Cradles of Hope: Motherland

The Cradle Project book is available online. Many of the photos inside (including the following one) were taken by Addison Doty of Santa Fe, NM.

During the past year, something monumental and wonderful happened. Artists from around the world donated cradles for The Cradle Project; an event that raised money for orphans in Africa--children whose lives have been devastated by AIDS. More than 500 artists participated, and I'm honored to have been one of them.

My cradle, Motherland, is pictured above. I wanted to use local materials, but also wanted to capture the essence of Africa. To that end, I used cholla cactus skeletons, gathered from our land in northern New Mexico (local materials). Attached to the cholla skeletons is a "found" (recycled from the roadside) basket. And finally, the elements were pulled together with whisper grass; evocative of the materials used for costumes in the masquerade ceremonies that are so common in Sub-Saharan Africa. The dynamic arrangement of the cactus skeletons, dressed up with the whisper grass, gives a sense of movement--perhaps dance. And yet, the multiple wrapping and coiling of grasses at the top, along with the securely attached basket in the middle, implies strength and safety.

To see more cradles, and to purchase a copy of the books (for a mere $25!), please visit: http://www.thecradleproject.org/