Creativity in kinship

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Okaya citizen, Takao Kodama, left, talks to a few members of the crane project team about how much he enjoys visiting the United States. Kodama is a Buddhist monk from Okaya, and was selected to be a part of the visiting group to America. Kodama is visiting the United States for the first time but tells the team that his father lived in Sacramento California, and he had heard many stories of America.

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Fluttering out over the Pacific Ocean, a flock of 500 multi-colored paper Japanese cranes flew to the U.S. in show of global kinship. When they landed in Mount Pleasant, the vibrant, neon creatures found another flock of 500 cranes not unlike their own.

Peppering the the ceilings of Mount Pleasant Discover Museum with bright flashes of pink and orange, the cranes found refuge in a strange land. At last, they felt like home.

Their journey and final resting place were all part of a cultural exchange program between the Mount Pleasant and its sister city, Okaya, Japan. Inspired by the popular children’s book “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,” the Crane Project art display crafted by Ralph Hullender's ART 446 class to represent 49 years of sisterhood between Okaya and the central Michigan city.

While 500 of the origami cranes were crafted in Japan, students at Francher Elementary School helped design the other half.

The Crane Project was installed near the museum's Okaya Exhibit.

https://vimeo.com/93088277

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