Declare - Document - Celebrate Your Interdependence
Will you do the impossible? Do you agree to end violence, end prejudice and achieve respect for all?
Let’s Do The Impossible!
Made in Rockford between 1988-1994 Roland Poska’s lithograph prints serve to unite individuals and nature around their commitment to interdependence.
The Rockford Series
From Sept 21st 2022-Sept 21st 2023 Rockfordians, and those with ties to the city, signed each of Poska’s fifteen Declarations. The Declarations highlight the multitude of cultures and cross cultural connections that come together to shape Rockford.
“We the People”
Cultural Highlight: Community At Large
Cultural Connections: Food, Parks, Neighborhoods, Education, Art, Faith, Nature, Sports
International Day of Peace Presenters: Jim and Pam Keeling, Sunil Puri, Philanthropists
Signed At: Burpee Museum of Natural History, Capri Pizza, City Stage Studios, Community Foundation of Rockford, Crusader Community Health, Davis Park, Discovery Center, Edgebrook Center, Embassy Suites, Flinn Middle School, Former home of Fishy Whale Press, GPS Faith Community, Great Harvest Bread Company, Hoffman House, Hilton Garden Inn, InScape Collective, Joe Marino Park, Laurent House, Lawrence J. Morrissey Rockford Conference Center, Main Street District, Mary's Market, Mo's Coffee & Cafe, Mrs. Fisher's Potato Chips, Namaste Studios, Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, Old Chicago, Olympic Tavern, Park District HQ, Pig's Mind, Puri School of Business Rockford University, Red Oak Neighborhood, Riverfront Museum Park, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford Brewing Co, Rockford City Hall, Rockford City Market, Rockford Guilford High School, Rockford Housing Authority HQ, Rockford Speedway, Rockford Symbol, Shorewood Park, Shumay Market, Sinnissippi Golf Course, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Supply Core, Test Site, The Underground Art Gallery, Tower Hills Neighborhood, Womanspace, Workplace
“Thou” (left half)
Cultural Highlights: Education, Civic Engagement
Cultural Connections: Art, Ethinicites
Sponsored by: Rockford University
International Day of Peace Presenter: Jenna Goldsmith, Rockford Poet Laureate and Professor Mary Weaks Baxter, Rockford University
Signed At: Rockford University, Rock Valley College, Northern Illinois University Rockford, Kiwanis Club of Rockford
“Thou” (right half)
Cultural Highlight: Ethnicities
Cultural Connections: Education, Food, Faith
International Day of Peace Presenter: Tommy Meeks, President of Inner City Reconstruction Group; Founder of the Rockford Juneteenth Celebration
Signed At: Erlander House Museum, Nordic Cultural Center, St. Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church, Rivera's Panadería, Midway Village & Museum Center, Puri School of Business Rockford University, Saint Ambrogio Society, Festa Italiana Rockford, Ethnic Heritage Museum, Rockford Asian Food Mart, Blessed Asian Market, Rockford Lithuanian Club, Rockford City Hall, Temple Beth El, South Main Mercado, Rockford Juneteenth Celebration, La Chiquita
“A.I.M We Can Achieve”
Cultural Highlight: Rockford Park District
Cultural Connections: Nature, Art, Sports, Ethnicities
Sponsored by: Rockford Park District
International Day of Peace Presenter: Jay Sandine, Executive Director, Rock Park District
Signed At: Webbs Norman Center, Beyer Peaches Stadium in partnership with the International Women's Baseball Center, Sinnissippi Music Shell during Music in the Park
“Roots”
Cultural Highlight: The YMCA of the Rock River Valley
Cultural Connections: Sports, Faith, Nature, Ethinicities
Sponsored by: The YMCA of the Rock River Valley
International Day of Peace Presenter: Brent Pentenburg, CEO, YMCA of Rock River Valley
Signed At: Swedish American Riverfront YMCA, Northeast Family YMCA, Puri Family YMCA, YMCA Camp Winnebago, YMCA Children’s Learning Center, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
“I Have A Dream” (left half)
Cultural Highlight: Sports
Cultural Connections: Parks, Nature
Sponsored by: The Rockford IceHogs
International Day of Peace Presenter: Dave Costello, Manager, Marketing, Digital Media, and Community Relations at the Rockford Icehogs
