ince the beginning of recorded history, human beings have dreamed
of flying. This longing to defy gravity and escape the limitations of our
earth-bound bodies has transcended ethnic, geographical, and cultural boundaries. Fittingly,
the realization of this ancient quest was achieved at the turn of the 20th
Century, not by a famous scientist, powerful king, or intrepid explorer, but
by two plain-spoken bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio.
Dreams-of-Flight (Parts I and II) is a community-based arts project developed in celebration of this amazing feat, and in honor of the centennial anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic 1903 powered flight. The project involved children in North Carolina and Ohio learning about, and creating writing and art around the theme of flight. Selected paintings and poems were exhibited as part of the kick-off celebration for the North Carolina Museum of Art exhibition, "Defying Gravity." Also children from both states participated in an Electronic Field Trip to the International Space Station, sponsored by Partners-in-Flight and the 2003-2004 TechKnow-Savvy Teacher Series!
The culminating event of Dreams-of-Flight was a play
for young people exploring the miracle of flight and hope through the story
of a disabled young girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut.
Authored by June Guralnick, the work, incorporating contributions from
children,
was presented in December 2003 at the North Carolina
Museum of Art
and also toured the region, with a performance at Kill Devil Hills
as part of
the First Flight Centennial events. (A portion of the play was additionally
broadcast on Dec. 17 as part of the International Space Station "E-trip.")
To read an excerpt from the play, click here.
Production photographs can be viewed here.
Three counties in North Carolina, with a total of 11 schools (and various community youth groups) participated in Dreams-of-Flight as well as four schools from Ohio.
Click on a county or school name to view children's literature and art work.
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Website built under the direction of June Guralnick
with support from John Wood and
Robeson Community College Students:
Lawton Baker, Cynthia Booth, Lillie Hunt, Loretta Lowery,
Judy Revels, Nise Robinson and Shirlease Samuel
Loretta Allen, Instructor
Web-site project funded in part by a Regional Artist Project Grant
with major support from United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County
and the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency.