Mount Sequoyah offers plenty of peaceful places to gather, but on Sept. 21 peace will be the reason to gather.

In observance of International Peace Day, established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly, artist Helen Kwiatkowski shares a series of paintings and origami cranes that will provide the backdrop to a Sept. 21 Peace Day concert in Sequoyah Hall with proceeds benefiting local children.

The reception for Kwiatkowski’s exhibit took place on Sept. 6 in Sequoyah Hall. Above the gallery’s fireplace hangs a painting of the Virgin Mary, a regular character in Kwiatkowski’s work and a worldwide symbol of peace and hope.

“[Mary] seems to always come in that time of crisis to solicit peace, and she comes in times that are troubled,” said the artist while finalizing her exhibit of small paintings and colorful origami cranes.

Hanging from the fireplace mantel and draped over the tall windows of the gathering space are rows of colorful origami cranes hung on strings. Some are strung with clear beads that catch the sunlight and reflect colorful patterns back into the room.

Kwiatkowski said she was inspired to fold the cranes based on the story of Sadako Saski, the 12-year-old girl who, in 1955, folded more than 1,000 cranes as she died of leukemia as a result of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. According to Japanese folklore, cranes live 1,000 years and it’s believed that whomever folds a paper crane for each year of the crane’s life is granted one wish.

Saski’s wish to get better was never granted, instead her likeness is part of the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima that is dedicated to the children who lost their lives due to the lasting effects of the A-bomb.

Mentioning the story of Sadako Saski brings tears to Kwiatkowski’s eyes and she can’t speak for a moment when talking about her inspiration for making the cranes.

“Whether or not I get my special wish, the act of folding 1,000 cranes was worth every minute,” she wrote in her artist statement.

“It became an almost daily kind of meditation for me,” Kwiatkowski said. She took the “Henry Ford method” and started folding several cranes at once in a makeshift assembly line. She added that friends helped her add colorful beads to the strands.

The cranes will be on sale during the Peace Day Concert on Sept. 21 and proceeds from those sales, as well as tickets for the concert, will benefit The Children’s Safety Center of Washington County.

“I’ve always tried to do something for kids,” Kwiatkowski said. Before moving to Fayetteville, she organized a similar event in Belton, Texas, where she retired from teaching at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. For 10 years she organized art exhibits and music around the Sept. 21 observance before she moved to Fayetteville in 2019.

To celebrate International Peace Day locally, she’s also organizing a Sept. 21 concert in Sequoyah Hall with longtime Fayetteville favorites Emily Kaitz, Dennis Collins and Dana Louise with poetry readings by Ginny Masullo.

Kaitz, a former Fayetteville resident, performed at the Texas festivals Kwiatkowski organized, so she was the first pick for the concert.

“She’s very good friend and a great songwriter. She’s very beloved,” Kwiatkowski said, adding that her songs are serious, but a little tongue-in-cheek. She said that Collins is also a terrific songwriter and guitar player.

Dana Louise (of Meadow Makers and Star Charger) will bring her sweet melodies to the evening’s music too.

“Her voice tends to be very gentle and very provocative in an inspirational kind of way,” Kwiatkowski said.

Tickets are $20 and available through Mount Sequoyah’s website. The paintings and display of 1,000 Cranes will be up at Sequoyah Hall until Sept. 30.

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FAQ

Peace Day at Mount Sequoyah

WHAT — The paintings and 1,000 origami cranes installation exhibit by Helen Kwiatkowski is on display at Sequoyah Hall Gallery through Sept. 30. A special Peace Day Concert starts at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 with music from Emily Kaitz & Dennis Collins and Dana Louise with readings by Ginny Masullo. Proceeds benefit The Children’s Safety Center of Washington County.

COST — Tickets to the concert are $20, and cranes go on sale Sept. 21 at various price points.

WHERE — Sequoyah Hall at Mount Sequoyah Center, 150 Skyline Drive in Fayetteville. The exhibit is free.

INFO — Tickets at Eventbrite and ticket link at mountsequoyah.org/event-directory/