1,000 Paper Cranes – West Michigan Project

Community News |Aug 9, 2021|2 min read

We have been overwhelmed with the community support to help us reach folding 1,000 cranes, even from communities as far away as Ann Arbor joined in.  We are pleased to report that we have reached our goal and 1000 Peace Cranes will be on display in the gallery starting Friday, August 6, 2021.

The story behind the Peach Crane:

On the morning of August 6, 1945 a U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb called “Little Boy” on the city of Hiroshima, killing over 80,000 people.  Sadako Sesaki was 2 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. By the time she was 12 years old, she had developed leukemia.  In Japan a legend says – fold 1,000 cranes and you will get your wish. She folded over 1,000, but her health did not get better.

May 5th, 1958, the Children’s Peace monument was dedicated with a statue of Sadako and a crane. Inscribed at the foot of Sadako’s statue is a plaque that reads, “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.”

The 1,000 cranes hanging at City Center Arts, are dedicated to the West Michigan frontline COVID-19 workers. We can’t thank them enough for their care, dedication, and long hours over the past 14+ months.  Paper cranes are the most popular form of origami, and have transformed the meaning behind these little works of art. The crane has always been a strong symbol of success and good fortune in Japanese culture, and when folded into origami, it is believed that your heart’s desire will come true.  Peace and good health is our wish for all of the West Michigan frontline COVID-19 workers.

The Peace Crane Display will be hanging in the gallery indefinitely.  http://citycenterarts.com/2021/03/1000-world-peace-cranes-2021-project/