Contemporary Cathedral
“Let us build a cathedral.”
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A notion I am working on:
Multiple sites and settings; multiple exhibitions and events; multiple issue-based conversations and activities—a tapestry of involvement with artists, youth, advocates, organizations, community leaders, and the general public unfolding over several weeks in all corners of Baltimore—people of all sorts celebrating, sharing and connecting in experiences rich with inspiration and information, the city awash in vibrancy.
Holding the mélange together is a unifying theme, consistent branding and marketing, and coordinated programming. The spirit of the entire undertaking is celebratory and upbeat, even as we do not shy away from entrenched challenges and social justice needs, but through an asset- rather than deficit-based lens, the exemplary positives illuminated.
Stakeholders cut across fields: public and private sectors, the arts and culture community, the social services sector, youth services, and more. Each field has something to gain from and offer to the endeavor, developed through a thoughtful and transparent participatory process. The key is successfully brokering roles and relationships: diverse sectors will have a seat at the planning and presenting table.
Our vision is something for everyone, and surprises for many: those interested in issues will delight in discovering art’s relevance to their concerns, and art audiences will be informed and inspired by what they learn of the issues at hand; unexpected audiences will come together, discovering commonalities and value among those they had not known or even known of before; the arts will come to life, and in ways that matters.
Want to help build this contemporary cathedral? Let me know.
