Community Defined Yet Again

My work in defining community has increased ever since the day we added the tag line "Embracing Community Through Art" to the gallery website. Since that time I have had to ask myself again and again "what is community"? I realize more and more that community consists of everyone. I have a local community of neighbors, a community of friends and family, a political community, a community of social activism, a new community of artists and art patrons and a new found understanding of what this means. I have also found that sometimes community means something intangible - it is simply the connection that I feel to life and those surrounding me in many ways.

Making Friends in the Snow

As I pose the question of how to build community here's yet another good example of how this happens in the most unsuspecting ways. Harrisburg was innundated with 30 inches of snow in the past 4 days. That's a lot of concentrated white stuff within a city that has terrible parking to begin with.
Lesson number one for me was looking back on the way I constantly complained to myself about the number of trash cans across the street from my garage - Oh, I did not like that. But then during the storm I got to meet the woman who owned those trash cans - I met her while she was helping me get out of my garage because the alley was not plowed - H-M-M-M put me right in my correct neighborly place. Then I got to meet the woman who owns the taxi that always parks right on the corner, making it impossible for me to see to get out of the alley - I met her while trying to help shovel cars out for the emergency route. And guess what - she's really nice and truly doesn't park there just to annoy me - she parks there because that's the only place she has to put the taxi.
So my lesson is this - get to know these people better and think before I start getting all rightous in my complaining. My neighbors are great - I just don't know yet how great they really are --- but I'm learning.

Some Interesting Statistics

Here are some interesting yearly statistics from our local Salvation Army:

* 1948 Households provided with food and clothing vouchers

* 18,386 breakfasts served

* 3525 people getting assistance for Christmas

* 2036 kids receiving Christmas toys

* 900 households receiving Christmas meal vouchers

* 594 households enrolled in Low Income Self Help Program

* 1107 households recertified to continue receiving LISHP help

* 1454 Food orders distributed

This is just services in Harrisburg. Please help us help the Salvation Army by attending the opening of "Sweet Salvation 100 for $100" a silent art benefit with a $10,000.00 goal of new funds for the Salvation Army.

The auction opens on February 12 from 7-9 PM at Gallery Blu.

check our website at www.galleryblu.org

Another Piece to the Puzzle

In one of my early blogs I posed the question "What is Art". After hosting The Magnificent Minds Project, a showcase of the immense ingenuity and artistic abilities of individuals who have mental illness, I now have another answer to this question. In reading some of the biographies of the artists I was certainly humbled that I could show their work in the gallery. One comment from an artist, "I'm in permanent winter, can't remember spring: Trying to tie two ends together of an invisible string..." Another artist commented "This is the first time I've painted a picture - now I know I can teach myself" Another artist wrote, "I don't always make the right decisions even if I know the danger is there..... I've had to rise from the ruins so many times. Art therapy is a bridge and a haven". And another, "For years and years I ran from the ridiculous, the fear of recognizing and dealing with my mental illness......... that is why awareness and exposure of mental illness is so very important..............I encourage others to stop running from the ridiculous and love yourself today".

These are all such powerful words and thoughts. I will close with one more artist's writing, "The opposite of a lie is not only the truth. It is also an honest balance between the spectrum you can see, and the one you can't".

The Magnificent Minds Project

Gallery Blu, in partnership with Syngred Briddell, present The Magnificent Minds Project, a celebration of the immense creativity, ingenuity and riveting expressions that exists within artists who have mental illness.

The opening reception is January 9 from 2-4 PM. 100% of all art sales will benefit the artist.

$1,200 Raised for Cathedral School

The generosity of art buying community members in Harrisburg helped Gallery Blu raise $1,200 for the Consolidated Cathedral School in Harrisburg. Our sincere thanks to art teacher, Susan Bircher for helping curate a show of student art. Also I want to thank the students who worked hard creating their art in order to help their school. And of course Jay Risser and Candice Wanner and cathedral chorus students who provided the afternoon musical entertainment.

It's All About Community

In past blogs I have written about neighborhood and community and how the gallery's long term vision is one of neighborhood involvement.

Recently I was asked if the gallery would host a holiday get together for the Engleton neighborhood group. It turned out to be a wonderful evening with about 35 to 40 neighborhood residents bringing food, spirits and companionship to the gallery. We talked, ate, joked and even aired local political news in an atmosphere that sparkled with joie de vivre. This is community in action and is a perfect example of how a few people with a great idea can spread joy and happiness to many. Engleton area residents have shown that community is alive and well in Midtown Harrisburg.