Lucy Welles
liw002@marietta.edu
“The Weight of a Wish: From Hush to Howl” is an interactive public art piece derived from Yoko Ono’s “Wishing Tree.” The inspiration for her original piece came from the temple courtyard trees in her native Japan that were filled with “wish knots” that people had tied in the hope that their wishes might come true.
The primary concept of this piece is to provide a venue for campus healing. All are welcome to write a Marietta College-related wish on a paper “wish tag” and tie it to the floating bar located under the skylight in the Atrium Gallery, on the third floor of the Hermann Fine Arts Center.
A wish is formally defined as a hope for something that is not easily attainable, or a want for something that will probably not happen. Art professor Jolene Powell finds wishes to be therapeutic.
“There is a lot of positive psychology associated with them,” she told The Marcolian.
The “weight of a wish” as demonstrated in this art piece is determined by its “hush” or “howl.” A “hush” is a wish that is less serious in nature, while a “howl” may cause the wisher great pain.
“I imagine people will write everything from: ‘I wish people would not squander fruit and roll it on the ground outside Gilman, down the hill, to Hermann’ – that might be a hush – to ‘I wish Marietta College would demolish one of the unusable dorms to save money and open green space’ – that’s a howl,” said Powell.
“The Weight of a Wish” will bring people together, with a common goal of a way to express the hushes and howls many of us feel inside.
Here at Marietta College, we are more similar than we may realize. We have many of the same desires, fears, passions, and solutions. Powell says wish similarity is one aspect that may unite us, even during fractured times. On the contrary, wish differences will help us see and understand what our friends are thinking and feeling. This installation piece is an opportunity to provide a physical manifestation of the silent screams not heard across our campus.
“Wishes represent hope and resilience, things we must foster and cultivate at Marietta College. Our campus wishes will connect us, because many of us want the same things: financial security, an enriching place to work, to be heard, to feel fulfilled, and to help young people,” said Powell.
Wish tags are currently available in the Atrium Gallery to write on and tie to the floating bar. Those interested in participating may also slide wishes under Powell’s office door, which is room 307 in the Hermann Fine Arts Center.
