Our Story
Life is about Texture.
Art is about Telling Stories.
My name is Rebecca Roxanne Quattrone, Campaign Owner
and Director of the Busy Bee Mosaic Project by Children with Visual
Impairments: An Installation Created by Children Documenting their Stories with
their Unique Vision Condition.
I embark on this venture because I believe the
mosaic art form has the innate ability to help us see the world anew, creating
a rich conversation between ourselves, others and the world around us. I
believe art teaches us so much because it inspires us to stretch our hearts and
minds. This belief embodies everything I do, whether it’s creating mosaics
sculptures, teaching my college students, working with the community as a
public artist or serving as the artist-in-residence at the ForSight Vision
Center in York, PA. My passion is to inspire the next generation of artists.
The inspiration for this project began through my
experience working with children at the ForSight Vision Center and has made me
aware that the term “blind” does not sufficiently communicate the many different
and challenging levels of vision impairment. I learned a great deal about
vision loss, low vision or visual impairment and hope to convey a more
comprehensive understanding of what it means to be visually impaired while
emphasizing the beautiful truth that vision impairment does not mean these
children do not “see”. I have witnessed firsthand the amazing sight and
perspectives these children have and want to afford them an audience to
experience their story. To that end, this project will introduce the
children to the rich, tactile, and colorful world of mosaics while providing
them with a creative platform and outlet that allows them to
document and express their distinctive stories with their specific
vision condition. I believe the
nature of the mosaic art process and materials used are highly adaptive
to suit each child’s specific vision condition, which will yield an amazing
expression of creativity.
I, along with my team, will initially launch the
project at the ForSight Vision Center of York. Each child’s story will be
captured in their own honeycomb cell that will be incorporated into a larger
collective mosaic in the form of a “Bee Hive". The larger mosaic
will then be permanently installed in the main lobby of the ForSight Vision
Center. The sculptural "Busy Bee" metaphor embodies the spirit and
energy of the ForSight children housed within the projective "hive"
of the vision center.
The
Impact
This project will immediately and most powerfully affect
the children by providing them with a platform and creative outlet to express
themselves without boundaries or impediments in a supportive and nurturing
environment. This collaborative project will also impact the children's
siblings, parents, and family members by providing them with a support system
based on the "shared" experiences with their children. The larger
reaching impact will help promote awareness in the community regarding the
achievements of people with visual impairments.
After achieving this vision, I hope to bring this
approach to other visually impaired children throughout all the Vision Centers
in Pennsylvania. With each project residency, I will add the children's individual pieces (tesserae)
to my traveling gallery collection in the spirit of the nationally acclaimed
“AIDS Quilt Project,” which honors and memorializes those lost to AIDS, as well
as, the “Eyes Wide Open” project which honors our fallen servicemen and women.
These traveling projects, such as the "Busy Bee Mosaic Project", are
based upon unique objects that represent a specific person and their journey.
My team will produce a video documentary of the
children's creative processes, as well as their family’s journeys with their
children. The creation and installation of mosaic projects within each vision
center will enable others to “see” as our children “see” in their own
distinctive voices.
What We Need & What You Get
Your donations will allow the Busy Bee Mosaic Team to purchase
the basic mosaic materials, i.e., stone, tile, adhesives, glass, mirror, grout,
sealer, the site-specific installation materials, and the video documentation.
Funds raised above the target goal will allow the team to travel to one or more
of the 28 Pennsylvania affiliated visions centers to share this
approach/creative process with other visually impaired children. My training and experience in the art of
mosaics (American and Byzantine traditions) will allow me to adapt the
"Busy Bee Hive" design by adjusting the scale, if only a portion of
the projected goal is met. All the funds raised will be directly applied to the
children’s mosaic projects within the area.
Your contribution will allow provide the children a memorable and
rewarding experience while providing you with unique project-based perks!
Other Ways You Can
Help
Please help spread the word by becoming a "Busy
Bee". You can help create a "Buzz" by sharing our project
mission with your family, friends and neighbors by sharing our URL:
https://indiegogo.com/busybeemosaic via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc.
This funding will create a unique and powerful
tactile metaphor that will allow all to “see” into the worlds of
visually impaired children.
