Mother of the Spirt-Fire, Cheemah Sixteen foot tall bronze public monument.  Designed, sculpted and created by Osprey Orielle Lake

Mother of the Spirit-Fire, Cheemah is a sixteen foot tall monument dedicated to honoring the Earth and the diversity of all peoples of the world. The vision of the International Cheemah Project is to place eight Cheemah monuments around the world to create an inspiring bridge between cultures. Two of the eight monuments have already been produced. The first is currently located in San Francisco, and the second was installed at the Hamburg International Airport in Hamburg, Germany.

The artist, Osprey Orielle Lake, is working in partnership with long time patron of the arts and cultural events, Mr. Valentin Burgmann.  Mr. Burgmann is an international businessman and the owner of the Raum und Kunst Galleries in Hamburg.

At the unveiling of the North American Cheemah monument in San Francisco, Osprey Orielle Lake said the following:

"I welcome you to the message of hope that Mother of the Spirit-Fire, Cheemah brings to our united future in every nation. This monument is dedicated to healing the differences existing among our world family and to working together to heal our relationship with our home planet.

"Cheemah carries the torch of Hope and Unity. Upon the torch are bronze and turquoise medallions representing, in relief, the hemispheres of our World. These medallions are the symbol of our living Planet. Encircling the torch there is also a ring of five colored stones. These five stones -- red, brown, black, white and yellow -- become one circle, signifying the unity of the different peoples of our World in caring for our living Earth.

"The Eagle has been an important symbol in many cultures worldwide, and in the Cheemah Monument the Eagle signifies the power of  direction, most especially a positive direction for our future."

The European Cheemah monument was unveiled at the International Airport in Hamburg, Germany on May 22, 1997. Participants attending the reception were so touched by the monument and the speeches that a flurry of activity followed as people shared ideas about how to unite in concerns ranging from building healthier cities and improving children's education, to exploring new technologies to carry across national boundaries. Dedicated volunteers are currently making efforts to bring Cheemah monuments to Great Britain and South Africa.

Different events will be scheduled at every Cheemah site to further the discussion of building bridges among the many peoples of our world and caring for the environment. Additionally, after all eight monuments have been installed there will be a bronze Earth globe placed at each site which will indicate the specific locations of the monuments in the other seven cities. The bronze globe map will give substantial exposure to the site at which each Cheemah is placed.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Cheemah Project please contact: Wyolah Garden, Executive Director Circles Metis Art, Inc. (415) 995-2652

For sales inquiries please call 510-644-2735 or e-mail info@artworksfoundry.com

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