Prague Limestone Roliquery™ – Photo ©Amy Brier, Roliquery.com
In 2006, JMMDS was asked to do a brainstorming session in Rockaway, Queens for the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance in Queens, NY. The site was located along a stretch of magnificent beachfront, next to an old bungalow community along a boardwalk. Working with several classes of children from a nearby school that morning and a stakeholder group that evening, we generated lots of great ideas. Among them was the idea of building a large sandbox garden for play.
Looking for images on the internet, I came across sculptor Amy Brier’s roliqueries. Check out her site-beautifully sculpted balls of varying sizes and materials that, when rolled in sand (on the ground or on sand tables) leave behind a pattern of snowflakes, spiders, koi, sea shells, oak leaves…or one of your own design. My favorite is Prague, with its five faces inspired by early 20th century carvings in Prague’s cathedrals (show image). Her idea to create “sculpture that makes sculpture” is a great one. I look forward to working with her in Rockaway someday perhaps, or whenever the right project comes along.
What a great way to combine sand play with art. I can imagine large rolling balls on the beach with Amy’s beautiful carvings leaving the kind of impressions that help our children and all of us dream new possibilities. Amy’s work is inspiring and brings the viewer to that place of wonder!
I hope the city of Rockaway gives the go ahead for such an inspiring idea.