“Good Intentions,” an interactive outdoor sculpture by UW–Madison art student Mariah Skenandore, is on view in Longenecker Horticultural Gardens October 21 through November 18.
The sculpture is inspired by the jingle dress, which was created by the Ojibwe people. Traditionally, 365 jingles are placed on a dress, and each jingle holds a prayer or good intention. The jingle dress dance is said to be healing because of those prayers and intentions.
For this interactive sculpture, visitors may obtain a jingle from the Visitor Center and place it on the designated tree. It is important to keep a good thought or intention in mind when hanging the jingle. When there are enough positive thoughts, they will “jingle” when the wind blows.
There are a limited number of jingles. If all have been placed, visitors can still enjoy the experience of the jingle tree.