Welcome to a little slice of fellowship among strangers;
of white spaces into words;
from "me and you" to "us."
Here lie dozens of haiku — Japanese poems featuring lines of five, seven, and five syllables — by Minnesota artist Amy Felegy and residents of senior living community Johanna Shores.
Felegy wrote the first line of the haiku, while residents created their own second and third lines along with titles. Felegy then used gouache paint and pen to form the poems into 8'x8' art pieces.
All in all, the project took a little over two months to complete.
"A magical full moon nudges me to life."
Excerpt from a Johanna Shores resident's haiku
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Personal ties
In high school, Felegy worked at Johanna Shores in the dietary department. It's also where her great-grandmother lived and where Felegy found great joy. Though she is a journalist now, it remains one of her most-beloved jobs.
"The world has asked us to keep our distance. Art begs the opposite."
-Amy Felegy, artist
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Springboard for the Arts awarded grants to local artists with an idea. The grant, titled: Artists Respond, Combatting Social Isolation, was meant to connect folks to each other during the COVID-19 pandemic through art. Over 80 Minnesota artists were chosen to complete their projects.
"...As long as cherry blossoms fall on still waters."
Excerpt from a Johanna Shores resident's haiku
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In late December 2020, Felegy completed the project by reading the haiku aloud on an internally-televised program at Johanna Shores. See the recording at the "Video" tab above.
Message from the artist
I've got lots of people to thank, because nothing is complete without a gratitude list:
Johanna Shores residents, for without your enthusiasm and artistry, this wouldn't have been possible
Springboard for the Arts for trusting a very eager artist with your funds
Jane Chagnon, Johanna Shores recreation & wellness director, for welcoming my idea with open arms and even completing a poem yourself
Taylor Robers for her constant cheerleading, advice and friendship, and for showing me what it means to be a true artist
The worker at Wet Paint on Grand Avenue in St. Paul for telling me how to properly pronounce "gouache" paint
The woman at the antique store in Jordan who sold me the bright yellow bowls, which made for excellent circular markers used for every piece
I dedicate Me & You Haiku to my great-grandmother, Marian, who probably would've hated this.
I love you always, Gram.
-Amy Felegy
Me & You Haiku is a public art project by Amy Felegy completed in the winter of 2020. The project was in collaboration with Johanna Shores, a Presbyterian Homes and Services senior housing community in Arden Hills, Minnesota, and funded by Springboard for the Arts based in St. Paul, Minnesota.