Gallery
Primordial River
Amy Ankrom, age 16
Cleveland, Ohio USA
Speaking of the global rivers experience Amy Said: It is different. The music helps me concentrate more than if we were drawing in a silent room.
Editors Note: Amy studied the Hopewell Indians who where the earliest inhabitants (the mound dwellers ) of the Cuyahoga region. The border she chose was inspired by the artifacts found from these tribes.
Gallery
Portrait of the River Goddess
Deborah Carlson, adult
Cleveland, Ohio USA
Editors Note: Deborah teaches fiber arts at the Cleveland School of the Arts. She approached the project by visiting the Cuyahoga river in a pristine area.
She photographed the river many times with a digital camera manipulating the shots until she could sheen an image that reminded her of a guardian spirit. She also studied the river mythology of the world to inform her painting.
Gallery
Untitled
Larisa Samarina, adult
Volgograd, Russia
Editors Note: This painting addressees the ecological impact that the dam at Volshki has had on the Volga River. Because of the tempeture increase in the Volga River (5 degrees since the dam’s creation) the population of the sturgeon is almost extinct. their spawning was greatly curtailed because of this increase. The three figures are shown with empty plates to symbolize that the sturgeon is all but gone. the fire in the front of the painting depicts a forest fire that took place the summer of our visit That took out many acres of hardwood trees.
Gallery
The Underground Railroad and The Burning Cuyahoga
Jason Page, age 15
Cleveland, Ohio USA
I learned a lot which I did not know or pay attention to. I say thank you to all who helped. Bless this river.
Editors Note: While researching the Cuyahoga river i was thrilled to come across a very old library book documenting the paths of the underground railroads. A map in the book showed that about 12 different roots to freedom connected on the Cuyahoga river where the people fleeing slavery would be transported across Lake Erie into Canada.
We read the accounts of some of these harrowing experiences. One woman transported her self by mail in a wooden crate. She was still alive over a week later when the crate was opened in Canada. Jason’s painting illustrates these stories. He also shows the U shaped river in the colors representing the four races of man kind. Red, Black, Yellow and White.
Gallery
Still Life
Sergei Krylov, adult
Volgograd, Russia
This is a simple half a glass of water. no one thinks about a half a glass of water but someday this half a glass could save your life.
Editors Note: When we visited Sergie in his studio he was working on aseries of painting called “The loneliness of Everyday Objects”. The idea was to paint a new still life every day and imbue the work with personal feeling so that the still lives become a sort of diary of his life. I was amazed at how Sergie integrated the river painting in with the series he was working on.
Gallery
Faith, Hope and Charity
Ricardo E. Jackson, age ??
Cleveland, Ohio USA
Don’t make the same mistake we made over fishing, pollutants, and neglect.
Try to cherish what you have.
Artist Gallery
Beauty Will Save The World
Helen Orlova, adult
Volgograd, Russia
This painting by Helen Orlova reflects the pristine beauty of certain places alon the banks of the Volga River. Some spots on the river are restricted to keep people from trodding on the sensitive flora and fauna. We where lucky enough to visit one of these restriceted areas with a professor from the ecological institute. The beach we went to had a field of wild flowers which i am reminded of when i study this painting.
Gallery
The Pollution Problem
Elana Hand, age 17
Brentwood, Tennessee USA
Editors Note: The Harpeth river that this student is painting about is listed as a scenic river. The major pollution comes from silt deposited from the many housing developments going on along its banks. Our research did show that their was a battery company that had dumped PCBs, sand and other toxins in the water.
The students were very upset about this news and urged me to lead them in some sort of demonstration. When I called the company I found that they were no longer in business. I was proud of the students sense of concern which is reflected in this moving painting of pollution.
Gallery
Deforestation
Adu Kumi Ernest, age 17
Ghana, West Africa
This painting shows how some areas are polluted. The forest has been destroyed by bush fire. The cutting down of trees causes deforestation while the river has been polluted by toxic waste from factories and rubbish from our homes.
Editors Note: The rivers of Ghana have been severely damaged by the fact that the people of Ghana use wood for their daily cooking . Deforestation is rampant, even the Cambridge School that hosted our Global Rivers event had not 50″ ‘ from the front door had a dry riverbed that had once been a flowing river the principle told us that because the trees had been removed the river had dried up. Ernest portrays a healthy river lined with trees and the encroaching disease of deforestation.
Gallery
The Shipyards
Lila Voss, adult
Cleveland, Ohio USA
Editors Note: Lila lives very close to the industrial end of the Cuyahoga River. She visited the sites of these industries and lectured to the kids about what she found out about what is being produced on the river. She brought in iron and steel fragment and shale and concrete as examples of her research to show the students. She cut her canvas and sewed it in a U shape to show the unique shape of this river.
Artist Gallery
Portrait of the Volga River
Bernice Davidson, adult
Summertown, Tennessee USA
The bio region of the volga river in Volgograd is a fertile area known as an alluvial fan. The river breaks up into many tributaries and the soil is so rich and black it is known as the “Kitchen Garden” of Russia.
My painting shows this fan formation of the river . The images found in the river are inspired by designs made by an ancient tribe of warriors known as Sematrians who lived in this area around 2,000 B.C. They were a matriarchal society of fierce warriors. We learned that the women of this tribe had to have performed successfully in battle before they were permitted to marry.
