Hope Day NewsRobert Indiana’s “HOPE” and “LOVE” Were Part of “The New York Times” Holiday MagicDecember 14, 2014 Robert Indiana’s HOPE and LOVE were part of Bill Cunningham’s roundup of Holiday Magic “On the Street” in The New York Times. Watch the video ‘HOPE’ Arrives Around the WorldSeptember 22, 2014 Last week, the first International Hope Day was celebrated at various locations around the world. The global network of events held in New York City, Miami, Venice, Munich, Caracas and Vinalhaven (Maine) were a resounding success. Thousands of visitors to the HOPE sculptures that were installed at these locations, took “selfies” and other photos and loaded them across social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #HopeDay. International Hope Day was inspired by the creativity and vision of iconic pop artist Robert Indiana and the date of the event, September 13, 2014, also coincided with his 86th birthday.
 Pop artist Robert Indiana inspired The Beatles 1967 hit, “All You Need is Love.” A few years ago, Indiana was struck once again by the simplicity and power of another word, “hope.” So, he created a new work, similar to LOVE, that he called, HOPE. As with LOVE, The “O” leans forward, propelling us to look forward to the promise of a better, more peaceful world. HOPE is the symbol, as well as the inspiration, for International Hope Day. Indiana said about HOPE, “I wanted to help name and empower the next generation and I felt that HOPE encompassed the needs of our time.”  Robert Indiana’s sculpture, “HOPE” made an appearance in Times Square in New York City in 2009. In 2013, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York produced a retrospective, Robert Indiana: Beyond Hope. The show intentionally excluded Indiana’s LOVE in order to introduce broader audiences to the artist’s other work. The show’s accompanying literature stated that, “….LOVE, and its subsquent proliferation on unauthorized products, eclipsed the public’s understanding of the emotional poignancy and symbolic complexity of his art.”  In 2013, the Whitney Museum of American Art presented “Robert Indiana: Beyond Love,” a major retrospective of the artist’s work. Also in 2013, Rosenbaum Contemporary gallery in Boca Raton, Florida staged, Robert Indiana: Voices of Hope, which showcased new work by the prolific, octogenarian painter, sculptor and printmaker.  “Robert Indiana: Voices of Hope” held in 2013 at Rosenbaum Contemporary in Boca Raton, FL, showcased new work by the prolific artist. International Hope Day is not only a tribute to this great American artist, but also a statement of encouragement to people around the world that face poverty, war and upheaval. Organizers have issued the 1 Million Selfie Challenge asking HOPE visitors to post 1 million photos/selfies on social media using #HopeDay by New Year’s Eve. The challenge was presented during the celebration of the installation of the 13-foot, 3-ton sculpture of HOPE that has been placed at the corner of 7th Ave and 53rd St in Manhattan where it will remain for one year. Thousands of people gravitated towards HOPE for photos during the two-day special event to commemorate both its installation and International Hope Day. A video of this event can be viewed by clicking here.  Visitors celebrate the first International Hope Day at the sculpture installed on 7th Ave + 53rd St. in New York City. In Miami, a smaller HOPE was installed on the lawn at the St. Regis/Bal Harbour hotel and throughout International Hope Day visitors appeared to take their #HopeDay selfies and to leave messages about what HOPE means to them.  Celebrating International Hope Day in Miami. A beautiful sculpture of HOPE was also installed in Munich, Germany.  2014 International Hope Day in Munich, Germany. This sculpture of HOPE was installed on International Hope Day in Venice, Italy.  2014 International Hope Day in Venice, Italy. Here you can see the sculpture of HOPE that was installed on Main Street in Vinalhaven, Maine, where Robert Indiana lives and has his studio.  This statue of ‘HOPE’ was installed on Main Street in Vinalhaven, Maine which is the town where Robert Indiana has his home and studio. People in Caracas, Venezuela, celebrated International Hope Day with this image.  2014 International Hope Day in Caracas, Venezuela. Organizers of International Hope Day are planning for more global locations for HOPE installations for 2015 and are reaching out to charities that deliver hope to their constituents in order to capitalize on the excitement and attention the #HopeDay hashtag delivers. You can keep up-to-date on the 1 Million Selfie Challenge and plans for the 2015 International Hope Day by checking back on this site frequently. USA Today conveys messages of hope from first International Hope DaySeptember 13, 2014 Robert Indiana is in the news today giving the world hope through the first-ever International Hope Day. USA Today has captured some of those messages of hope from the HOPE sculpture installation in New York. Watch the video.
Selfie alert: Pop art sculpture “HOPE” arrives in NYCSeptember 12, 2014 The New York Daily News was on hand to cover the installation of Robert Indiana’s 13-foot HOPE sculpture on the corner of 7th Avenue and 53rd Street last night. Read the article.
M + V loving the first “International Hope Day”
There is never enough hope and love in the world, according to Muses + Visionaries, so they are loving Robert Indiana’s first “International Hope Day.” Read the article.
‘LOVE’ ARTIST ROBERT INDIANA AT CENTER OF INTERNATIONAL HOPE DAYSeptember 2, 2014 Artist who brought LOVE to the world now poised to deliver HOPE MIAMI, FL (September 2, 2014) – On Saturday, September 13, 2014, people around the world will celebrate the first International Hope Day, inspired by pop artist Robert Indiana’s sculpture, HOPE, and organized to coincide with his 86th birthday. The event honors Indiana’s artistic vision, “to cover the world with HOPE.” Large-scale sculptures of HOPE will be installed on three continents, including a monumental 10-foot red and blue HOPE in New York City; a six-foot HOPE in Caracas, Venezuela and additional HOPE works in Munich, Venice and Miami. Indiana will make a personal appearance in Vinalhaven, Maine where his home and studio are located. International Hope Day is aimed at reinforcing a positive message during times of turbulence and uncertainty. Those that are present during International Hope Day celebrations are encouraged to post photos of themselves in front of the sculptures to social media using the #HopeDay hashtag. Others are asked to share their own images and messages of hope across social media, also using #HopeDay. Organizers are currently seeking charitable partners so that the momentum and awareness that International Hope Day creates will ultimately positively impact charitable causes. Indiana created his iconic work LOVE in 1964 and it became a symbol of positivity during the turbulent Vietnam War era. He created HOPE in 2008 with the belief that the world was ready for a new message. The “O” in HOPE leans forward, propelling us to look forward to the promise of a better, more peaceful world. International Hope Day locations include:
International Hope Day can be found on social media at: www.facebook.com/indianahopeday High-resolution images are available here |