Signed At: Rockford IceHogs at BMO Center, Beyer Stadium Park, Marinelli Field, Don Carter Lanes, the YMCA of Rock River Valley, Shorewood Park, Lindbergh Park, Rivets Stadium, Sportscore I, Golf Shack, and at the City Market Pavilion during the Rockford Boxing Classic
“I Have A Dream” (right half)
Cultural Highlight: Libraries
Cultural Connections: Education, Health, Nature
Sponsored and International Day of Peace Presenters: Peter and Heather Provenzano
Signed At: The Rockford Public Library's Nordlof Center - RPL's Adult Online High School Graduation Ceremony 2023, Rockford Public Library's Montague Branch, Rockford Public Library East Branch, Rockford Public Library Hart Interim Library, Outside new Rockford Public Library, Unitarian Universalist Church, Rock River Valley Blood Center Downtown Donor Center, Rock River Valley Blood Center Perryville Donor Center, Blood Center Bus Depot
Roland Poska (1938-2017) Artist, Educator, Peacebuilder
Roland Poska was a pioneer of handmade paper in the world of contemporary art. He was born in Scotland in 1938 to Lithuanian parents who immigrated to the United States in 1948, and made a home in Rockford, Illinois. He received degrees from Rockford University and Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he was introduced to the mechanics of paper making. He later cofounded the Milwaukee School of Art and Design and taught there while simultaneously running a lithography print studio, Fishy Whale Press.
Roland Poska a Force of Nature
“My philosophy is that everything in nature is the result of forces meeting or parting. The thing I was interested in was not the objects in the landscape, not the result of the forces, but the forces themselves.” -Roland Poska
Roland Poska by Grace Cote of Jerald Melberg Gallery
“Roland Poska was also concerned with the balance between the peaceful and violent natures of humanity, as well as our ability to push each other away and bring each other closer. All of these boundaries are rough and il-defined. These concepts informed and defined his oeuvre (body of work), which takes the form of lithographs and collage-like cotton fiber and pigment “paintings” and sculptures.”
Poska’s Art Unites
“There is No God, Save God”
Cultural Highlights: Housing, Art
Cultural Connections: Parks, Sports, Rockfordians Outside Rockford
Sponsored by and International Day of Peace Presenter: Ron Clewer
Signed At: Rockford ArtScene, Rockford Art Deli, Kith and Kin Art Collective, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Fairground Housing, James Lesley Harkins III Aquatic Center, Blackhawk Courts, Jane Addams Park Apartments
“And the Universe Shall Be Born Again and Again, and Again...” (left half)
Cultural Highlight: Faith
Cultural Connections: Food, Ethnicities
International Day of Peace Presenter: Violet Johnicker, Pastor at Brooke Road United Methodist Church & Executive Director of Rockford Urban Ministries
Signed At: Brooke Road Methodist Church, Rockford Bahá'í Center, GPS Faith Community, West Side Church of God, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Unitarian Universalist Church, Temple Beth-El Rockford, First Covenant Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Muslim Community Center & Mosque, Lao Buddhist Temple
“And the Universe Shall Be Born Again and Again, and Again...” (right half)
Cultural Highlight: Arts
Cultural Connections: Education, Nature, Rockfordians Outside Rockford
International Day of Peace Presenter: Mary McNamara Bernsten, Executive Director, Rockford Area Arts Council
Signed At: Rockford ArtScene, Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum & Gardens, Rock Valley College Starlight Theater, The Norwegian, Boylan High School, Sinnissippi Music Shell, Shumway Market Building, Coronado Theater, Rockford Art Deli, 317 Collective, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Future Memory Media LLC
All 94 murals and sculptures on the Rockford Public Art Trail…
The Arts Declaration of Interdependence celebrates the Rockford Public Art Trail, a free mobile passport that facilitates exploration of more than 100 art pieces throughout Winnebago County. Users can check-in at various locations around the area to earn points that can then be redeemed for prizes!
