Major Projects

Special Section: AFRICA

I feel a responsibility to the people who opened up to me in Africa. Mrs. Mary Kathumba, grandmother and village elder, left me with these words: "Today marks the beginning of a relationship between you and me."

As an artist, my task is to use every communicative skill I possess, so that I can be a conduit, so that I can connect and complete the relationship.

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Editorial: ONE BULLET

On August 19, 2000, a young man was randomly murdered in front of our home. The experience was profound for me. Though I didn't know any of those involved, I wondered what the long term effect of murder would be on those who loved the victim, on those who loved the perpetrators, and on our communities.

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Editorial: FACES OF A PLAGUE

In February of 2002, I traveled to Malawi and Mozambique with Save the Children as a member of the HIV/AIDS Leadership Council. The goals of the trip were: to meet and interview women living with HIV/AIDS, to observe Save the Children's programs, and to gather information and images in order to fulfill an assignment for The Dallas Morning News.

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Corporate: HYATT REGENCY WALL SCULPTURES

When I saw a flower blooming during the Texas heat wave of 1989, I thought, "How can anything grow in this?" Despite the gummy hard clay, cracked earth, and boiling temperatures of a Texas summer, so much manages to grow, create, and thrive in Texas.

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Theater: TODAY MARKS THE BEGINNING

Today Marks the Beginning, a theatrical production by ArtSpirit, was presented in Dallas on Dec. 16 and 17, 2002. It was adapted for stage from "Faces of a Plague: An Artist's Journey into the Heart of a Deadly Epidemic". The two sold out performances raised over $40,000 as a benefit for "Adopt A Village", which is a "Save the Children" program for AIDS education, building schools, and digging water wells in Malawi.

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Public Art: TIMES SQUARE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

In the autumn of 1993, I had just started to work with my agent in New York City, Vicki Morgan, of Morgan Gaynin, Inc. Well, Vicki started our partnership with a bang. She sent out our first joint promotion and soon got a call from Grey Advertising. Grey was putting together a major marketing campaign for the Times Square Business Improvement District (BID), which was an alliance representing restaurants, theatres, and businesses in the Times Square.

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Public Art: DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - BAYLOR STATION

In 2002, I was commissioned to work on the art and design for the DART (light rail) station at Baylor Hospital near downtown Dallas. As of this writing (December 2005), my part of the work is nearing completion, and the construction of the station is scheduled to begin in the next year or two.

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Public Art: LOVE FIELD MOVING SIDEWALK PROPOSAL

The project: A 1/4 mile art installation to run alongside a 1/4 mile moving sidewalk in the parking garage of Love Field Airport in Dallas.

Our proposal: My art. Anne Militello's fabulous lighting design. And an original musical score by composer James Neel.

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Books: PEACE ONE DAY

"Peace One Day" is a children's picture book, published in 2005 by G.P. Putnam's Sons, for young readers 8 years old and older. It is the story of British activist and filmmaker Jeremy Gilley's successful quest to have September 21 named as World Peace Day by the United Nations.

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Books: BE AN ANGEL

A radiantly illustrated gift book for all ages and occasions, Be An Angel defines our divine guardians' personalities and missions and provides a wealth of tips on how to be an angel here on earth. The book includes nineteen angels, such as; The Angels of Nature, Children, Traveler, Friends, etc.

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Non-profits: RED CROSS BLOOD MUSEUM

The American Red Cross commissioned Out of Bounds, a marketing group out of Culver City, California, to create a traveling blood museum, with the purpose of raising awareness of the importance of blood donation.

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Non-profits: DALLAS ANIMAL SHELTER

Construction on the new Dallas Animal Shelter has not yet begun. It is charted to be Dallas' first "green building". The signage that Julie and I have created describe the process of re-circulation of water—from usage in kennels, after which is it circulated through a series of aerobic and hydroponic reactors, and then back to the kennel area for use in cleaning.

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MAJOR PROJECTS

Special Section:
:: Africa
Editorial:
:: One Bullet
:: Faces of a Plague
Corporate:
:: Hyatt Regency Wall Sculptures
Theater:
:: Today Marks the Beginning
Civic:
:: Times Square
Public Art:
:: DART - Baylor Station
:: Love Field Sidewalk Proposal
Books:
:: Peace One Day
:: Be an Angel
Non-profits:
:: Red Cross Blood Museum
:: Dallas Animal Shelter

Contact Karen Blessen :: kblessen@sbcglobal.net :: Karen@29Pieces.org :: kblessen@TodayMarkstheBeginning.org :: 214-827-3257 :: Email Webmaster

KarenBlessen.com. Artist and writer. Cut paper collages, illustrations,
drawings, prints, stories, journal entries, public art, and photographs are
copyright Karen Blessen unless otherwise noted.