Thank you for helping to preserve a Salem cultural treasure!
Thanks to our community, the Oregon Legislature, grants from the City of Salem, the Salem Foundation, and the Oregon Community Foundation, we are delighted and grateful to be able to save the mosaic! “The River of Peace” mosaic which involved over 600 people, was protected, stabilized, and moved into secure storage. The artwork will be reinstalled in Riverfront Park on Salem’s Riverfront Carousel’s new artisan building for carving and painting carousel animals.
Salem’s Riverfront Carousel’s new addition will be built at Riverfront Park, designed by AC + Co Architecture | Community
The Salem Peace Mosaic’s original location at 695 Court St. NE, in downtown Salem, Oregon.
about the salem peace mosaic
The Salem Peace Mosaic was designed by artist Lynn Takata and created by children and families, artists, patients from the Oregon State Hospital, docents from the Salem Art Assoc. Gallery Guides, grandparents and grandchildren from Center 50+, the homeless, and many others crafted ceramics, cut glass, wrote poetry, and worked side by side placing over 25,000 tiles, one by one.
Through the inspiration and guidance of renowned artist Lynn Takata, in 2011, over 600 people ages 2 to 85 contributed to the artistic process, creating a positive symbol of community life and spirit for the City of Salem.
The mosaic was on the Salem Family YMCA building two blocks from the Oregon State Capitol. The artwork will be reinstalled in Riverfront Park when the Carousel builds its new addition.
A poem written for Salem by former Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen flows throughout the sixty foot long mosaic and includes the lines:
"Salem, we're Speaking Peace each time we say your name."
The tactile and interactive mosaic weaves together images of the natural world with words gathered from the community, inspired by peace.
Ready to take the next step to help preserve artwork that over 600 people worked together to create for Salem?