Thank you, Bumbershoot 2009

What a generous, thoughtful, beautiful crowd. Thank you for participating in Silence at Bumbershoot. You showed me how deeply you desire to listen to yourselves.

Hundreds of you crawled into my pods each day and tried your best to achieve silence. You fought the commotion of the children's stage, the bass of the pop bands, the whine of tired babies and car alarms. And you brought me your thoughts. I scribed them on discs, heated them and gave them back to you on a string and you wore them proudly away.

You took your place as an artist in the project--removed your shoes, took a deep breath, closed your eyes and sat. You read poems and quotes from writers, philosophers and musicians on the ideas of silence and noise. And you worked hard to find the self. I admire you.

Thank you for your support. I feel privileged to have served you. I learned from you that each of us experiences silence in our own way. We each have our own path. For some it is laugher, for others stillness. Some want loved ones nearby, others wish to be alone. But silence and peace are available to us all whenever we need them, whenever we're ready.

My interest in silence and in the waking of our senses to the here and now is growing. Many of my installations and maneuvers incorporate the sacred, encourage people to participate to experiences for themselves--from practicing rituals to dialoging about matters of the heart and soul. I strive to help people articulate the meaning in their lives. For it is only in the naming of things and in the direct experience that we are able to live.