A GUIDE FOR VIEWING
The Teejop Community Art Project invites any level of participation. The locations are free, open, and accessible to the entire community–especially kids and local schools. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, feel free to drop by anytime.
If you’d like to have a more intentional experience, however, we encourage you to approach the sites mindfully. Maybe even come with a plan. Here are some suggestions of things you could consider on a visit. Do them in order all at once. Or come back with your friends, family, and neighbors as many times as you’d like.
LISTEN
We hope to encourage sensitivity to land as a living being. Slow down. Maybe pause. How does this place make you feel? What do you see? What’s something new you notice? Close your eyes—which way is the wind blowing? If you’re feeling adventurous, take your shoes off. Respectfully touch water or a tree. Listen. Who do you hear? This place is special. What’s a special place to you? How is this place special to you?
DISCUSS
We spent many years reflecting on Teejop and what to share. Together, we developed the learning themes––really, values––that speak to Teejop as a whole. They are interconnected. So each theme can address any of the places. For convenience, though, we chose to highlight one per location, connecting them with sites that have especially relevant stories. When you arrive, read the theme aloud. Maybe twice. Talk about it. What stands out to you? Which words? While they’re our statements, we believe they raise questions that are universal. What does this theme mean to you? What does it mean for all of us at Teejop?
APPRECIATE
We asked seven Indigenous artists to interpret the themes and places for us. Art has a special power to hold and communicate complex emotions and ideas. Spend time with their piece. Many can be touched (but not climbed on). What do you notice? What do you think the artist is trying to convey? How does it speak to the theme? What’s it near? Who’s the artist? What’s their background? What do they care about? Scan the QR code near the art to read their statement or watch an interview. If you’re struck by inspiration, create your own art and share it with us. Together, let’s practice our deep personal connections to Teejop.
WONDER
Teejop is a place of deep time. And, as a result, there are stories everywhere hidden in plain sight––including where you stand. Wonder about who has been here. Wonder about their lives, where they lived, and how they cared for one another and this place. Wonder about how the landscape and lakeshores have changed over time. What did this place look like before Madison? Read some of the archival documents and resources we gathered on our journey. But approach them with caution. As historians say, “read against the grain,” because while they document aspects of the past, like the landscape, they may also misrepresent us.
ENVISION
Land connects us to the past, present, and future. What do you imagine this place will look like in 100 years? 200 years? 500 years? 12,000 years? What do you want it to look like? What kind of life do we envision for those who come after us here at Teejop? What messages in the land will we leave for them?
LISTEN AGAIN
Now that you’ve done some of these things, listen again. Do you feel differently?