Each Art For the Sky residency is documented with still and video footage, artfully arranged to music with many surprises and excitement. Click on the links below to watch these films and you'll have a good idea of what an Art For the Sky project is all about. All videos since 2010 are shot in HD. For most ease in watching, please quit other programs and wait a minute or so for them to upload.
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Courting the Sky: This is the narrated, 13 minute, mini-documentary overview of Art For the Sky done in 2005. We can send you a DVD of this if you wish to share it with co-workers in order to inspire a project at your community or school.
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The Elephant in the Room: From India to Maryland - - Holland to Canada: this is on a tour of gigantic and magnificent living paintings made of people . . . people engaged in a special way to help solve our climate crisis. Climate change is the proverbial "elephant in the room" and we continue to ignore it at our peril. This video is an entry for many current film festivials and is a wake up call to the power of a special number and the beauty of engaged collaboration.
A Peaceful Uprising: On February 28th in Salt Lake City, Utah, hundreds of activists took to the streets to sing, march and do sky art in a display of solidarity with Tim DeChristopher, aka "bidder 70", whose trial for civil disobedience in defense of Utah wilderness and climate justice began that day.
A Pelican Dream: Sometimes an Art For the Sky project feels like a way of beginning to atone for something really awful, like the Deep Horizon Oil Spill Disaster. This one was like that . . . a group at-one-ment, a giant apology to all the ocean and sky creatures damaged and killed by the oil spill . . . a commitment to end our addiction to oil and take better care of the Earth . . . in the shape of a beautiful pelican on the edge of Tallahassee, Florida at the Chaires Elementary School.
I Am A Coral Reef: In the Dominican Republic, 1400 K-12 students and teachers become a coral reef featuring an endangered long-snouted sea horse.
Red Tail Eyes: 50 kids and staff of Baldwin City Primary and Intermediate School in Baldwin City, Kansas, form a red tail hawk. The number "350" is "carved" into the post the hawk "landed" on . . . arguably the most important number in the world as, according to leading climate scientists, it is the safe limit of carbon we can have in our atmosphere if we want to continue life as we know it. Currently it is 390 and going up!
A Prairie Dream: The Kansas Tallgrass Prairie is the most endangered ecosystem on Earth. In Lawrence, Kansas, after visiting and learning about local relict prairies, 450 students and teachers became a meadowlark and blowing prairie grass in celebration of the this special ecosystem.
The Tree of Peace: 1200 pen pals from Six Nations and surrounding communities in Ontario, Canada gather to meet each other for the first time and form a gigantic white pine tree -- the legendary "Tree of Peace" of the Iroquois Confederacy -- with roots wrapping around the Earth. During the gathering the children planted the Pen Pal Friendship Forest at the Tim Horton Onondaga Farm celebrating the important role forests play in our lives.
Oceans Day 2011: 1300 students and teachers gather in Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada to form a gigantic basking shark "swimming" in an ocean made of blue jeans. The basking shark was nearly hunted to extinction by previous generations. Now protected, it is slowly in recovery. This event was hosted by the Oceans Day Festival Society.
An Alevin Sky: In collaboration with the Fraser Riverkeeper Society in Vancouver, BC, Canada; 700 students and teachers from Hastings Elementary School form a beautiful alevin (baby salmon). Earlier in the year, some classes raised these young salmon fry and released them in a local river. This is the smallest creature "made big" to date!
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Sky~Blue~Heron: 650 students and teachers from Griffin Creek Elementary and the Bach School of South Medford High for a great blue heron with recycled cans for legs in Medford, OR.
Ganesh's Warning: In Delhi, India, 3000 students form the proverbial "elephant in the room" which is what climate change is. This image was part of the first ever Global Art Exhbit visible from space, all in conjunction with the climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico. Ganesh, an elephant diety loved by everyone all across in India. He is "the remover of obstacles" and this film celebrates his message and his wild brethren.
The Sky Tiger: In October, 2010, the International Year of the Tiger . . . 500 kids, lots of pine needles and mulch combine to make a beautiful tiger 150 ft long, with the most important number in the world on it's paw . . . "350". (see 350.org if you need an explanation). This was done at the Terra Centre Elementary School in Burke, Virginia.
A Whale of a Time: A sperm whale washed up on the beach of Crescent City, California in 2008. It's belly was filled with over 50 large pieces of fishing net and assorted plastic which is what killed the whale. To celebrate and honor this species, 900 students and teachers from Crescent Elk Middle School and Joe Hamilton School formed the spouting whale swimming in the ocean, which was made in part with 500 pairs of blue jeans.
Don't Give Up: Set to a Michael Franki song . . . at a Whidbey Island retreat, the Wisdom Community had a ceremony around a big dove made of sheets to help awaken their skysight.
