Resolve To Spread Kindness, Love
The Art of Culture - Femme Curator Arts
One way to gain life perspective is to travel. Traveling, even short distances, can teach us how others coexist, celebrate life, how their communities function, and, perhaps most importantly, it allows us to see life from the point of view of other humans.
Admittedly, it’s not always easy to travel outside of Vermont for obvious reasons. Our state is the bomb. But I managed to pack out for a short trip to New Jersey recently. Here’s the gist and some of the lessons learned:
I drove to Newark on Sunday to witness the Newark Arts Festival and the pop-up exhibit presented by Femme Curator Arts. Femme included one of my paintings so I had a personal reason to make the trip too.
“The Art of Culture” was filled with life lessons and well worth the 11 hours spent behind the wheel. I was inspired by their community’s shared sense of values and ardent love for each other.
The exhibit’s complex and emotional paintings and sculptures spoke of life in the city of Newark. Beautiful live performances about hope, resilience, contemplation, and reservations about the intent of those in power in our society, filled the air within the walls of the commercial space downtown.
There was an authentic, raw vulnerability in the hip-hop, performed by mostly young men, that surprised me. Experienced artists sharing songs like “Back to the Drawing Board,” about hitting major life setbacks and always finding the strength to keep going. Like a poetic playbook and survival guide for a better quality of life.
Also, in the pop-up gallery sat a few older folks who clearly were some of the respected mentors in this thriving community of theirs. I felt like a welcomed guest in a tribe of people truly living life.
The energy in the gallery installation was electric and everyone had a strong sense of belonging including me. I admit, I was feeling some doubt about participating out of fear that I wouldn’t belong. Was I wrong!
Our community can be just as welcoming to those who may feel like outsiders. We also have a strong sense of shared values, which includes the unequivocal support of our LBGTQ2+ residents.
Feeling a deep sense of belonging and love gives us the courage to face life’s challenges. It gives us the clarity to see beyond the divisiveness born in conspiracy theories that can spread on social media.
We must all be committed in our resolve to spread kindness and love, not divisiveness and hate. We must be willing to consider the perspective of others in our community in order to maintain a higher balance and a better quality of living. Our community depends on it.
Artists from top left: Kervin Andre, Linda Mickens, Ron Powell, Cory Ford, Maria Estrela, Mohammed Awudu, Dionne Jackson
Fibonacci by Mark Rosalbo
