Time Capsule Treasure Sphere

4′x4′x5′ – wheat grass, cast aluminum, lenses, solar lights
Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, Discovery  Garden – A World of Surprises Ordway, St. Paul, Minnesota
2011

The Time Capsule Treasure Sphere is an encapsulated treasure trove – a record of time and a method of communication – a containment of information of individual’s lives and personal expression for others to discover.  It invites you to look inside, through the lenses – to explore, discover and wonder. Students from Intermediate District #287 in the Transition Program (STIP) at South Education Center participated in a cast metal sculpture residency and the exhibition of a collaborative public sculpture, the Time Capsule Treasure Sphere, for the 2011 Festival – A World of Surprises.

  • Everyday experiences that come in the form of a surprise- the unexpected
  • Encountering tangible surprises and unexpected experiences
  • The joy that comes from a surprise

The students interpreted and experienced these concepts through the creation of a plasticene clay sculpture, a sand mold, and the transformation of materials into cast metal. They discussed ideas, explored materials and experimented with techniques to create their own treasure for the trove.  The tactile and sensory process captured individual intuitive styles, personal expressions and passions.  Their visions were cast in metal at their school where they watched as metal filled their molds and were opened to reveal their shiny treasure.

Acknowledgement:

This project was made possible through the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, presented by Ordway.
Thank you:  All of the participating learners at in the STIP Program, Kirsten Weigmann/Event Coordinator for the Festival,  Artists Angela Koebler and Mark Granlund from St. Paul’s Parks and Recreation Department, Karen Bendtsen/Education Specialist  and all of the staff at Intermediate District #287South Education Center- STIP Program.

A view through a lens – internal landscape of cast metal sculptures and another viewer looking in another lens.

icecreamcones

Icecream Cone cast metal process – from plasicene sculpture to sand mold  and into aluminum.

Beads

Titanic

alphasmart

AlfaSmart

minitar

Minitar

Bubblewand Sunflower

Sometimes I’m Happy and Sometimes I’m Not

Brooke’s Hand

Butterfly Fun

A Castle Story

Me and My Horse

Teacher Friends

Presenting and celebrating the Time Capsule Treasure Sphere

Douglas’s Minitar has taken on more life now that he is in cast metal.  His desire to create this character that he has developed in other mediums and his love of sculpting with plasticene clay resulted in a beautiful cast metal treasure – a family crest emblem!

Dana explains that she chose the imagery of a flower and a skeleton because sometimes she feels happy and sometimes she does not. She put the opposing symbols on a heart because that symbolizes her.  She added objects to the clay to remain there during the making of the mold and pounded textures into the clay with tools and selected objects.  She was surprised when her efforts were revealed in metal.

This student is holding his AlphaSmart computer that helps him communicate and express himself.  He created another AlphaSmart that includes his favorite things – his sunglasses and beaded necklace.  His favorite beaded necklace was put into the mold and returned back to him safely!

4

Without hesitation this student started sculpting a sunflower.  He was excited about the entire process, especially when the final casting came out of the mold!  He used a bubble wand to create the textured pattern on the petals and positioned it on top of the clay  for a full relief casting of the wand.