The Day of the Egret: To celebrate the restoration of the wetlands next to them,
Dow's Prairie School created a snowy egret with 500 students and teachers and lots of blue jeans for the water. The design was version of the 37 cent stamp of several years ago. The "37" was changed to "350" . . . the maximum parts per million of carbon that climate scientists tell us we can tolerate in our atmosphere if we are to survive this era of global warming.
An Eagle Sky: 1400 students and staff from Miami Springs Middle School in Miami Springs Florida form a bald eagle with a "350" in the center . . . the most important number in the world as that is the maximum parts per million of greenhouse gasses that we can have in our atmosphere if we are going to survive global warming. Right now it is 390 and going up!
A Polar Bear Sky: Would you believe Maryland's Governor O'Malley was the sole human on the melting ice berg in this Art For the Sky depiction of global warming?! Courageous guy he was to be part of this performance sky art piece for the Maryland Green School's Summit at Sandy Point State Park on the Chesapeake Bay. As usual in this latest round of sky art projects the magic number "350" is depicted . . . that's the max parts per million of carbon, according to climate scientists, that we can handle in our atmosphere if we are going to make it through this climate changing era with some degree of safety. As most everyone knows, the current number is 390 and going up. Coincidentally, Maryland has 350 "green schools" (16% - the highest in the nation) and this summit and special sky art extravaganza was a celebration of their success!
Aspen Planet: To kick off Earth week at Aspen Middle School in Colorado, 500 + students and teachers form an Earth with a white dove made of snow flying above it. In the dove's wing is the number "350" . . . the maximum parts per million of green house gasses that we can have in our atmosphere and still have a healthy planet. Currently we are at 390 and rising . . .
Eagle Pride: Earth Day 2010 celebration at Florida Gulf Coast University featured a sky art portrait of a bald eagle head with 250 students.
Two-Salmon-Sky: Two elementary schools in Medford, Oregon combine to form two swimming salmon with the number "350" bubbling from their mouths. 350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.
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(4 min: From Holland) 3 5 0 S K Y: With 5000 participants, this was biggest Art For the Sky project to date! In September, 2009, students and teachers from 21 schools in Uden, Holland formed a version of their local windmill and depicted tulips for the blades to symbolize a badly needed new global vision for our relationship with the sky. 350 is the most important number in the world! Why? 350 parts per million (ppm) is the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. It’s the number agreed upon by many of the world’s leading scientists and recently endorsed by 80 countries (not the US). We need to reduce our parts per million of carbon emissions down to this number if we are to survive this era of global climate change. Right now it is at 390 and rising. See 350.org for more information.The video is set to the national song for Uden's province performed during the event with special words relating to the art written by project leader, Dorry Arts.
(4 min:) Just One Candle: This was the first nighttime sky art creation! In Greeneville, Tennessee Doak Elementary School and the local community become two different sky art versions of a burning candle . . . one at night, lit up with real candles and one in the day dressed in various colors. The base of the candle was made with 4500 cans of food collected for the local food bank, the largest donation they ever received. . . enough to feed 100 families for a month. This two-tiered experience was set to the beautiful song, Just One Candle, by Teresa Jennings which everyone learned and sang while in the candle shape.
(90 sec) Raven's Message: Raven has long been associated with the sun in Native American mythology. Here, in a sky art performance by Butte College, California sustainability students, raven appears flying over Earth as the polar ice caps are melting. Raven's message is this: achieve a ceiling of 350 parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere or global climate catastrophe will ensue.
(10 min) Obama Sky: An Earth Inauguration: 800 African-American students from Alex Haley and Windell Smith schools on Chicago's southside form a 1200 square foot image of President Elect Obama on the only sunny day in a week full of blizzards and extreme cold.
(11 min) A Panda Sky: 700 Oak View Elementary School students and teachers in Fairfax, Virginia, celebrate the endangered panda with a very special sky art creation.
(5 min) Show Me the Way: This 5 minute video depicts two performance sky art collaborations between Art For the Sky and CCCSAA Conference leadership students and with Butte College, California sustainability students honoring the most important number in the world: 350. Butte College students depict a raven flying over the Earth as the southern ice cap is melting. Once it melts, Raven has a message . . . achieve 350 parts per million carbon emissions or invite global climate catastrophe! In Native American mythology, Raven is often associated with magic. Raven is the message bearer and it's message is often related to the sun.
Into The Sky: Chico, California flies more Earth flags than any place on Earth and Art For the Sky celebrated this with a unique tribute just before Earth Day, 2009. The Chico Earth Flag Coalition hopes to spread their success to cities across the globe in an effort to better focus our attention on what should obviously be the Numero Uno shared planetary mission: address climate change now and come into right alignment with the Earth. This musical video is the story of Chico's effort, our creation together and a little history of the Earth Flag. May it inspire you and your town!
