Peace poles
Made by an artist
Since
you've found this site, I assume you know what peace poles are.
If not, scroll down to "The Tradition" for an explanation.
Peace poles should warrant their presence in gardens and parks. They should be interesting and aesthetic. And they should last a long time. So I make peace poles out of copper, limestone, stainless steel and other materials that exude substance and endurance. I make them wider and taller to give them "presence" to legitimize the message. And I ship them internationally from the USA.
What if a peace pole said only
something like, "Suck the bullets back into the barrels."
And/or what if the pole curved, perhaps something
like this?
Click on Images
for more about each kind
Limestone Copper Plaques Stake Resin
7-Sided 6-Sided Stainless Fountain Stainless Round Granite
Each peace pole is made to order so that it can be inscribed with your choice of languages. Traditionally each side has the peace message in a different language. In English the peace prayer reads "May Peace Prevail On Earth." Translations have been done by native speakers so that the sentiment is expressed in their idioms. The list of the more than 100 translations that are available can be seen by clicking translations.
Another option is to use just the word "Peace" instead of the phrase. This allows many more translations to be used. Fifteen translations would be included on a 5-sided pole. Thirty would be possible. Each followed by a label identifying which language it is.
Planting / Installing
Instructions for planting peace poles can be seen by clicking Installation Options. Planting is simple and can be accomplished by anyone who can wield a shovel. Sometimes the installation is done as part of the dedication ceremony.
Peace poles take 3 to 10 weeks to create depending on the size and material. Limestone takes ten weeks. Resin takes three. However, usually I can make deadlines whenever they are.
Note from my blog
On the phone someone was testing me about who I was to be making peace poles and what my work was like. Which is legitimate. I understand that and don't mind it. But one of the questions she asked was whether I had a peace pole in my own yard. Later I repeated the question to my wife and we had a good laugh. I told the woman on the phone that at that moment I had three by my front door, five around back, several in my basement, and others in my garage. The problem for me is preventing the yard from becoming overrun with them. For one thing, I make prototypes that I want to watch weather over the years. Some I hide behind trees where I won't see them for months at a time so that the changes will be noticeable for not having been seen happening gradually. Others I put where I will see them constantly. I tinker with the designs. I want to see them outside from a distance. I want to see them at night, and in the morning before the sun hits them, and at noon when the light is blinding. I need to walk around the corner and happen to notice one across the yard while I'm not thinking about them to see how they strike me. Sometimes I look up and think, "You know what would be better . . . " Other times I think, "It was better before I changed. . ."
Continuing Development
I always have something new in development for peace poles. One of the things this year is experimenting with the idea of making a Trellis Peace Pole, that is a trellis supporting plants and flowers that make a blooming peace pole (maybe that's what I should call it). A page about that is here.
I also made a limited edition copper tabletop peace pole that you can see here.
The Tradition
Peace poles are a tradition that began 50 years ago. Since then more than 300,000 have been made by people in various countries and planted everywhere from the North Pole to the Gaza Strip. Usually they are planted in ceremonies at which they have been dedicated by everyone from President Jimmy Carter to Mother Theresa. They are not responses to any specific armed conflict. As there are monuments to war, these are monuments to peace.
Usually they are purchased by non-profit groups and "planted" in parks or at schools or churches. Some also go to private gardens at people's homes. One of mine was ordered by a family that was designing a garden around their peace pole for their daughter's wedding. Quite a few have been given as gifts, sometimes from a scout troop or a graduating class after a period of fund raising.
Sometimes people spend a year raising funds before they order their peace poles. Broad based community support for such projects is common, as is shown in this newspaper article about a peace pole I shipped to Opa-Locka, Florida.
Flags
For your peace pole dedication ceremony, I have the flags of 100 different countries. Each flag is 1 foot by 1.5 feet. They are sewn onto stringers, with 20 on each string, so that they can be tied to the top of your peace pole, or anything that will hold them aloft. More about them is at this link.
Facebook Fan Page
You can reach our
Facebook Fan Page for Peace Poles
by clicking here.
Or you can use this link: http://tinyurl.com/peace-pole-fan-page
International Day of Peace
September 21 is the United Nation’s International Day of Peace. The people who promote it say it is celebrated by someone in almost every country on earth.
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Click here to read about
How to make your own peace pole
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What search brought you here? Any of these search terms? peacepoles, peace poles, peacepoles.com, may peace prevail on earth, world peace garden sculpture, peace symbol, peace symbols, peace message, peace garden art, peace organizations, world peace society, peace on earth, peace pole makers USA, promote peace pole project, or something else? It would help me to know.
