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Home Lavender Fair 2008 Lavender Fair 2007 Historical Registration of La Paix |
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A Proposal for an
International Peace Museum |
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The old Weston Hospital in Weston, (Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum) West Virginia was formerly the state's mental hospital. It has been empty since the new Sharpe Hospital was built about seven years ago. See further information on it's history (it is an historical landmark) on www.westonlandmark.com.
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Two proposals |
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Presently, (May, 2008) there is an investigation of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum being conducted by "The Ghostbusters" of TAPS fame (Sci Fi TV channel). They have found evidence of ghostly presences at the hospital, much to the expressed delight of the new owner, Rebecca Jordan. I, too, am quite aware of the ghosts present at the old hospital - who are surely tortured souls needing to be loved and released from this earthly realm. Instead, it appears that between the "Investigations" and the "Ghost Tours" these poor lost souls are to be exploited, examined, taunted and used to line the pocketbooks of those now owning the old hospital. So, the torture, the stigma, the negative effects of being sent to a hospital for the psychiatrically disabled is continued into their afterlife. The negativity may well pervade the town of Weston itself. I believe a caring way to act would be to conduct an exorcism to release these hopeless and helpless entities with love and then allow the building itself to become a place of peace and healing. Please see details below on what an International Peace Museum might be comprised of and visit my Interactive Peace Museum for further information on ways to become peaceful. Peace is the Way. The old Weston Hospital's main building would be
an ideal place to locate an International Peace Museum or Center. I
envision this Center as an interactive museum. Research indicates that
there are approximately
thirty-five other Peace Museums in the world. In the United States, there
are three that I know of: the Chicago Peace Museum, the National Civil
Rights Museum and the Peace Park in Nebraska. Each contains some of the
elements I have envisioned for an International Peace Museum. At this time in
our history, I think such a museum could be both a spiritual blessing and an
economic boost to Weston, Lewis County, West Virginia, the United States and the
world. |
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The photo to the left shows the north side of the old Weston Hospital. Gothic in design, it lends itself to large ideas and functions. The wards which I am talking about on the first, second and third floors of the hospital can be seen here on the far right. A similar set of wards are on the south side of the main building. |
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The Wards on the First Floor of the Peace Museum
could contain: 1) Craftspeople who each had a small room (old patient room) where crafts would be demonstrated and sold. The craft would use environmentally friendly materials and evoke peace, joy, love. 2) Environmental groups could have offices or displays or both. A Bulletin Board would carry current environmental events, issues. A computer could be available with websites of various environmental groups in the state and country featured. 3) Other environmentally friendly civic groups and associations could have offices, displays etc. For instance: eco-tourism, Mountain State Grower and Buyers Association, West Virginia Herb Association, Sustainable Development for West Virginia. 4) There would be displays of environmentally friendly businesses in West Virginia and around the world. 5) Well known artists from all over the world could be invited to do an assemblage (a three dimensional piece) in one of the small patient rooms. This would depict that artist's vision of peace. 6) Some rooms could feature green architecture - use of recycled materials in building, natural building, various forms of building with straw, cob, stacked tires. Slide shows and videos could be available showing the making of environmentally friendly buildings step by step. 7) Water, its conservation and locating could be another focus. 8) Energy - sustainable energy - would be the topic of another set of rooms - solar, fuel cell, hydro, water - think what a benefit it would be to develop these forms of energy instead of concentrating wars and power and politics on a non renewal energy source - oil and gas. That alone would make peace in the world possible. 9) Transportation methods could be the subject of another whole set of rooms - how to get from place to place and respect the environment and energy resources while doing so. Solar cars, electric cars, photoelectric cars, fuel cell mobility could be demonstrated via movies, videos, slide shows and the real thing. Public transportation would be a focus too. 10) Designing Communities that are sustainable and ecologically sound and human scale would further enhance the wholistic nature of environmentally friendly living. Again, models, videos, slides, posters, hands on interactive design for the visitors would make this Peace Museum a living museum. All exhibits and topics would endeavor to be interactive - so that the visitors and students to the Museum could actually take part in thinking of how these issues could be part of their lives too. The Second Floor of the Main Hospital The set up is pretty much the same on the Second Floor except that you enter by either the elevator or the beautifully curved stairs from the first floor. As you enter the second floor and
going toward the front of the building are two nice size offices and two large
meetings rooms on either side. In the middle of the floor there is a wide
hall with meeting rooms on one side and smaller offices on the other. I
believe the old Print or Zerox room was located at the back - a large room going
the whole width of the building. Some of these rooms
could be reserved for conferences, meetings,
etc. I think of the second floor as composing the political,
agricultural and religious area of the
Museum/Center. The offices and meeting rooms on either side of the back
two/thirds of this floor could contain staff and offices for these topics - a
general informational area describing the events and topics covered on this
floor.
