Free Arts for Abused Children's (a non profit that I have worked with for many years now and hold so dear to my heart) had its annual fund raiser "Art Heals" last night. I was in charge of organizing the silent auction to which I donated 4 paintings - see below. The Event was a smash and we raised a good amount of money to heal children's hearts with art.
Reverence 48x36 mixed media painting
November 13th is Free Art for Abused Children's annual Art Heals fundraiser. I have donated the above painting and the two pieces below to the event in hopes that they will raise some money for an organization so dear to my heart.
Pendant is a photo of the painting I did for last year's event.
... Art does Heal~
A video interview about the ART EXPLOSION show is now up on the Spin Daily website: click here to watch!
Here are some more pics of the event - the gallery, me and my mom, me and Judi and last but not least the most dedicated, sweetest, compassionate, and tireless soul to be packed into one little body - my friend Karrah the exec. director of Free Arts - they are so lucky to have her and I am so lucky to call her my friend. She truly believes in the work she does with the utmost verve - her passion for children is inspiring.
ART EXPLOSION (Free Arts 30 Year Anniversary Celebration) was a Huge success - over 375 people attended the evening reception. This is a painting I did for the event. Prompted by the sweetest women in the world Tracy Park - owner of the gallery I decided to sell my piece and have the proceeds go to Free Arts - I am thrilled to report that the program will be receiving $3000.00 for it - whooo hooo! The following is a virtual exhibit of the Maryvale girl's exhibition. I cannot begin to express how proud I am of them - their efforts, their courage and their talent - their fingerprints are forever embedded on my heart and soul.
* Click on images and text to ENLARGE *
I finished my last session with my Maryvale girls last Monday. This was my parting shot. I suppose this is how I feel like they all have left their fingerprints on me. I don't think the ending has really hit me yet. We still have the show Sept. 15th and a dinner after that so it really is not yet completed but my work with them is done. I really haven't allowed myself to absorb the enormity of this yet - its seeping in though.
Stampington has just published an article in their enews letter Postscript about my work with Free Arts. Check it out Here! To read and see more about the Free Arts/Maryvale Journey click on the FREE ARTS catagory to the right
On the personal front - a big thank you to all of you who shared their loving thoughts and put me and my "Nan" in their prayers. I must say that death brings a family together or drives them apart. In this case the positive. All of her children and all of her grandchildren were there to say goodbye to her. We had 4 days of laughter and love before she went into hospice and was put on morphine for the pain. Basically she is comfortable now and is on her transition to a peaceful place. I can only hope that I am that lucky to have so many who love me be there when it is my time to pass on.
Lets Start with the good news first ... here are some of the Maryvale Girl's canvases. We started laying down our backgrounds on our canvases for the show this past week. Personally I think they came out fabulously - I am so proud of them. It will be interesting to see how they transform.
On a sadness note - My grandmother, 86, is in ICU with a stroke and they don't give her much time. So I am flying back east tonight on the red eye in hopes that I will be able to say goodbye. It is hard to see someone who was always so strong and independent in her life be disoriented, now paralyzed on one side and reduced to a prisoner in her own body. I pray that she can go peacefully knowing that she was loved and with comfort that she can move forward in faith and be safe.
I don't even know where to begin. I had my day at Maryvale yesterday with the girls. It was the first time that we started working on canvas. And all I can say is that I had to hold back the tears and emotions that welled inside me. Their work was so powerful and strong. It was a dawning that after many weeks of teaching and then letting them go to see what they created and the depth and feeling was so soulful, courageous and truthful. I had asked them to write about what their hands hold ... what they want the world to know about them. The real them. We started our session listening to the India.Arie song " I am not my hair"
Is that India? What happened to her hair?
Da da da da da
(Verse 1)
Little girl with the press and curls
Age 8 I got a jerry curl
13 and I got a relaxer
I was the source of so much laughter
15 when it all broke off
18 when I went all natural
February 2002
I went on and did what I had to do
Cuz it was time to change my life
To become the woman that I am inside
97 dread locs all grown
I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw that (hey)
(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within
(Spoken)
What she do to her?
I don’t know; it look crazy!
I like it.
I might do that.
I wouldn’t go that far.
(Verse 2)
Good hair means curls and waves.
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century
Its time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off like an African beauty
Got in on “loc” like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight like Oprah Winfrey
It’s not what’s on your head, it’s what’s underneath (say hey)
(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity
Expressing my creativity
(Verse 3)
Breast cancer and chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy everyday of her life
On national television her diamond eyes are sparkling
Baldheaded like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like hey
(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within
(Repeat)
If I wanna shave it close or I wanna rock locs
That don’t take a bit away from this soul that I got
If I wanna wear it braided all down my back
I don’t see nothing wrong with that
and then they shared what they had written over the week. They used b/w photo images of their own hands in the pieces. I am so proud of them that they were willing to share their pain, sorrows, and hopes - that they were not afraid - when these are souls who have known real fear. The human spirit is so strong. I read them passages from my sine on Artful Purpose - that of Nina's, Deb's and Juliana's. They got it - the proof is in the pudding or in this case the painting.
This is a poem by one of the girls that I asked to share with all of you.
In My Hands
In my hands I hold the world
I hold both your future and mine
I hold so much power on the inside
but on the outside there's no sign
In my hands is the future
bright and clear
everyone is safe
and there is nothing to fear
In my hands is the past
filled with misery and pain
experiences that have scarred me
and left a bloody stain
In my hands I hold my life
dangling by a thread
torn between a nightmare and a wish
and a fantasy and horrific dread
In my hands I hold your life
by which in anger I may consume
or when I excel and change the world
may help you blossom, flourish and bloom
In my hands I hold the world
I hold both your future and mine
I hold so much pwer on the inside
but on the outside there's no sign.
