WATER CONNECTS THE WORLD

sandra spieler · WATER CONNECTS THE WORLD · a shrine for water · commissioned by the McKnight Foundation

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WATER CONNECTS THE WORLD
is a deep prayer for PEACE
for the entire WORLD.

It is a collective prayer filled with the tender love of each person who bowed down to collect the Water that is now gathered here by the Mississippi River.

I painted the 46 little paintings during 8 months of war fever and fear-mongering surrounding the Iraqi war. For me, the meditative act of painting was a quiet defiance against the war. It kept my heart tuned with gratitude toward the everyday miracle of Life --experienced so abundantly through relationship with Water.

Each painting became an inscription of THANKS for this most precious gift.

I know that we are rapidly approaching a global crisis concerning the health and availability of Water. I pray that the ownership of Water never becomes cause for violence in this world. Water is meant to be free and shared by every bit of life on this planet.

Water truly connects the world.

My thanks to Neal Cuthbert and the McKnight Foundation for the privilege to midwife this Water Shrine into being.

Sandra Spieler
June 2003

The Water Shrine is located at
The McKnight Foundation,
710 South 2nd Street, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(just above Mill City Museum)
open hours are 8am-4pm

THANK YOU
TO THE MANY PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED
TO THE MAKING OF THIS SHRINE:

DEAN HOLZMAN who consulted on the overall design, built the finely wrought wooden frame to hold the Water and paintings, cut the bird and tree patterns, figured out the water system inside the box and numerous other details, and encouraged me during my uncertainties

FLORENCE DACEY and MERIDEL LeSUEUR whose poetic and prophetic words about Water are painted on the frame (Meridel’s words on the “yellow” side and Florence’s words are on the “blue” side and in the little book)

JIM KOPLIN who helped with wood fixing, preparing all the labels , bottles and lids to receive the Water, and typing the comments sent to me from the water collectors.

HARVEY WINJE who cut all the wood for the little paintings

NATHAN SHAW who allowed me to use his woodshop to cut the big figure

CAROLE SENTY, MARTY DWORKIN, BETSY SOHN and SUSAN GUST who donated some of the glass bottles

STEVE SANDBERG, who encouraged me over the 8 months and helped with peculiar details

ROSE SPIELER-SANDBERG who helped research Water around the World, helped me sort and fill the Water bottles, and gave me advice and encouragement all along the way.

MICAH SPIELER-SANDBERG who base-painted the frame, helped with Water sorting and bottle filling, and computer formatting

ALISON DUDDLE who painted lids of bottles

KUISOOK NAM who translated words into Korean script.

And!
NICK LETHERT and LIZ WELCH who photographed and scanned all the paintings into computer language so I could send a thank you to the Water Gatherers around the world.