Salem Peace Mosaic
The Salem Peace Mosaic is a participatory mosaic which involved over 600 people creating a 60' long mosaic with porcelain, glass and stone tile. Workshops were held at many locations involving participants from age 3 to 85 in making art and writing poetry to express that Salem means Peace.
Salem Peace Mosaic, Salem, Oregon
Art workshops to create the mosaic were held at a senior center, a youth correctional facility, three schools, a coffee shop, two art centers, an art fair, a park, a community organization, a powwow, and for youth whose parents were on parole or in prison.
Painting leaves at the Chemawa Powow
Lynn Takata; Tree of life process with North Salem High School students
Mandala and glass mosaic river
A poem was written for the Salem Peace Mosaic by Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen. The poem Capital was created in ceramic tile and runs along the 40' glass mosaic river.
Detail from Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen's poem
Capital
River-carved
city, green with leaf-light,
in you our civil
law is born.
Beneath your
rotunda that shoulders the sky, accord
calls us to set
conflict aside.
Salem,
we’re speaking Peace each time
we say your name.
Salaam, shalom.
At your site, our mapmakers place
a star’s steady
shine.
—Paulann Petersen
Fused glass detail with glass mosaic
The mosaic river includes the words peace, shalom and salaam in fused glass to reflect that Salem means Peace.