“The Symbol of Yin and Yang” (left half)
Cultural Highlight: Nature
Cultural Connections: Parks, Art, Education
International Day of Peace Presenter: Renee Pixler, Communications Coordinator, Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
Signed At: Wildlife Observatory, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Rock Cut State Park, Earth Zero Waste
35 of 44 Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
“The Symbol of Yin and Yang” (right half)
Cultural Highlight: Education
Sponsored by: Alignment Rockford
International Day of Peace Presenter: Emily Klonicki, Executive Director, Alignment Rockford
Signed At: Comprehensive Community Solutions Back to School Bash, Midtown Block Party, Alignment Rockford A-Teams, Alignment Rockford Operating Board and Governing Board Meetings
“Made in Japan”
Cultural Highlight: Food and Markets
Cultural Connections: Ethnicities, Faith
Sponsored by: Franchesco's Ristorante
International Day of Peace Presenter: Chad Nawrocki, Director of Dining Services, Rockford University
Signed At: Katie's Cup, Rockford Midtown Market, Johnny Pamcakes, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Food Truck Tuesdays, Edgebrook Farmers Market, Sahara Restaurant, Rockford City Market, The Norwegian, North End City Market
“Democracy in Education”
Cultural Highlight: Rockfordians Outside of Rockford
Cultural Connections: Peace Corps, Art, Education
International Day of Peace Presenter: Lois Lutz and Emmie Msiska, Community Volunteers
Signed At/By: Rockfordians Outside of Rockford: Prosper, Texas, Pella, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minnesota, New York City, New York, Lake Ozark, Missouri, Boston, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Illinois, Chester, OH, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kailua, Oahu
The birthplace of Jane Addams in Cedarville, Illinois
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers from Rockford
Illinois Sister Cities International Conference
Eunice and Nee Abloh, parents of Virgil Abloh
International Day of Peace Celebration 2023
Photo Highlights
Peacebuilding In Action
The following image captures the one year process of Poska’s Declarations of Interdependence engaging and connecting cultures and subcultures within Rockford, Illinois. Circles represent cultures (sport, food, faith, art, nature, etc.) and lines represent connections or overlaps of the cultures.
The Declaration of Interdependence - Rockford Series was curated by Peacebuilding Connections. Peacebuilding Connections works to bring together broad and diverse cultures around non-violent goals and objectives.
Peacebuilding Connections and Bob Schlehuber would like to thank Louise Poska, Lois Lutz, Rev. Violet Johnicker, April Bieschke, Rockford University Forum Series, Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement, Rockford Park District, YMCA of Rock River Valley, Rockford IceHogs, Peter and Heather Provenzano, Ron Clewer, Rockford Urban Ministries, Alignment Rockford, Rockford Public Library, GPS Faith Community, Inner City Reconstruction Group, Rockford Area Arts Council, Eliminate Racism 815, Rockford Art Museum, Wray and Sue Howard, Kelli Ritschel Boehle, Jim and Pam Keeling, Antonio Ramirez, Karen Bieschke, Ellyn Ahmer and Clark Logemann, The City of Rockford, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Rock River Valley Blood Center, Unitarian Universalist Church Rockford, Swedish Historical Society, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Bill and Ann Hager, Don Hager, Larry and Nancie Brown, Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation, Representative Maurice West, Test Site, AquaTerres, Manuel Salgado of Majestic Media, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Chris Garaffa, The Lone Canary, Catalyst Design, Mike Lynch, and Chimwemwe Msiska and Mucha.
Declarations of Interdependence
Rockford Series Group Photo
