For months, University of Colorado at Boulder student Eli Spear spent much of his time asking people to donate pennies. He eventually gathered close to 30,000 of them, totaling about $300.
Next week, two unique pieces of art made from the coins Spear collected will go on public display. The first piece was created by 11 ethnic artists ranging in age from six to 14 from the Clare Gardens lower-income housing development just west of downtown Denver during a seven-week class Spear used to teach the children fundamental design principles.
The children glued over 4,000 pennies to 21 panels to create a 7-foot by 3-foot replica of a $5 bill. Titled "E. Pluribus Unum," which translates from Latin into "from many, one," was the theme of the collaborative effort.
Designed to show appreciation to the donors, artists and the community, the children聮s artwork will be displayed at the Clare Gardens Recreation Center, 2626 Osceola St. in Denver, from Sept. 19 through Oct. 31. A special art-hanging ceremony will be held Sept. 19 beginning at 4 p.m.
The work "does not sacrifice the aesthetic, which often happens when working with children, but rather becomes a testament to the beauty of the children聮s touch," Spear said. "More importantly, the children have created something they can be proud of and have ownership over."
Spear said one of the main objectives of the program was to show the kids that there are alternative ways of getting recognized by the community besides sports or violence.
The rest of the pennies went into Spear聮s own creation, titled "Davis," a full-scale replica of an 8-year-old boy. The piece will be displayed alongside the children聮s art project at the Clare Gardens Recreation Center at the Sept. 19 ceremony.
Spear聮s creation then will go on a four-week tour, appearing for two weeks at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, a weekend at the Pirate Gallery in Denver and two weeks at McGuckin Hardware in Boulder.
Spear then hopes to exhibit his art at the U.S. Mint in Denver, then sell it, with the proceeds going to ArtReach Inc. in Denver. ArtReach Inc., which supported the Clare Gardens class, provides art programs to at-risk and underserved communities in the Denver metro area.
The project is for Spear聮s undergraduate thesis at CU-Boulder.