The Birdman of Cahokia: An inner-city school in St. Louis called the Shepard Academy, depicts "The Birdman" . . . the most famous artifact found at the nearby ancient city of mounds called Cahokia.
The Whooping Crane's Blessing: 1000 students and teachers from Gilchrist Elementary School in Tallahassee, Florida timed their sky art creation of a giant whooping crane with the arrival of a small flock of the birds to their new home at nearby St. Marks Wildlife Preserve. Guided by Operation Migration's ultra lights, a flock of 7 completed their journey from Wisconsin 2 days after the Art For the Sky Whooping Crane event.
Peregrine: Three shades of Florida earth and 800 students and teachers formed an endangered peregrine falcon at Canopy Oaks Elementary School, one of four projects with Tallahassee schools in the winter of 2009 honoring the state's endangered creatures.
Crocodile Sky: 1000 students and teachers from Kate Sullivan School in Tallahassee form and endangered American crocodile. This film highlights teachings about impermanence as demonstrated by a group of 6 Tibetan monks who constructed and then destroyed a beautiful sand painting in the city during the time we were creating the crocodile.
Sea-Turtle-Sky: Using Georgia red clay, Florida white sand, top soil and blue jeans for a border, 700 students and staff from De Soto Trail Elementary School in Tallahassee, Florida form a stunning version of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle. One of the advanced teachings of Art For the Sky is introduced in this video: morphogenetic fields.
Dolphin Sky: 800 students and teachers from Tampa Bay Blvd. Grade School in Florida form a dolphin soaring over the chinese character for water. This film highlights one of the advanced teachings of Art For the Sky . . . that we can beneficially influence an animal's "morphogenetic field".

A Woodpecker's Dream: A new exercise called "falling into the sky" to help awaken our sky sight is introduced here in this program which featured the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Northside Elementary School of the Arts in South Carolina decpicted the bird in Sky Art form with 500 students and teachers.
The Tree of Life: By saving and cashing in cereal box tops, the students of Pioneer Elementary School in Sunnyside, Washington were able to bring Art For the Sky to their school for the creation of a beautiful Tree of Life with leaves that get blown off in a "hurricane."
Once Upon A Salamander: Classes from three schools in Medford, Oregon combine to celebrate the Giant Pacific Salamander, an important species in the area watershed, culminating their year long study of the regional ecosystem.
2008
Kids Light the World: The largest creation thus far . . . 2100 students and teachers from Commack Middle School on Long Island in New York form a lighthouse and beam of light. Garbage from a beach cleanup forms the top and foreground of the lighthouse.
Mission: Blue Butterfly: Presidio Middle School in San Francisco first form a chrysallis and then the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly.
Save Our Salmon: Cascade Middle School in Eugene, Oregon forms a spawning
salmon to address the salmon crisis in the northwest. See the salmon "lay eggs" to the tune of Neil Young's Long May Your Run with salmon lyrics by Daniel Dancer.
Raising the Dove: A 2 minute inspiring peace conference event depicting the creation of a dove mandala out of sheets and people to a song by Sky in the Road.
The Sky Horse: Nearly 1000 students and teachers form a running horse at the North Park Elementary School in Valencia, California.
Falling in to the Sky: Art For the Sky teams up with the Apalachicola Riverkeeper in Florida to make the largest Art For the Sky image to date . . . an Osprey with 1300, K-12 students and teachers.
Bigfoot Sky: Is Bigfoot real? It was to Carson School in Skamania County, Washington where there is a long history of sightings in this region. There is even law here stating that it is illegal to kill a bigfoot! 300 students and staff and a truck load of wood chips brought bigfoot to life .
The Tree of Hope: Parkdale Elementary School in Oregon at the base of Mt. Hood creates a blooming apple tree with girls in pink and boys in white as the falling blossoms.
Balandra Nuestra: This first foreign language project was set near La Paz, BCS, Mexico on a beautiful beach called Balandra which hangs in the balance between protection and development. Several hundred people, kayaks, clothes and rocks formed a hammerhead shark, endangered due to severe over-fishing.
2007
Mockingbird Sky: Two schools in Redding, California team up to create a
200-foot-long, singing Mockingbird as part of the nationwide BIG READ program.
Winter Bee: Chenowith Elementary in The Dalles, OR addresses our honeybee crisis with the creation of a giant bee made of leaves, soil and their bodies.
