A couple weeks ago I got a note from Shelly Hedges, artist and ceramicist, about a project she has been working on with our Ocean Park school kids.

“I’m starting a new project with the kids that will be going on for the next several weeks, culminating in mid-June at the end of the school year.” Shelly wrote, “I think it might be a fun story. The project is sponsored by the Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center ( DJHCC). Are you interested?”

You bet. Kids, art, community—what could be better! Stories of uplift amid these crazy times are always welcomed. I gave Shelly a call to find out the scoop. And, lo and behold, it’s ‘shrooms.

Game of Shrooms

This project is not, however, your usual mushroom adventure: as in wandering around and finding those secret spots where our delicious mushrooms sprout (although there will be some wandering around as it turns out). Anyway, it’s the wrong season. So what’s up with that?

This mushroom-themed project is actually about making mushrooms, in any kind of artful way, and participating in “Game of Shrooms,” a once a year so-called “art-N-seek” event. In this case, Shelly and the kids are making mushrooms with clay. When I last talked to her, the students were about to get their masterpieces out of the kiln (provided by Sue Raymond at the Bay Gallery) and start their glazing process. That’s always one of the most exciting parts of the process. Then back in the kiln they go; to be taken out for a final reveal and—what’s next?

Here’s what makes this project even more exciting. These ‘shrooms will be hidden all around the north end of the Peninsula for folks to find. But this project just keeps getting more interesting. The Game of Shrooms is actually happening all over the world! Yes, Shelly and the students will have a marker on a worldwide map identifying Ocean Park, Washington, along with ‘shroom markers in Longyearbyen, Svalbard; the Komoda Bakery in Makawao; Mt. Joyama in Fukuoka, Japan; Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam; Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. Just to name a very few of the other ‘shroom locations.

Who started this madcap way to unite communities all over the world? Daniel Seifert, who in his artist incarnation is known as “Attaboy.” I talked with Daniel, who lives with his wife in Richmond, California, to find out how all this ‘shroom magic began.

Attaboy

The official Game of Shrooms started in 2019, but the germ of the idea began much earlier. As Attaboy tells it, “I think I started in 2016 or ‘17 making and hiding little mushroom sculptures and putting them around for people to find. I was sort of depressed and it was a way to change the narrative of my day. Responding to the news every day I felt like I was always in reactionary mode. I was starting to get too defensive. Then I thought, wait a minute, ‘You have to steer your own day.’”

As more of Attaboy’s friends heard about his art venture (one of many), it spread to Portland, Oregon and a few other places in California. Then in 2020, Game of Shrooms really took off just as Covid hit. More people were looking for ways to amuse themselves out-of-doors. And now, as Attaboy says, “Game of Shrooms has a life of its own. I’m a parent more than a creator. It’s a non-profit now—there’s no commercial involvement—it’s just about people willing to put a little piece of themselves out into the world. It’s a kind of street art [in urban settings], but also art melded with nature.”

In every country, evidently, there’s a little different take on how the game is played. In German they use an old tree. In Scotland, Attaboy says, “They do it their own way, involving some kind of lumbering system. It’s just continued to evolve.”

There are only a couple simple rules. Artists sign up to sponsor their ‘shroom obj placement. (It’s the artists names and locations you see on the worldwide map. Here: tinyurl.com/yvsmfufw). These ‘shroom art objects can then be searched for starting on June 14th. After the event, the artists must go back and pick up any individual pieces of art not found, in what Attaboy calls the “leave no trace” aspect of the event.

As far at Attaboy’s overarching approach, “My main rule is don’t stress out about anything. It’s going to go the way it goes and every year it’s a little bit different. What I love is that people find art by looking down. It can happen anywhere, in a library, a business, or outside. Then it’s finders keepers. There is a range of participants from kids to famous artists.”

Shelly’s Game

Shelly heard about this project from a friend “who is really into these art scavenger-type hunts.” (It’s sort of like geo-caching, although Attaboy doesn’t call it that.) Shelly is working with our students ages eight, nine, and ten (that’s grades three, four and five). Many of the students made bowls for the fundraising Empty Bowl event last month but were disappointed that they didn’t get to keep them. So this time Shelly said, “You can make three pieces. We’ll hide one and you can keep the other two.”

Shelly’s band of artists are using clay but the ‘shrooms that will soon be scattered around the world can be made of anything: glass, paper, wood—you name it. (The ‘shrooms that Attaboy began hiding in different places so many years ago were made of paper, or popsicle sticks, or were painted on cardboard. Anything goes).

Working with the kids is fun but also labor intensive. Shelly has spent probably 12 hours making mushroom-themed clay figures in all varieties with the kids; then there was another 6-12 session of glazing their creations. The day before the search begins, the students will wander around and hide their masterpieces.

Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center is sponsoring Ocean Park school’s participation in the Game of Shrooms (www.djhcc.org). Just as a reminder: I think most of us know the tragic story of Dylan Jude Harrell, daughter of Jeff Harrell, who died at six years old of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) on April 9th, 2020. DJHCC, her namesake organization, is in the midst of a capital campaign for construction of its center, but already there is an array of programs on the calendar. 1,920 hours of programming, including 36 field trips, have already been provided for our local kids. Sports teams, teen leadership, outdoor activities, and even childcare—all are being supported at the same time the capital campaign is going on. (For more information call 360-207-1871 or write info@djhcc.org )

By the time my column is printed, the mushrooms will all have been placed ready for finding. The art search begins at dawn on June 14th. Keep your eyes open—maybe you’ll be lucky. And if you’re interested in participating next year, put the idea in your tickler file. Game of Shrooms is a natural for the Peninsula. A big fungal thank you for everyone involved this year.