October 12, 2006

Ring my bell!

Performance artist visits Williams Elementary School as part of 5,500-mile sound odyssey

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

The kids at Williams Elementary School were wide-eyed with wonder when a huge surprise arrived. And their reactions were noteworthy as they rang the cast-iron 250-pound bell.

Williams Elementary School Executive Vice President Patsy Taoyama examines the 250-pound bell with Brenda Hutchinson.

“This is something we can share with the first grade classes as well as other classes,” said Williams Elementary School Executive Vice Principal Patsy Taoyama. “After all, school bells are used to call assemblies. Here’s to keeping learning fun!”

The Bell Project is the brainchild of Brenda Hutchinson, who set out on a five-week, 5,500-mile odyssey across the United States to observe the public’s reaction to the giant bell. Hutchinson's work as a sound artist has included performances and compositions for dance, opera, film, video and radio. She divides her time between San Francisco and New York City.

“I set out on a cross-country, sound-performance journey to investigate the public’s interactions with and reactions to the sonorous tones of a 250-pound cast-iron bell,” said Hutchinson at her third to last stop at Williams Elementary School. “From Michigan to New York to San Francisco, I am ringing the bell in small towns, city parks, shopping malls, rest stops and more. The Bell Project will finish at the [San Francisco’s] Exploratorium where I will donate the bell to the museum during the opening of their new Listen: Making Sense of Sound project.”

First graders lined up to ring the bell. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

The bell was made by CS Bell Co. in Ohio circa 1900. Hutchinson discovered the mammoth bell on a blueberry farm in New Hampshire where it was used to frighten birds. She wanted one for her own use and purchased it in July 25, 2006. Aug. 30 she began her journey to witness the public’s reaction. Her excursion ended Oct. 6 in a blow-out one-and-a-half hour drive in San Francisco during rush hour ringing the bell.

When she visited Williams Elementary School last week the first graders lined up to ring the bell after being given ear protectors to wear to deflect the sound from the loud clang.

“It’s really loud,” said Santiago Urrea. “But it wasn’t heavy to push.”

Julia Bathen disagreed and said, “No, it was very heavy.”

The young boys push hard trying to rotate the bell in a total circle. The girls pushed lightly. And most of them covered their ears when the clanging started—in between squeals of delight.

To read more about The Bell Project visit http://thebellproject.blogspot.com.