Well, we’ve all descended on Grand Rapids, Michigan for ArtPrize. More than 800 artists from 15 countries and 30 states are here for one of the biggest art festivals in the country. Maybe the world? I just rolled in from another exhibit and programming in Colorado, so I am feeling the 20 hours of windshield time, but I’m excited for what’s next. I’m not exactly … Continue reading ArtPrize
Over the past six months, I’ve been spending time with San Pablo / St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. It was established in 1888 and for much of its history, served a community of Scandinavian immigrants. But over time, the demographics of the neighborhood shifted and now many of its members have Hispanic and Latin-x roots. The pews are populated with first and second … Continue reading Belonging
We could all use a little hope. It’s the belief that something better is possible. That we have the ability to make a difference. That there are solutions available to our complex challenges and that we can find them together. That whatever today is like, tomorrow can be better. We traveled to Alexandria, Virginia to work with LEAD21 on the culmination of a year-long staff … Continue reading Hope
We visited Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, WI last month. It was the fourth time we have worked with their Office of Student Involvement and there’s something special about coming back to a community where you’ve been before. We asked students and staff, “How do you seek understanding of others during these divisive times?” The process needs to be intentional. The Hippocratic Oath … Continue reading Understanding
I’ve been really interested in this question of community lately. Especially as we come out of the pandemic, where our experience of community was so drastically changed. Especially as we go into mid-term elections where our sense of a common vision is challenging. Especially as we have spent these last two years on the road, constantly reimagining what it means to belong in a place. … Continue reading Building community
A Peace of My Mind visited Oxford, Mississippi’s country courthouse, where a contested Confederate statue stands at the center of the town square. We asked people, “What does this statue mean to you?” Over two afternoons, 36 people chose to participate and these are the stories they shared. Continue reading Oxford, Mississippi
Public projection from John Noltner Photography on Vimeo. For 10 nights, we projected the stories we gathered from the George Floyd memorial. We amplified the voices of the people we encountered. We projected their portraits 20’ x 30’ on the side of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. And we climbed down off the rooftop to have conversations with the people who stopped to look. … Continue reading I can hear the streets talking
It’s hard to wait for the sun to go down when you are setting up your first public art projection. In Minneapolis on June 19, the sun sets at 9:03pm. But at 9:03 there was still so much ambient light in the sky that I could barely make out an image on the wall. At 9:10, Lance from Channel 5 news showed up with a … Continue reading This is my why
