Imagine Chicago is now a partner of The Human Elephant Foundation (HEF) which is dedicated to activating ecological  imagination, interdisciplinary conversation and sustainable practices. HEF was founded by Andries Botha, an eminent South African sculptor and great friend of Imagine Chicago. His most recent elephant, a life-size African matriarch named Nomkhubulwane (pronounced Nom-koo-bull-wah'-nee -Zulu for Mother Earth), was made from recycled truck tires.  She was made for the World Wilderness Congress in Merida last November, has traveled throughout Mexico ( El Papalote Children's Museums in both Mexico City and Cuernavaca and Cd. Juarez- they nicknamed her Nanabi in Mexico), El Paso, and Fayetteville before coming to Chicago on March 28, 2010.

 

Since she is the first elephant (of the 12 made to date by Botha for HEF) to grace North America, Imagine Chicago undertook to take her on a U.S. tour in 2010 as an ambassador of beauty, sustainability and the ability of human intelligence to harness its creative potential to inspire a more vital future. She visited Chicago in June-July 2010. The WILD Foundation is an educational and conservation partner.

 

The elephant's creator, Andries Botha, is one of South Africa's most prominent artists (see www.andriesbotha.net) and hails from Durban, a Chicago sister city.   Andries visited Chicago from June 11-19, 2010 and Imagine Chicago organized multiple public events to meet with and hear him speak.   If you would like to learn more about this project and tour click here for an HEF project tour brochure.

Andries Botha talks about the project (larger view)

 

Resources