In 1999, I attended an Ontario Trillium Foundation seminar that had an unexpectedly profound impact on me. It had culminated with a presentation on community development with some slides taken at Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway. I was deeply touched. I turned to my colleague and signed to her that one day I would stand in the middle of this breathtaking park with my spouse. I resolved to mark forever in my mind’s eye this inspiring example of community development. Indeed, in 2000, I traveled to Norway with my husband and took these photos while standing in the midst of Vigeland Park.
Open for interaction among people of all walks of life, Vigeland Park is the world’s largest public sculpture garden created by a single artist. The sculptor, Gustav Vigeland was funded by the government to live and work at the Frogner studio on the park grounds, where he created over 200 sculptures in a period of ten years. The sculptures reflect human relationships throughout the entire lifespan. The sculpture park is free of charge and accessible to all. It is a beautiful example of community development established through the visual arts – creating a natural gathering place for human connection.
My business is first and foremost about inspiring human connection – through language and culture. In so doing, individuals, organizations and communities thrive.
