“as part of the ‘young/new generation’, I feel like we all fear to be forgotten (We tweet, facebook, we want to be superstars…) and a piece of art like yours reminds me of the first men who drew their history on their walls and always had it in sight, they could not be forgotten. Their paintings are still there.”

— Participant in World Water Week - Stockholm Sweden

Resilience Narrative Prayer Wheel Project

See the presentation that Chris and his brother did at World Water Week in Stockholm.

Chris presents his work at the Seeds of Compassion Gathering.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama thanks Chris and the City of Seattle for the Prayer Wheel

Chris and his father Bob inspect the Prayer Wheel at its permanent instilation site at the Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington.

Prayer Wheel for His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Seeds of Compassion, as described at their website, "came about through a collaboration of the Kirlin Foundation and the Venerable Tenzin Dhonden to focus world attention on the following:

Our communities need thoughtful, creative adults who are actively engaged citizens.
Our global society needs people equipped to communicate across cultures and address differences through understanding and collaborative problem solving.
These qualities must take root in early childhood.
When children build from strong foundations emotionally, socially and cognitively, they can develop into compassionate adults."

On April 15th, 2008, the group hosted the Inter-Spiritual Dialogue at HecEd Arena at the University of Washington with 10,000 people in attendance. At the event, Chris presented the "Seeds of Compassion Prayer Wheel" to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on behalf of the City of Seattle and all those involved in the Seeds of Compassion.

The large prayer wheel tells a simple story. It was dreamed by Chris’s wife Jennifer Hahn. To shows a great maple tree dropping winged seeds. The falling seeds are caught by children. A child, like a seed of compassion, must be nurtured. It must be treated with respect and kindness, encouraged with water, food and love. The illustration shows a child nurturing a see. The seed sprouts and the child jumps with joy. When children are nurtured, they join together and hold hands not guns or hatred. In the design they dance together in celebration. They help a small sapling grow into a great tree —— a tree that continues for many lives to offer seeds of compassion. The images of the children on the vessel are based on photos taken by Jenny of the children of some of our friends. The carved lid of the prayer wheel is made of a maple burl. It was carved by Rand Jack, one of Chris’s college professors, an attorney and passionate conservationist.

Later, Chris presented the "Path to Enlightenment Prayer Wheel" to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a gift. Lama Tenzin Dhonden, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Emissary for Peace and co-founder of the Seeds of Compassion, worked with Chris to design both prayer wheels. Click on the photo to scroll through other images of the event.

You can find wonderful resources on how to actively encourage compassion in your own life, schools, workplace and across this small world on the following links:

The first section of the piece depicts the gasoline inferno, the lives it took. The gold crack in the vessel represents the opportunity for learning and transformation that come from trauma.

Preceding to the right on the vessel, the long work of restoring the creek begins. New growth begins to appear among the charred remains of the forest. The hand represents the call to stewardship of the creek and by extension the entire earth.

Here the hands are raised in the "hiska" gesture of honor and gratitude practiced by the Lummis, first nations people of this area. We see the waters of Whatcom Creek, which a decade after the gasoline spill and fire are home to water fowl and fish. The gold crack signifies that there is still much to be learn and much to be gained if it is sought.

The final portion of the Prayer Wheel is also the beginning. The forest is lush and the creek bounds through a verdant gorge. The stone bridge in Whatcom Falls Park is and icon for the city of Bellingham: a symbol of its abundance of natural parks that attract visitors from across the globe and provides refuge for the city's residence. Yet, below the bridge the pipeline still crosses the creek as it has for forty years. Still transporting gasoline to fuel the rush of humanity.

Whatcom Creek Restoration Prayer Wheel

"Whatcom Creek Restoration Prayer Wheel" was created in 2009 to honor the memory of all that was destroyed in the pipeline disaster 10 years earlier, and the exceptional work since then to restore the creek and strengthen the regulation of pipeline safety. Click on the photo for the story of the imagery.

The vessel is cast in bronze and is permanently installed in the Bellingham City Hall.

If you want to learn more about the pipeline disaster go to:http://www.pipelinesafetytrust.org/whatcomcreek/

Presidential Prayer Wheel

The "Presidential Prayer Wheel" is a gift from the Bellingham, Washington community to President Obama. The images speak from our unique place here in the Pacific Northwest.

On the wheel's top, Trumpeter Swans with outstretched necks are flying home. They help each other: drafting, taking turns slicing the wind.

We are the swans sticking our necks out, because we must. We are strong, willing, able. On the very top, a flame burns bright to guide us.

Click on the photo to view a video of the piece.