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| This is a view from the air of the entire Weston Hospital complex showing all the various buildings. The other buildings, aside from the main building could be used as Hotels, large Conference Centers and auxiliary buildings. One building could be a Vocational Training building for students wanting to learn environmentally friendly renovation of the hospital. Another skill useful for the Museum/Center would be translators. |  |
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The Third Floor of the old Hospital and new
Peace Museum/Center A large part of the third floor of the center building is devoted to a hall leading to a large theatre room - which at times had over 400 people accommodated for hospital wide meetings. It would be wonder (there is a state) to have Theatre and Music Events there. The theatre (without being preachy) could feature peace issues. Music always brings people together as it is the universal language. A review of the methods used in renovating the hospital in an environmentally friendly manner could be contained in some of the smaller rooms - again with videos and visual aids. Costumes, Sets, Related Theatre Furnishings Stored and perhaps exhibited - mundane but useful. Interpreters and Multi-language guides could be the focus of some of the rooms. We could furnish audio tapes in different languages for the tourists. Our high schools and perhaps even a language school located in the Museum could teach these skills. Again, Lewis County and West Virginia students would be learning high level valuable skills which could lead to a more successful life. Other countries could demonstrate their cultures and their activities for peace. Various countries could be invited to share their culture emphasizing activities for peace. Native costumes and demonstrations of native culture would add a colorful and international flair to Weston West Virginia. The History of Weston Hospital could emphasize that no matter how un-peaceful a place can be (and a mental hospital has many un-peaceful moments) - it can be changed. A Restaurant Will Serve All There is a large kitchen and dining room attached to the back of the main building on the ground floor. It would be wonderful if the farm that was part of the hospital could again grow vegetables organically to serve the restaurant. In addition, farmers from Lewis County and the surrounding area could be asked to grow organically and furnish crops for the restaurant. It would be quite interesting to have a Multi-Cultural Restaurant featuring dishes from many countries. Again, training as chefs could be helpful to Lewis County and West Virginia students. Multi-Cultural Gardens Surrounding the Hospital Various countries could be invited to put into place gardens featuring their landscaping heritage: an English border garden, a Japanese Zen Garden, A Feng Shui garden, a labyrinth, a Persian garden, an Egyptian Garden, a French potager Garden - there are many, many wonderful designs for gardens. Fountains splashing water, peaceful beautiful gardens surrounding the Peace Museum would encourage anyone to feel at peace both within him/herself and the world. The ambiance could pervade a community harboring a Peace Museum in its midst.
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Myra Bonhage-Hale, Visionary for the International Peace Museum poses in front of the Peace Sculpture Outside of the Fayetteville, Arkansas Town Center. La Paix (French for Peace and the name of the her farm) is prominently displayed here. This sculpture is titled: Fragments of Peace and is the work of Hank Kaminsky who is recognized for his synthesis of spiritual energy and raw organic form. It was commissioned in 2000 for installation at the new Fayetteville, Arkansas Town Center. The 10-foot diameter bronze globe "floats" on a reflecting pool. Sculpted in relief on its surface is t he phrase "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in over 100 languages. Water flows gently across the letterforms from the top, suggesting the unifying power of human compassion. Give the sphere a push to the right and it will rotate, like the earth spinning on its axis. |
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