Portraits of Hope "Project 9865 - Tower of Hope"

Photo: Jeff Winslow

 

Initiated in 1995 and completed in Spring 2000, Project 9865-Tower of Hope is the achievement

of thousands of children battling cancer, spinal injuries, burn trauma, AIDS, heart ailments

and other conditions in hospitals, pediatric care centers, and illness-related camps throughout

CA, who were assisted by many communities which joined together to help them realize

the public art creation. Painting a new canvas for the 165 ft. high tower - panel by panel -

provided youngsters coping with pain, isolation and fear with a joyous and therapeutic outlet

in the course of undergoing their treatments. Students in more than 100 schools and youth

programs participated in civic leadership sessions during which they helped prepare the

panels for the hospital sessions and created thousands of Portraits of Hope get well cards for

the kids with messages in English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Farsi, Hebrew and Braille.

 

Project 9865–Tower of Hope – A Portraits of Hope Project

Portraits of Hope's CA public art and civic initiative

Conceived and developed by Ed Massey and Bernie Massey, Founders of Portraits of Hope

 

Creation of new outer wall for and visual transformation of 17-year-old, 165 ft. high, monochromatic oil tower

 

Statewide public art and civic project involving children in hospitals and schools throughout every region of CA

 

More than 25,000 youngsters and adults

 

Creative therapy sessions for hospitalized children and persons with disabilities and illnesses; including cancer, AIDS, orthopedic ailments, burn trauma, brain and neck injuries, heart issues, and other serious conditions

 

Project-based learning: interdisciplinary

contemporary issues and civic education and leadership sessions for schools, grades 2 -12

 

The finished artwork was made of more than 200 separate and perfectly aligned panels which were installed by Hathaway Dinwiddie

 

A gateway to Beverly Hills/Los Angeles,

57,000 cars drive by the tower daily

 

Civic groups and institutions in communities throughout CA helped make the project a reality

 

Appreciation to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer, Governor Pete Wilson,

Governor Gray Davis, CA Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, State Superintendent of

Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, State Senator Tom Hayden, Los Angeles Mayor Richard

Riordan, U.S, Attorney Alejandro Mayorkas, LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, LA City

Councilmembers Mike Feuer, Laura Chick and Joel Wachs, MOCA Director Richard Koshalek,

UCLA Armand Hammer Museum Director Henry Hopkins, LA Cultural Affairs Director Adolfo

Nodal, LACMA President Andrea Rich, The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens Director

James Folsom, Dr. Charles Aronberg, Child Life Specialists Rachel Hunt, Eileen Andrade,

Victoria Brunn, Susan Marchant, Camilla Sutter, Rebecca Rice, Joy Weingartner, Susan

Gallegos, Joan Kazerounian, Leslie Young, Ginny Marshall, Susan Fallgren, Michael Burgess,

Jacqueline McCall, Doug Vennell, Jere Murray, Collette Case, and Sheri Sevenbergen, Lillian

Raffel, Cindy Aronberg, Greg Cosko, Sam Levy, Dr.David Rimoin, Dr. Carole Hurvitz, Beverly

Hills Board of Education, Beverly Hills City Council.

 

Special thank you to Hathaway Dinwiddie

 

Nathan Cummings Foundation, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Helen Landgarten. Delta

Technical Coatings, Newberg Family Fund, Nassberg Family, Andy Fuzesi, Macerich Company,

Venoco Energy Company, Davidow Charitable Fund, Purdy Bessemer Holdings, Wooster Paint

Company, Penske Automotive, Westfield, ConAgra Foundation, Helen Bing, Bruce and Toni

Corwin Foundation, Boston Foundation, Ove Arup.

 

Done