"Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny."
Samuel Smiles 1812-1904
WORLD COMMUNITY ARTS DAY 2012
link below to web page for event
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Sept. 28, 2009 I have been reading FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS by John Bartlett (17th edition) and came across Samuel Smiles' quote above. The quote struck me as quintessential to the center of Community Arts and the ideology of ART IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION. Artists and arts activist I have known who have dedicated years of their life to collaborative works with the community, do it because they believe we are one world; a network of the the human spirit that can be lifted in unity by the grace and beauty of creative actions. In other words my understanding of the above quote can be: what we do as our life work and teach others to do are the building blocks of not only individuals, but of the destiny of whole nations. Of course this means negative as well as positive. I would suggest Hitler took it the wrong direction and reaped his destiny as his nation did. But that was yesterday in the spectrum of time, and now we have TODAY. This year, as last year I have begun my part in WCAD by creating public art that people can participate in directly and indirectly, the LOVE-IN event was the first public action done September 26-27, 2009. Some of the actions documented by local photographer Bruce McIntosh can be seen at http://www.wilddogroadphotography.com/Events/MadridPeace&Love/index.htm
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FEBRUARY UPDATE As you can see, we are up to our Gazooches in snow and ice, so building what I had originally invisioned  is a little more complicated than I need...so most likely I will just put on the trailer behind it with paint and we will roll down the street. January 9,2010 At the moment several ideas are floating around on how to celebrate this year's WCAD...being the Original_Idea_for_WCAD_2010 got detoured because of death in our family. Now that difficult time has passed and thoughts of how to live the future are easier to grasp...so... Many years ago I lived in Eureka, California. Ferndale, a small town nearby had an annual festival called the DOWNHILL MOBILE MUSICAL JUNK SCULPTURE RACE. Apparently they are still doing it, but now call it a Kinetic Sculpture Race, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/05/11/TR295518.DTL ...anyway, In 1976 I directed my version of the race in Edinburgh, Scotland for the summer "PLAYSCHEMES" involving nearly a 1,000 children and adults, www.kewolve.com/Communityarts2008.htm It was great fun. I have thought of doing the idea again but there is no comparable social networks in our local village to share the burden of such an endeavor, so at this point I am trying to convince a small group of creative individuals to do it in another way...   What I am proposing this coming Monday, January 11, is that on WCAD we take my converted van through the village, where it will be painted, sculpted, with performers and documenters doing a kind Ken Kesey Merry Pranksters show. .jpg)
www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/sixties/kesey.htmlMy van after the LOVE-IN of October 2009 in Madrid 
...and the van recycled...
At the moment I am calling it the MOBILE MUSICAL MURAL SCULPTURE THEATER... Now to see the interest of others to help me get it together... The collaborative painting of 1976 Dodge Trans-Van at the LOVE-IN DAY organized by Ruth Aber in Madrid, New Mexico, Sept. 26, 2009.  Original Idea for WCAD 2010 Beginning October 2009, I will continue a very large scale series of sculptures that will be placed near Highway 14, at the front of our property, in fact right next to last years action which still stands. The sculptures once again will take on the theme of St. Nick and 8 of his reindeer, and once again surreal in character. It is fun to play with the icons of tradition. Below are two of the four sculptures already completed:  |
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