‘Waves’ project is a test of intricate skill

Created as fundraiser for tsunami relief, they become an elaborate tapestry at Princeton Public Library.

By: Rachel Silverman
   "It’s not an easy fold," Cory Alperstein said, holding up a sheet of brightly colored origami paper.
   "It takes a lot to get to the point where you’re proficient at it," the Cotsen Children’s Library program outreach coordinator admitted.
   But the complexity of mastering the "wave" — including all 16 tucks and creases of it — has proved no deterrent to the Princeton community, which, through the Making Waves project, has produced thousands of these origami trinkets.
   "It’s grown in a grassroots way, all across schools, libraries, shopping centers, people’s homes," Ms. Alperstein said. "It’s been a total ripple effect across the community," she added, speaking to the success of the ongoing tsunami relief project based on the crafting of waves.
   Most recently, a team of local artists turned these origami waves into an expansive multicolored tapestry, currently on display at the Princeton Public Library.
   "We thought we’d do something special with these objects folded," Ms. Alperstein said, pointing over at the smattering of turquoise, lime and lavender origami pieces draped across building windowpanes. "So," she said, "we created a giant art installation.
   "It took days to design this and do the gridding and graphic work for this," she said, adding that the project was the result of a collaboration among 10 local artists, photographers, architects and visionaries.
   "Frankly, that’s been one of the wonderful things about this, all these people spending hours together folding," Ms. Alperstein said.
   "This new library is quickly evolving into a centerpiece for the community," she added. "There’s a variety of events going on here, and it being in the center of town, it makes it a great site for an art installation," Ms. Alperstein said.