MISSOULA — At first glance, they look like cages filled with dishes but take a closer look at the new art installation at Missoula’s Art Park outside the Missoula Art Museum and you’ll see something else.
The “It Takes a Village” display was created by Helena artist Robert Harrison with help from community members who donated ceramic or porcelain items they either made or had in their homes. The house-shaped “cages” are filled with interesting dishes and figurines, the things that fill the shelves of homes around the world.
Harrison notes that ceramics and clay have been a part of human history. He is internationally known for his large-scale, site-specific architectural sculpture and outdoor public installations and also supports sustainability in art -- and this display brings it all together.
![It Takes a Village Art Display](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3488ce4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4e%2Fe7%2F888ce28544f0bfa03489ded0a411%2Fit-takes-a-village-art-display.jpeg)
"What it does is it highlights the variety of ceramics that’s made all over the world. I bought a lot of this material that I brought from Helena in thrift stores and it just shows you the variety of porcelain,” Harrison explained. “Primarily porcelain is what I tended to buy in the stores and but it comes from all over the world -- China, Europe. Some of the best porcelain factories in the world and it ends up in Montana."
"It Takes a Village" will be on display until October.