Connecting US 20 was a FREE traveling art event in libraries that increased awareness of local commonalities and differences across the country. Community libraries were the catalyst for linking local writers and artists across America’s longest highway. The video below gives an overview of the project and the pages of the website provide the detail.
Our story: Starting May 1st, 2017 in Boston MA, Sal Strom and Lynn Moyers traveled all of US 20; 3,365 miles through 12 states, ending May 31st in Sal’s Pacific Coast home town Newport, Oregon. We connected towns along America's longest highway using the metaphor of safety pin chains to show our connected nature and how each town is similar, yet different from all others on the route.
Making Safety Pin Chains
Connecting US 20 is about community, no matter where that community is located. This project is about linking people together through art. Participants connect multi-colored safety pins into chains, symbolizing the linkage of communities across the country. Each participant creates one chain as a souvenir and a second chain to be shared with the next town. We want to symbolize the linkage libraries offer their communities and patrons.
Adorning local writers' books
As part of the performance in each town, colorful cheesecloth and Art converge, highlighting local authors. Photos on the site give an idea of how this works. Both the safety pins and the cheesecloth encourage participation through color and celebration of Art. The pins and cheesecloth are emblematic of the larger role Art plays in life and community.
Tossing cheesecloth is great fun
During our month-long trip across the US we hosted events in 13 libraries in the 12 states we crossed. The focus was primarily on small towns/cities with a unique history or a distinct connection to US20. See The Libraries page for all the libraries.
We held a special event in Provincetown, MA on April 29 to recognize the town where Sal earned her Master of Fine Arts degree.
We held a special event in Provincetown, MA on April 29 to recognize the town where Sal earned her Master of Fine Arts degree.
For practice, we did six Connecting US 20 events in Oregon libraries on US 20 as “seed” experiences for the project. The events were held in Sweet Home, Newport, Lebanon, Albany, Corvallis, and Philomath during February 2017. We learned a lot from hosting these preliminary events, both about people from the towns and how to make our time with them fun for all.
From these events and the 14 we did traveling east across the US, the art created by "adorning books" traveled with us, preserved by digital photography. Sal created individual portraits of each of the adorned books, then combined them by location into colorful collages. The collages formed a major portion of our exhibit in Newport, OR in June 2017. The wall of images appears in the center of the photo below. This is art from 12 states and some 120 people, connecting the US in one place.
From these events and the 14 we did traveling east across the US, the art created by "adorning books" traveled with us, preserved by digital photography. Sal created individual portraits of each of the adorned books, then combined them by location into colorful collages. The collages formed a major portion of our exhibit in Newport, OR in June 2017. The wall of images appears in the center of the photo below. This is art from 12 states and some 120 people, connecting the US in one place.
This project was one of life's great experiences. We learned a lot about the people of the United States and in turn, they learned about us and Oregon. We are thankful for all the libraries who hosted us and encouraged their patrons to attend.
Please look around our site to learn more about Connecting US 20 and the special places the events took place, check out our blog, or follow us on Facebook.
Please look around our site to learn more about Connecting US 20 and the special places the events took place, check out our blog, or follow us on Facebook.