Butterfly Dreamz: Central Junior High in Lawrence, Kansas teames up with the Grasslands Heritage Foundation to create a gigantic endangered Regal Fritilary Butterfly with leaves, mulch and their bodies.
The Tree of Knowledge: Schwegler Elementary School in Lawrence, Kansas celebrates it's 50th anniversary in a choreographed performance of an Osage Orange Tree with fruit and leaves falling to the ground.
5 Lands Dreaming: NSW Australia, 2007. This 20 minute film documents a yearly event called The 5 Lands Walk which is a 10 kilometer "walkabout" along a coastal path that knits 5 communities together via art, culture and music in a celebration of nature at the height of the annual humpback whale migration northward. This completely non-commercial event seeks to honor and reconnect with the oldest culture on Earth . . . that of the Aboriginal people of Australia which dates back 50,000 years. An Art For the Sky humpback whale was created as the finale for this event and involved music, dance and movement through the image at a spectacular location.
Om To Gaia: A quickie film of a collaboration with the Community of Adsideo and Art For the Sky in an aerial art message invisioning peace on Earth to the song, Om to Gaia.
Manatee Eyes: 1400 students and staff at the Manatee Elementary School in Florida formed the endangered Florida manatee.
The Moon Goose: Jewell Elementary School in Bend, Oregon create a Canada Goose flying across a giant moon made of shredded bark, 750 students and staff.
Sturgeon Sky: 800 students and staff of H.B. Lee Middle School in Portland, Oregon collaborated with Art For the Sky and Columbia River Keeper to create a 250 foot long Columbia River Sturgeon in their field. This film features the song, Tashawashunkatah which means "flow like the water" in Lakota.
Condor Eyes: 500 students and staff at Lent Elementary School in Portland become human paintdrops in a giant living painting of a California condor. The event occurred the day after a freak snowstorm in the city.
2006
Tree of Life: A ancient, twisted apple tree was formed out of fall leaves. 125 children and teachers in groups of 4 became the apples and some became the leaves. They "fell" to the "ground" and were all "blown" away by the wind. St. Mary's Academy, The Dalles, OR.
Amelia's Hand: Camp Create at St. Stephen's Church in Marin County, CA teamed up with Art For the Sky in a version of Amelia Earharts actual hand print which she made in ink when she was alive. 80 youth and councelors moved in and out of the hand as a moving spiral . . . a teaching about our spiral path through The Mystery. August, 2006
Cougar Sky: 600 students at Crescent Elk Middle School in Crescent City, California create a 200 ft long cougar in their field.
NATIVE SKY PROJECTS
The Resurrection of Chief Washakie: In between blizzards and just down the road from Sacajawea's grave in Wyoming, 450 Fort Washakie Indian students and teachers collaborate with Art For the Sky in a magnificent rendition of their well loved ancestoral Shoshone chief who presided over their tribe for sixty years in the mid-eighteen hundreds. Spring, 2009
The Sky Canoe: Collaborating with American Rivers and the Penobscot Indian Nation, the Art For the Sky film celebrates the restoration of the Penobscot River and the importance of the birchbark canoe. Fall, 2008
Bison Dreams: A giant living painting of a White Buffalo was the result of an Art For the Sky collaboration with five Salish-Kootenai Tribal schools in Montana in the fall of 2006. This film features the song, Bison Dreams and the photographs of Edward Curtis.
The Taos Eagle: Near the oldest continually occupied dwelling on North America, the Taos Pueblo, a sky art eagle was formed by the Taos Day School. The bird was built of composted soil, sheets, cottonwood leaves and the smiling bodies of students and staff. Fall, 2007
The Apache Star: All the schools of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe collaborated with Art For the Sky in the creation of a giant version of their beaded morning star design. Approximately 700 students and staff became living "beads" and together, with 8 tipi skins, created a wonderful symbol of the power of unity . . . comm-unity. Spring, 2007
The Art of Dam Removal: An exciting depiction of an entire school becoming "a river" as they enact the removal of an antiquated dam called "Condit" on the White Salmon River. The dam is scheduled to be removed in 2008. This was a project sponsored by the Umatilla Nation and Columbia River Keeper at Sunridge Middle School in Pendleton, Oregon. This film features Neil Young's song, Long May You Run, with new words by Daniel Dancer. Winter, 2007
A-MAZ-ing:
The Gila River Indian Community celebrates the recovery of their
water rights after having them stolen for almost 100 years. The
ancient symbol of "the man in the maze" is the centerpiece
of their moving, sky art celebration of water. This film features
the song, Tashawashunkatah which means "flow like the water" in
Lakota. Winter, 2006
Dream Bear Ceremony: A beautiful aerial art ceremony with the United Auburn Indian Community in California featuring Sequioia Raven Moon, a firedancer. |