Spiral of Hope inspires families down on their luck

Tough times are even tougher these days. In Washington
alone there are about 12,500 families and children that
are homeless.

But Bryan Ohno and volunteers from the Urban Art Concept
are doing something to give people in Seattle hope.

His public interactive art project in South Lake Union
Park, the Spiral of Hope, is made out of fallen tree
branches wrapped in a spiral around a living tree in the
middle of the park. Each branch is zip-tied to the next,
making a seemingly never-ending chain of art.

The artwork is designed to symbolize an upward rise out
of homelessness. It’s also inspirational for anyone down
on their luck.

The Spiral of Hope is part of a larger project called the
“Finding Homes” series, also sponsored by the Urban Art
Concept. The series will highlight what a home means and
what it’s like not to have a home.

“Rather than what we typically fear in distress situations
such as spiraling out of control, spiraling down, we
thought this spiral was actually hopeful,” says creator
Bryan Ohno.

The work of art is huge. Ohno and volunteers from the
Urban Art Concept have used three hundred feet of branches
so far. The spiral is also over twelve feet tall.

The group has worked hard to engage both young people and
the larger community. The Spiral of Hope is funded by the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has partnered with
Seattle University to raise community awareness.

“We’re pleased to be partnering with Urban Art Concept and
Seattle Parks & Recreation on this project,” said
Professor Barry Mitzman, director of Seattle University’s
Project on Family Homelessness, in a recent press release.
“We hope to stimulate and engage the community to consider
the meaning of home and the situation of family
homelessness.”

For Ohno, this aspect of community engagement is
paramount.

“We could bring in all walks of life from young to
elderly, and different sectors of our community to work
together. And it has become that.”

Ohno says that the spiral is not even close to being
finished.

“We’re coming in every weekend to add to it, so what we’re
actually doing is making the process of making it more of
the exhibit rather than the finished piece,” says Bryan
Ohno.

The Spiral of Hope will be on display in South Lake Union
Park through June 17th.

For more information, or to sign up for the project, visit
the Urban Art Concept project page