Breaking News: GORGEOUS squares have arrived from Mrs. Plate's 4th grade students at the Maple School in Illinois! Also, I'm also looking for summer camps in The Gulf with children who could benefit from expressing themselves about the oil spill disaster through art. casey@blankettheglobe.org If I'm upset in Massachusetts, I can only imagine how kids in The Gulf feel. ~Casey
It's our third anniversary! With a simple mission we continue to grow:
"To build awareness, give voice to the environmental concerns of children and, through creative expression, empower them to participate in protecting the earth's natural resources for their future." With a theme of "Connections" Blanket the Globe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is creating a montage of connected one-foot fabric squares thoughtfully designed by children 0-18 years old, showing how they feel connected to nature.
Kids care. I just registered to vote but so many kids can't so I devised another way for everyone under 18 to be heard. Once the blanket is big enough that it will make a powerful visual statement Blanket the Globe will put it on display in appropriate settings to share your voices with others.
Blanket the Globe is featured in 2 books!
Lynn Hirshfield's book, Girls Gone Green,
is finally published! You can't help but be inspired by the stories in
this book. It also makes you realize that ANYONE can do these things.
Talk about a gift that gives back in so many ways! When your copy
arrives, be
sure to flip to page 78 and read about Blanket the Globe. What a fitting
way to celebrate our third anniversary this Earth Day!
On short notice, a film crew from Disney was dispatched to Victoria Glidden's house in Lynn, MA to film her volunteering with Blanket the Globe. The video came out great and the best thing is that Victoria and her grandma were honored for their volunteerism in Orlando! In the video: Victoria and Debra Glidden, Colin and Mia Kennedy, and Jamie Ehrlich. Now if we can just get Blanket the Globe to Disney!
Revere Beach Sand Sculptures
Summer Fun!
Blanket the Globe has had so much fun at four amazing summer events! We have lots of work ahead joining the many hundreds of voices we've collected into the quilt, so in the meantime, if you're looking for your artwork or want to catch a glimpse of each event, click on News or Slideshow. Thanks for participating!
On Saturday, July 18th, we worked with the good people from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation Resources at The New England Sand Sculpture Festival on Revere Beach and had the most amazing sand sculpting going on behind us. Believe it or not, that is a sand sculpture to the left.
We joined the DCR trail crew in East Boston for square making and display at the East Boston branch of the Boston Public Library. Too bad it was pouring outside, but what else is new this summer?
On August 2nd Blanket the Globe appeared at the annual Summerfest event in Hyde Park. There was a bicycle rodeo, music, a DCR horse, and lots of creativity.
And who could forget Earthfest!? Music, sunshine, art, and free stuff! Many thanks to Matt Nash of DCR!
BTG holds a press conference at The Massachusetts State House
BOSTON | Casey Ehrlich, founder of Blanket the Globe, held a press conference at the Massachusetts State House on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008. Casey addressed the crowd cautioning those in attendance that children can't vote, but they are concerned about the environment.
Representative Frank Smizik and Senator Pamela Resor, Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, emceed a press conference to express their appreciation for the children's artwork. Many other legislators were on hand for the event. Casey was also greeted by children from the Hyde Park Arts Camp who brought squares for the blanket that they had worked on for days before.
Immediately following the press conference and display Casey was recognized by the Speaker before the fully assembled House of Representatives.
photo courtesy of The Boston Globe's Michele McDonald: Kendra Abbott, 9, (left), Kiah Friedman, 10, and Maya Newell, 11, all of Hyde Park, waited with the quilt pieces they made before hearing Casey Ehrlich, founder of the project, speak at the State House. The Blanket the Globe project is a quilt made by children from all over the world, with the theme of how children feel connected to nature.
Blanket the Globe Recycles
The BTG Create page is loaded with ideas, materials, and tips on making your squares but here's another fun option. Instead of going to the fabric store and buying new fabric, rummage through your drawers and find an old beloved but outgrown shirt or fleece out of which you can get a 12 inch square. Old sheets, carefully measured, can yield tons of squares if you have a class to supply. Avoid stretchy jersey or lycra.
The Blanket the Globe Project runs on 100% renewable kid power!
