Find Smiley, Hardhead and the Wonder Rock at Annmarie Garden
Remember Pet Rocks?
The 1970s fad has returned with new legs to Annmarie Garden as a child’s game of hide and seek linked to a global art and collaborative storytelling project called Rock Thoughts.
Closer to home, Sunderland art teacher Maria Lendacky invited her fourth-graders to add their Rock Thoughts to the 1,500 rocks created worldwide.
With colorful acrylic paints, they created characters from ordinary gray stones, often with rock-inspired names, among them Beaky the Beaky Rock, the Wonder Rock, Hardhead, the Rock of Ages and Rocky’s Adventure.
Rock Thoughts all live in the wild; these creatures found homes at Annmarie Garden.
“I loved the spirit of it and welcomed the rocks to our garden,” said Jamie Jeffrey, Annmarie’s curator of education.
Before releasing a rock, its creator sends its photograph, location and the first story for that rock to [email protected], where each rock gets a code. That code and the Rock Thoughts website (www.rockthoughts.com) are written with a permanent marker on the underside of the rock.
The adventure continues after the rocks are hidden.
You and your kids can join in.
Seek rock characters in Annmarie’s woods, just off the main path, near the Arts Center building or in the Fairy Lolly.
Get the code and go online to track the rock, adding your new chapter to the story.
The evolving stories stay online to be seen and shared by all.
This is how Maryland Awesomekid 218 began her story of Smiley.
“People may think it’s weird, but my Best Friend is a rock. My rock’s name is Smiley. Smiley helps me get through anything. One day, I was so embarrassed and Smiley helped me. She is a good friend. In fact, we are like sisters.
“Then, one day, Smiley just … DISAPPEARED!
“To be continued.”
By you.