Lopez artists offer expressions of peace

Twelve vignettes with singing, dancing, puppetry and poetry were presented by Lopez Island artists to celebrate and encourage peace.

The performances, which were offered at Lopez Center Feb. 6-7-8, marked the culmination of almost two months of work by Carol Steckler, Janet Baltzer and Lisa Geddes, who organized and directed the evening. The three shows attracted more than 200 people, and raised about $1100 for the Lopez Children’s Center.

Baltzer, Geddes and Steckler wanted to make a statement for peace through a variety of art forms. With that in mind, the trio invited local artists and performers to gather with the community and express their interpretations of peace.

There were two stipulations Baltzer, Geddes and Steckler set out for the artists. The performances could run no longer than five minutes, and they must be non-partisan.

The performances were diverse in style, message and age. Three preschoolers -- Alaria Franzoni, Lachlan Fisher and Alexandra Foode -- performed a children’s barn dance. while high school students Brook Brouwer and Robyn Minkler read “The War Prayer,” by Mark Twain. Neil Hansen, Linda Bartolucci and Rosie Sumner performed a traditional Japanese puppetry act called “Toshiro” while others wrote songs that expressed their interpretation of peace.

After the show, Linda Koenig told The Sounder that it was wonderful seeing kids expressing themselves. Baltzer added, “It was great to have a mix of ages and expressions.”

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