Artist Gallery
Untitled
Yaw Kankam Frimpong, age 14
Ghana, West Africa
This painting shows how some areas are polluted. The forest has been destroyed by bush fire. The cutting down of trees causes deforestation while the river has been polluted by toxic waste from factories and rubbish from our homes.
Artist Gallery
Untitled
Yaw Awusu Ansah, age 14
Ghana, West Africa
My picture tells about the environment of a village called Nyamebekyere. The village was named after the river. The people live in a clean environment and attend to communal labor to keep the environment clean. The hands of God show that cleanliness brings one closer to God.
Artist Gallery
Untitled
Seneca Bankston, age 17
Cleveland, Ohio USA
By any means necessary, open your heart to the problems of your river. We are struggling with the life of our river to save it from pollution. I hope that the people of the Volga and the Volta will protect their rivers so that they won’t have the serious problems that we have with the Cuyahoga.
Editors Note:When asked about this painting Seneca told me that he had drawn an angry angel part man and part fish rising out of the flaming Cuyahoga River. The scroll in the center part of the canvas symbolizes the unwritten future of the Cuyahoga. The Boy at the bottom is the youth who loves the environment shown with a sun mandala and his eyes suffused with light.
Artist Gallery
Industry Is Not Humane
Randolph S. Crider, age 17
Cleveland, Ohio USA
About 10 years ago the city fathers of Cleveland decided to make the river an entertainment zone. Randall’s painting shows the types of activities that go on along the banks of the Cuyahoga he shows people arguing, fighting, drinking and smoking hardly aware of the rivers beauty. Below the water are those who love the river going to battle for the sake of its future.
Artist Gallery
Untitled
Nikia M. Pollard, age 17
Cleveland, Ohio USA
Respect your river. Can you imagine what it would be like to take your children and grandchildren to the river and all that there would be to show them is a dry river bed?
Editors Note: Nikia shows two sides of the Cuyahoga river, the past and present. The
students learned that one early settler reported that the Cuyahoga was so gutted with fish in the early days that one could walk across the
river on the backs of the fish. The indian on the left speaks of this abundance while the woman on the right weeps at the state of the river
today.
Artist Gallery
Spirit of the Harpeth
Luke Beata, age 18
Harpeth River, Tennessee USA
This work portrays the beauty of the river through idealistic eyes. Signs of man’s negative impact upon the Harpeth have been ignored. The fantasy-like hills, swirling sunset, and seemingly boundless waters symbolize the untamed purity of nature and suggest that a similar quality lies between the true heart of humanity. The woman depicted parallels the wild beauty around her, ultimately implying the importance of protecting and maintaining the environment which is so much a part of us.
Artist Gallery
Mutant Fish
Kevin Melicant, age 17
Cleveland Ohio
I live in Cleveland and cross the river every day to go to school.
Before this project I never thought much about the river. Now I watch
the water every day. When the river gets murky it makes me feel sick.
We invited an environmental scientist to come to the school to speak to the kids, the students learned that there where many deformed fish born in the Cuyahoga due to the extensive pollution caused by the industries (much of it steel ) along it’s banks. The students also learned that in the 1930’s when the Cuyahoga burned for the first time that the water turned red and green as a result of copious amounts of iron filings released into the water.
Artist Gallery
Ashante Celebration on the Volta
Kwami Bakoji Foryner, adult
Ghana, West Africa
In this painting Kwami is showing the rich pagentry of the Ashante people. Kumasi, Kwami’s home town is Capital of Ashante land and the tribal traditions are very much a part of every day life. This painting depicts a funeral procession where it is traditional that people sing, dance and drum all night long to mourn and celebrate the passing of a loved one.
Artist Gallery
Okumfumanachi
Kwami Bakoji Fornyer, adult
Ghana, West Africa
My painting shows a Ghanian folk hero from the 1600’s (Okumfumanachi) who through the manifestation of a miracle, brought the Ashanti people together in peaceful unity which has lasted to this day. Also depicted is the gold mining factory, which is polluting the rivers of Ghana, and endangering the wildlife of our country.
Artist Gallery
Swimmer
Katya Samoilenko, age 15
Volgograd, Russia
Water….fresh and clean water, clear feeling
man, nature, and under water world are a united whole.
We must love everything that surrounds us.
Editors Note: There was a great controversy over swimming in the Volga River when we where in Russia. One of the first questions we where asked at a press conference was “Will you swim in the Volga river?”. We answered “No” telling them we had heard that the Volga was quite polluted due to all the industries along it’s shores from St. Petersburg to the Caspian Sea. Some people present got very vocal at this point some yelling that the Volga was fine for swimming and others yelling that no one should swim in it. Katya shows the joys of swimming along the river despite the industries along its shores.
Artist Gallery
Volgograd
Elena Menshenev, age 15
Volgograd, Russia
It is my city, Volgograd
In the summer green sea infinite Blue Sky
and of course cries of the gulls accompany
the ship floating along the Volga.
My home is not far from this river.
I paint my city.
Let people in the city understand in the end
we are the losers if the environment has no more meaning.
Artist Gallery
The Weeping God
Adu Kumi Ernest, age 17
Ghana, West Africa
The future looks dark, not dark by night but by pollution
of our rivers and our lakes. I could imagine how sad the up and coming
generation will be. All the trees are cut down, rivers polluted by animal
waste and machine and boat smoke.
Let all unite and fight against the pollution.
Editors Note: We were so surprised to see the Danzu river
when we left the airport in Accra. It seemed it had been used as a
garbage dump. Trash was piled high on its green banks and the river
itself was gray and murky.
