Wishing Tree Sculptures

Written by Marie Brett

Friday, 19 May 2006

Marie Brett is a West Cork based visual artist who works with local communities to explore their cultural heritage through the medium of visual art. She has been commissioned by Reenascreena Community Action Group, sponsored by Cork County Council, to work with local children and adults to produce a community art project that will coincide with this year's Crossroads Arts Festival [CJ]

Wishing Tree at St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork with artist Marie Brett

Reenascreena’s community have an active interest in folklore and have invited a visual artist to work with them to explore the village’s folklore and make two distinctive environmental sculptures in collaboration with the community, during the village’s Crossroads Arts Festival 2006. The invited artist is Marie Brett from Kealkil near Bantry, who has extensive experience in the field of creating original and unusual artworks with community members.

The artworks will reference the practice of leaving ‘tokens’ at holy wells and will take the form of ‘wishing trees’. These sculptural artworks will look both back in time, through the history and folklore of the area as well as forward in time through the hopes and aspirations of the community for the future. The project will also celebrate the local natural landscape, individuals creativity and working as part of a collaborative team. The project will be open to all community members’ and it’s hoped that lots of people will get involved. It is hoped that once the artworks are created, and people pass by, they will take a moment in quiet personal contemplation to reflect on their own personal wish, hope or prayer for the future.

Another view of the St Finbarr's Wishing Tree

Two trees have been chosen: a Sycamore outside the community centre, plus an Ash beside the Creamery. These trees will form the sites for two distinct but linked artworks and both will be based on local legends. The Sycamore will incorporate ‘hot’ colours of red and ambers, where as the Ash will focus on Reenascreena’s colours of blue and white. One will incorporate synthetic materials where as the other will be more natural. A series of workshops are planned at the National School during the beginning of June where children will work with Marie and their teachers to create large coloured flags and banners incorporating decoration and writing. These artworks created by the children will then in turn be installed within one of the two trees by Marie on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th June and will be in place for the whole festival period.

Prayer Flags at St. Finbarr's Hospital

Additionally, a drop-in workshop has been planned for Thursday 8th June from 3 to 5pm in the community centre, when everyone is invited to call by and meet Marie and see some of the children’s artwork plus also make their own mini flag on a willow cane, which incorporates their own personal wish or intention. No special skills are needed and everyone is very welcome. These flags will then be placed out in John Murray’s garden, around the small willow, on Tuesday June 20th from 6 – 6.30pm Again everyone is very welcome to call by and join in this event.

The artworks will all be in place throughout the festival period and will then be returned to the school afterwards.

Photograph Info

The photographs of the artwork in this article are used courtesy of artist Marie Brett.

'Wishing Tree', artist Marie Brett, The Chapel, St Finbarr's Hospital, Cork. Commissioned by St Finbarr's Hospital in association with Triskel Arts Centre and Cork 2005's Culture & Health strand. 2005. Artwork made by patients, staff and visitors working with artist Marie Brett.
'Prayer Flags' Artist: Marie Brett, St Finbarr's Hospital, Cork 2005. Commissioned by St Finbarr's Hospital in association with Triskel Arts Centre and Cork 2005's Culture & Health strand. Artist Marie Brett built a temporary shrine in the hospital grounds and patients, staff & visitors wrote their prayers and intentions onto the shrine's flags.