America: Now and Here: Here We GO!

Untitled from America Nowandhere on Vimeo.

I'm sure this will be the first of many posts tracking my involvement with this fantastic, timely, and important art initiative. It's called America: Now and Here. www.americanowandhere.org Founded by Eric Fischl and directed by Dorothy Dunn.

"The idea is simple. Let’s explore a theme that everybody shares and build a dialogue around it: America. We’ll start by sharing our idea and experiences through the art that we make. Now, it’s your turn. Let’s use art to have a dialogue about America." -Eric Fischl

My involvement started through Hugh Merrill, my mentor, colleague, and cohort in community art over the years. I advocated for him to have a show at Spiva Center for the Arts where I am on the Board, and he in turn thought to bring AN&H to Joplin with him summer 2013.

AN&H was in KC in 2011 (see video). The Leedy-Voulkos Art Center hosted it. Hugh has a long history with LVAC and Jim Leedy himself. I have shown there. It's the heartbeat of the art district in KC. The last year, KC artists and Joplin artists have connected through various art projects and events in the aftermath of the tornado. So naturally, all of this energy will culminate in a national effort to network art, educators, and their communities through America: Now and Here.

(meeting Eric at our presentation to art educators at the NAEA national conference)

I am thrilled to share this with state art educators in our state conference in a couple weeks. Dialogue has been underway between me, Hugh, and Dee Dunn as how best to get this show on my road. It is an honor to work with these consummate art professionals towards a goal that encompasses all that is vital in the art world for me: expression, community, collaboration, and growth. Let's go!