BY SARAH STEPHENS
PHOTOS BY BOB EALUM AND SARAH STEPHENS
Friday night was the official opening of the 2023 Alabama Poppy Project, thanks to Julianne Hansen Fine Pottery and sponsors. A visit to historic downtown Prattville will be extra special and meaningful now through May 31.
Fields of ceramic, handmade poppies are planted next to Autauga Creek and historic buildings. Each represents the life of a service man or woman who died in service, or has since died.
If you visit, please do not touch the poppies, or cross over the white chain barriers. Please be respectful of this enormous work of art that has so much meaning for so many.
Enjoy the photo gallery below, and share!
From the Alabama Poppy Project:
Why Poppies?
It all started with Lt. Col. John McRae (Nov 30, 1872- Jan 28, 1918), a Canadian physician, soldier in World War 1 and poet. McRae wrote the poem, “In Flanders Fields” presiding over the funeral of his friend and fellow soldier, Lt. Alexis Helmer, who died in the 2nd Battle of Ypres. After the burial, he noted how poppies grew in the fields amidst the tumult of war.
In Flanders Fields is one of the most quoted poems from the war and became popular world-wide, thrusting the poppy into prominence as a symbol of remembrance for the fallen.
Husband & Wife Team
In 2020, Julianne and Steven Hansen worked tirelessly along with Hansen Fine Art staff and volunteers to roll, cut, shape, glaze, kiln fire and “plant” over 1,000 ceramic poppies in just a few months, all while a worldwide pandemic basically shut down virtually all Memorial Day celebrations. While her gallery, Hansen Fine Art & Pottery, was closed during state mandated shut-downs, Julianne was still able to keep her employees busy working independently at her gallery studio, while making the poppies at her home studio. Steven, who usually works at Maxwell Air Force Base, was working remotely from home during the day and handling the glazing and two kiln firings each poppy needed prior to being ready for the outdoor exhibit.
“We knew we could continue with the exhibit, because it was outdoor in the open, social distancing was more than feasible and individuals could enjoy the field of poppies at any time of day without risk of exposure to anyone,” she said. “It truly was such a moving experience.”
We heard so many stories from eras gone by to as recent as just a few weeks…stories about real people who left families and friends behind. Men and women of the armed forces who served to the best of their abilities. Some died on the battlefields, some lived long lives, some lived with wounds both visible and unseen. We were so blessed that so many were represented by a simple red poppy with a white ribbon naming them by name. We honor them and the millions of others who have served and are no longer on the earth…but we remember and we will never forget their sacrifices.
Dedicated to those we love and remember
In remembrance…
Each poppy is handmade by several members of Julianne Hansen’s team specifically for the purpose of honoring those who have served and are no longer living.
Poppies can be sponsored in the name of a loved one for $45 each with a portion of the proceeds from each poppy designated to non-profit organizations dedicated to the memory of those who have served or to support the families left behind.
At the conclusion of the event, the poppy is then ready to be picked up by the sponsor, shipped or donated back to the event for use in the following year’s exhibit.
For more information, visit alabamapoppyproject.com.
