Imagination

[This article was written by American Quilter contributing editor Iris Frank of Santa Cruz, California.]

Jennifer Marsh’s dreams are never small…actually, they are gargantuan in my book. When I heard about her current “dream” project of wrapping the 37-story tall Saturn V Rocket replica standing at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, with fabric art, I immediately reserved a panel! This amazing endeavor is called The Dream Rocket, and more information is available at http://www.thedreamrocket.com/.

One category was Peace, and for as long as I could remember, my husband David (an aerospace engineer) had a quote by President Eisenhower displayed in his office: “Military power…serves the cause of peace by holding up a shield behind which the patient, constructive work of peace can go on.” The quote was illustrated with a beautiful pen and ink drawing of an eagle protecting a dove.

Our family's Dream Rocket panel is divided into fourths with the quote in one. For two of the others, my grandsons in the photo below (Ethan, age 7 and Alexander, age 8) drew pictures about their recently deceased grandfather. Ethan’s airplane was probably inspired by a memory of eating at a restaurant adjacent to San Francisco International Airport. He and Pops had a contest to see who could identify in and outbound planes first. (It was pretty much a tie!) Alexander’s rocket in space could be attributed to their trips to the schoolyard to launch stomp rockets! The remaining fourth is an “In Memory of” panel.

The rocket is to be wrapped in fabric to coincide with the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s announcement to “land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth”—May 25, 2011. I can’t wait to see the completion of this amazing endeavor or what’s coming next. Dream on, Jennifer! For a prior Jennifer Marsh project, read the Amazing Endeavors: Independence Tree article on page 18 in the March 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine.

By canews

Columbia, SC, artist Doni Jordan is participating in the Dream Rocket Project, a global collaborative initiative that aims to connect art and education. A 37 story tall Saturn V Rocket replica, which stands at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL, will be wrapped with 2′ x 2′ panels created by students, teachers and individuals next spring to coincide with the 50th anniversary of JFK’s lofty challenge of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.”

Professor Jennifer Marsh, founder of the Dream Rocket Project, hopes to inspire individuals all over the World not only to dream, but also to recognize their power to pursue their dreams. She believes,“The Saturn V Moon Rocket is an inspiring and tangible reminder that when people work together through collaboration, any challenge can be met, any mission can be accomplished, and any dream can come true.”

The wrapping of the Saturn V Rocket will occur during May and June 2011 but the art panels are currently touring the nation. Jordan’s panel, titled @ will be included in an exhibition at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose, CA, from Jan. 1 through Mar. 1, 2011.

Trained as a graphic designer, Jordan has long had a passion for symbols, punctuation and typography. She chose one single ancient symbol, “@,” which literally means “at,” but which she reinterpreted to mean “all inclusive” for her panel. Jordan dreams of a world which is all inclusive of others… one that accepts and celebrates our differences. The @ symbol is known and identified worldwide, also being “all inclusive.”

As Jordan researched the meaning of the @ symbol, she learned that the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City recently acquired the @ symbol into its Department of Architecture and Design collection. The museum “dreamed big” and determined that “the physical possession of an object as a requirement for an acquisition is no longer necessary, and therefore it sets curators free to tag the world.” Because the @ symbol is in the public realm, it is free to all so this communication tool has become the most priceless object in MoMA’s collection.

Knowing that she wanted to create a fiber art solution for the project, Jordan selected a double-sided weather resistant fabric. The green fabric signifies growth and hope for the future. Black stitches were used to increase visibility while viewing the Saturn V rocket panel from below. Believing that words are equally as important as symbols, she also included the title of the project, the city and state where it will be unveiled, the year and her name, hometown and state in the design of the panel.

After completing the concept and design, EmbroidMe, an Irmo, SC based embroidery business, stitched the 2’ x 2’ panel. A normal embroidery logo project uses 8,000-10,000 stitches. The @ symbol for the Dream Rocket Project required 77,953 stitches, each stitch signifying the masses of people in our world.

For more information about the Dream Rocket Project, visit (www.thedreamrocket.com). For information about Jordan’s panel, visit (www.thedreamrocket.com/individuals). For more info about Doni Jordan call 803/781-8392 or e-mail to ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Source

Dream Rocket Display
The Huntsville Times, Monday, December 13, 2010
Cover of Education section

"I received this article in which was published in the Hazard, KY newspaper on December 8, I am so proud of Troop 315 and their fantastic artwork submission. However I need to make a small correction, that our wrapped Saturn V will not be blasting off and traveling to outer space. :) However, I do think this is an amazing idea. But on a serious note, thanks to all your hard work Troop 315 from Hazard, KY" - Jennifer Marsh

Jennifer Marsh is one of those idealists who gets an idea and charges ahead, despite obstacles that would gobsmack most people. Check this out: Jennifer once worked on a sheep farm, turned the wool into yarn, crocheted the wool into outfits and then dressed the sheep in those outfits. And no, they didn't thank her for her consideration! ...

The second grade girls of Troop 1509 at Villa Madonna began their first year as Brownies by making a quilt panel to be put on the Dream Rocket. The Wrapping of the Saturn V Rocket in a quilt of dreams will recognize the power of global collaboration with the hopes of inspiring people to dream and pursue their dreams. Locally created quilt panels will be on display at the Duke Energy Children's Museum from 12/1/10-2/1/11.

http://local.cincinnati.com/community/showPic.aspx?comm=VillaHills&pid=205770