Kickstopper: An "inspirational" papier-mâché statue of Tom Hanks
When does art function as something more than just art? When
does it inspire and uplift even the most beleaguered community
so that it does not just hope for change, but instead finds a
way to embody the change it hopes to make?  The three men behind
Oakland arts collective Wonderment Consortium hope to answer
those questions. Together, they've set out to provide the
children of Oakland with a figurehead they can admire and model
themselves upon, a personality whose presence looms so large it
can only be captured in art: Tom Hanks.  In the weeks ahead, the
Wonderment Consortium will turn to Kickstarter to raise the
funds necessary to build a statue honoring the Academy Award-
winning actor.  "Tom Hanks is the spirit of these children,"
Consortium member Steuart Pittman told the Daily Dot.  "He's had
the arc that a lot of comedians have had where he's gone from
goofing off and being a comedian to taking on more and more
serious roles. There's a