Circle of Beauty

May 4, 2012      Author : Elisa Wike Hurley    Category: Community, Environment      0 Comment(s)

There’s a soft mist in the air as the children at the elementary school in Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island create an outdoor mandala, or circle, during their “Arts Week” mid-April, 2012. They want to give something back, a bit of beauty on the ground, as a way of saying thank you to their planet Earth. Ebullient and thoughtful, the children begin to fill in the circle with natural materials found on their island and beyond. Framed with cedar wood, beach stone, and mussel shell, the art begins to vibrate and sing as they add their contributions. I am transfixed by their patience, devotion almost, as a tiny flower petal is placed inside the sweet curve of a clamshell. My assistant, Eric Hopkins, newly transplanted MDI artist, helps one boy find more pinecones, while other community members and parents kneel down to share in the experience. A transformation occurs: everyday natural objects for those living on an island become resplendent treasures, delights to carry and observe. At its completion, the children hold hands and create their own circle around the colorful mandala. Yes, these are young school children, individuals living on an island in Maine, yet definitely part of a beautiful, unified whole.





























Elisa Wike Hurley is a photographer, writer and teacher living on Mount Desert Island with her two amazing teenagers, Annika and Ian. She frequently wanders the island with her camera looking at small things closely. She is grateful, every day, for the opportunity to live in such a resplendent place.

More photographs by Elisa Wike Hurley at Maine Island Gallery

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