Last Friday waves of students from grade school to high school came to Calder Plaza to hear three of the artists talk about their pieces, an ARTcation series set up by Frederik Meijer Gardens, who selected the works for the Plaza. It was raining but that didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm.

As one school after another flowed across the giant Plaza I invited them into C'ood to wander around inside the piece, explore the colors, the shape and how it was made. Then we all met in the center and I answered questions about how the piece was made of 200 T-shirts donated from around Michigan, and that community members had helped cut the shirts, build the structure and weave the piece together.

We talked about the common good, that it was not what was good for just me or you but what is good for all of us. Searching for the common good is what Americans do, it's really a pretty complex activity, and might at some times seem nearly impossible. I wanted to make a space that showed what a beautiful process that is. Then I took their pictures telling them that they were now part of the process and the artwork.

I also asked them about what they were drawing and building and told them to keep going, keep going because we need artists with their ideas and visions.

So here are some more of our participators, probably the most important ones!

Here we all are. Mark came and brought our daughter Jeanne! Mark was my best spokesman, talked to everyone who came by. Ken Kozora played a wonderful piece, C'ood Soundscape, which made our site a very special experience.

You are all invited to join us at Calder Plaza for the Opening Night of ArtPrize, 2010. At 7 p.m. Ken Kozora wil be playing a piece written especially for the C'ood Project, C'ood Soundscape. His music gave our video it's rhythm.

If it rains we'll have a great wet T-shirt contest!

Our crew arrived in Grand Rapids on a gray Monday to meet the Calder Plaza crew ready to load up the 5 sections of C'ood which had been hidden away since last Tuesday. With their help the pieces were set in place fitting together just as Brian, Paul and I had imagined and planned for. Whoopie! That was the first half hour. With the giant red piece by Alexander Calder watching over our shoulders, we cable tied the fencing together, lifted the tops back in place, and set up the lights.

People began coming over immediately. They read the T-shirts, they admired the holes made by the necks, they read the writing on the floor from the shirts. They got it, they liked it! Written handouts with more information will be available inside the piece, but most important, the piece should just be a simple joy to behold and engage in.

Two donors sent their lucky double 1's ($11) as good luck charms for winning the big PRIZE. Their names were placed right under the piece. Names of two donors were written on a strip of T-shirt and woven into the center circle. And sponsors' names proudly danced around the outer edge of the floor.

The general walk through traffic was all tuned in to ArtPrize, some coming early to check things out, some will come back during the next three weeks. We even locked in our first two votes! Kids loved C'ood, tested it for running through. It works. A low slung biker rode through in a smooth and observant circle, rode out then shot off on his back wheel. I guess that means we're ready for anything!