The Touchstone Center Thematic Projects 1969-2014

Since its inception in 1969, The Touchstone Center has explored, through a variety of art forms, many elemental themes and images related to the natural world and our imaginative and poetic relationship to them.  While much of this exploration has taken place in schools as part of the Center’s arts and education programming, it has also guided much of the overall direction of the Center in its development of exhibitions, theatre productions, publications, readings, and workshops for teachers parents and the general public. Implementation of these themes and images have taken place anywhere from a year – to a number of years at a time, and all have been in-depth ways of bringing a variety of artistic disciplines together – along with elements of science, literature, history and aspects of poetic, mythic and philosophical thought.
The following is a chronological list of these themes and images as they have evolved since the Center was established in 1969.  With the ongoing progress of the Center’s Archival Project, we look forward to sharing many of the films, videos, photographs and written materials that have grown out of this thematic process  – and the different ways this process was and continues to be integrated into various qualities of childhood and adult education and learning.

Evolution of Touchstone Center’s Thematic Projects 1969-2011

 Magic Day

Jungle Day

The Flower Project

The Imaginary Forest

Sun and Moon

Amphibians and Reptiles

Insects and Birds

Humankind: The First Artisans

The Expression of Nature:

Chinese and Japanese Thought

Realms of the Sea

Realms of the Sky

Realms of the Earth

Realms of Knowing

The Bird of Imagining

Realms of Language

The Many Ways of Thought

The Many Ways of Feeling

Earth Makers Project

In the Spirit of Play

Speakings: The Many Voices of Language

The Garden Project

The Listening Garden

The Celebrating Garden

The Imagining Garden

The Dialogue of the Imagination

The Bird of Imagining Sculpture

The Tree of Knowing

Air Water Light Project

The Tree of Knowing Garden Project

The Sound and Movement, Word and Image Project

The Play of Playing: How The Arts Come to Life

The Rivers of Our Thoughts