Barry and I recently attended the Communities in Control Conference - held in Melbourne and run by our favourite social enterprise OurCommunity.
It was a feast of positive thinking and talking, an apology to refugees and calls to action, interspersed by music making and celebration of the arts.
After the first day at the Conference we were able to visit the new office building. We have work-worked alongside this amazing bunch of people for well over a decade, and have strong heart-ties to them and the work they do, so it was wonderful to see the new space.
We knew it would be full of art and it was. But I caught my breath and had a little tear when I arrived and found one of my collaborative pieces "Endure" (the paper burns but the words fly away...) in pride of place as you enter.
There are some absolute favourites amongst the multitude of pieces and here are a few, sadly I don't know the artists' names, but wouldn't it be great to work in amongst it all?
But it was also precious to see our two recent Conference posters in one of the rooms. On reflection, I think it was a stationery store room - but isn't it lovely to think that everywhere deserves art? That no matter where we are working, we can raise our eyes and be uplifted?
We happened upon other works of art by Barry as we wended our way through. This one is in the women's loo I think - art is everywhere!
Seeing my four family violence pieces on the wall, silent sentinels and reminders, was special.
But one of the things I loved most was that each of the meeting rooms was named in honour of a great woman, and on the door is a rallying and empowering quote by them.
This was the theme for the Conference.
Don't be surprised if you find me pondering upon a few of these over time on a Thursday.
It was a heartening few days after feeling heart sick for our country. To see social justice in the hands of good, passionate and caring folk was so good. And to see organisations that value the arts and understand how invaluable they are to society and put it into action was grand.
Download the CiC app to listen to some thought provoking and inspiring folk.
It was a feast of positive thinking and talking, an apology to refugees and calls to action, interspersed by music making and celebration of the arts.
After the first day at the Conference we were able to visit the new office building. We have work-worked alongside this amazing bunch of people for well over a decade, and have strong heart-ties to them and the work they do, so it was wonderful to see the new space.
We knew it would be full of art and it was. But I caught my breath and had a little tear when I arrived and found one of my collaborative pieces "Endure" (the paper burns but the words fly away...) in pride of place as you enter.
There are some absolute favourites amongst the multitude of pieces and here are a few, sadly I don't know the artists' names, but wouldn't it be great to work in amongst it all?
But it was also precious to see our two recent Conference posters in one of the rooms. On reflection, I think it was a stationery store room - but isn't it lovely to think that everywhere deserves art? That no matter where we are working, we can raise our eyes and be uplifted?
We happened upon other works of art by Barry as we wended our way through. This one is in the women's loo I think - art is everywhere!
The piece on the left not the bunny!
Seeing my four family violence pieces on the wall, silent sentinels and reminders, was special.
But one of the things I loved most was that each of the meeting rooms was named in honour of a great woman, and on the door is a rallying and empowering quote by them.
This was the theme for the Conference.
Don't be surprised if you find me pondering upon a few of these over time on a Thursday.
It was a heartening few days after feeling heart sick for our country. To see social justice in the hands of good, passionate and caring folk was so good. And to see organisations that value the arts and understand how invaluable they are to society and put it into action was grand.
Download the CiC app to listen to some thought provoking and inspiring folk.
Wow. all so very special! and to see so much of the work you both do, being displayed in one building must have given you a glow.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by Stella Young is soooo deep.
Sandy it was truly wonderful. And isn't Stella's quote brilliant too - so succinct, cuts straight thru and makes us all realise the challenges of the built environment and beyond.
Delete(((Fiona))) you and Barry do so much for making peace in our world with your art!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mo!
Delete