway. We'll be building in the side lot of the Church of the Prophecy, which has been an important site of relief, organizing, and rebuilding since Sandy struck. 

We will be having our first public build session this Saturday, September 14th from 12 to 6pm. We want to make the build sessions a place where lots of people can get engaged and help out in different ways. We will have food, possibly a flag-making station for people of all ages, and an organized way for people to find out where we are at in the build process and plug in using their specific skill set. So we'd like to invite people to get involved! We can use people who:

- Are handy and artistic who want to help design and build
- Are bilingual speakers
- Want to bring/hook us up with food and beverages to share
- Want to help things run smoothly and keep an eye on children
- Are interested in working on outreach and make sure that people across the Rockaways and beyond hear about his project and have a chance to get involved
- Would like to help facilitate folks of all ages in making "resilience flags" with messages to be suspended from the top of the sculpture
- Would like bring other educational / artistic activities to the space. We have a rule that people need to be at least 16 to use tools and build, but anticipate younger folks arriving and want to keep them engaged!
- Are local organizers who want to let people know about relevant campaigns and projects happening in the area
- Are excited about the unveiling ceremony for the sculpture who want to talk about planning the event and getting local performers, catering, and more involved
- We could also use some folding tables and chairs to borrow during the sessions

Please let us know if you're interested in attending, and what you would like to bring to these sessions! Thanks so much! We can't wait to build with you!

 
Sarah and a Rockaway resident who works at this program co-facilitated a workshop with some of the youth there. Almost all of them had been very directly affected by Hurricane Sandy, sustaining damage and destruction to their homes, being forced to relocate schools, and even knowing neighbors who died in the storm. We had a powerful discussion and they made beautiful flags! 
 
This workshop took place in the garden where the sculpture will be! It was a wonderful group and a lot of fun.