Building Community through the Arts was inaugurated as a container, to hold the experiences of JFKU students in the Arts & Consciousness program, as we venture to Punta Banco, Costa Rica as participants in ComunicArte.
We have spent the last several weeks preparing intellectually and physically for the educational adventure. We have read numerous inspiring and thought provoking articles and essays about people like us who are re-defining the parameters of art in culture. We have worked on lesson plans which form a bridge between art and the needs of the Punta Banco community. We realize we are going to have to be flexible, needs may change and interest may not arise for what we have intended. We are told the community is happy to host us. We are excited for the known and unknown awaiting us.
When individuals take ownership of their creativity and become increasingly aware of what an empowering tool it is, significant changes can and do occur. I believe the idea of becoming a conscious creator will become a reality for more and more people, a badge of sorts for the new millennium. We can create a sustainable and healthy world, but we each need to contribute some effort towards this goal.
The current turmoil in the world has forced us to look at our local communities, which in turn brings us to looking at ourselves. Who are we in our personal lives, our communities and the bigger world community? How can we best be of service and “do our part”?
Many artists and tenacious creators have found ways to utilize their art making and creative skills in assisting communities to address issues too numerous to list in a paragraph. Art in the community is truly a post modern definition of multi: faceted, colored, dimensional, layered and plying as in multiplying. When individuals and communities exercise their creative power the results are a unique imprint of their needs, values and personalities.
It is my hope that through this forum I can share with you the positive expressions of creativity happening daily in our local and worldwide communities. I will begin with my own experience as an artist within the community of Punta Banco and a participant in ComunicArte. Following the trip we will share our experiences in our respective local communities. In time I will provide links to and stories about individuals and organizations making constructive contributions to our world through their gifts of art and conscious creativity.
I hope you will join me in this journey of exploring the infinite possibilities for being a positive, creative force in our local and worldwide communities.
