Challenging Times: Connecting Through Creativity and Conversation
This is a free activity but registration is required.
By fall 2024, our nation will be undergoing one of the most important elections in its history. In uncertain times, the role of artists and creative thinking becomes even more crucial as we navigate the complexities of the world and reflect them back to society through our work.
How might we provide a safe space for our community to interact and share their experiences freely?
How can we develop ongoing support systems?
By engaging with these topics through their art, artists can contribute to meaningful dialogue, raise awareness, and inspire positive change in their communities and beyond.
Where: The Gregg Museum
When: Specific dates listed below with each topic
Time: 11:00-12:30pm [Fridays]
Each session explores a specific theme with time for artistic creation, shared conversation, making art,
and collaboration. We encourage you to bring a journal.
You don’t have to be an artist to participate! Join us!
*Light snacks and art materials will be provided
Session 1: Friday, September 6
Community Building:
Fostering a supportive community where artists can share experiences, resources, and encouragement, creating a space for collaboration and solidarity.
In this initial session, we will create a safe space for us to explore and create together. We discover who’s here, what kind of art each of us is currently doing, what we might offer each other, and what we dream of offering to our community.
Session 2: Friday, September 20
Resilience and Resolution: Finding Inner Peace Amidst the Chaos
This session aims to equip participants with practical tools and strategies to find and maintain inner peace amidst life’s inevitable chaos. Participants are introduced to the importance of inner peace and how it can be achieved amidst the challenges of modern life, such as stress, conflict, and constant change.
Participants engage in a short icebreaker activity designed to help them relax and connect with each other. This could be a simple breathing exercise, a mindful meditation, or a sharing circle where they briefly talk about what inner peace means to them.
Main Presentation: The facilitator gives an insightful presentation on the concept of inner peace, covering topics such as:
- Definition and Importance: What inner peace is and why it is crucial for mental and emotional well-being.
- Sources of Chaos: Identifying common sources of chaos in life, such as work pressure, personal conflicts, and societal issues.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Techniques and benefits of mindfulness and meditation in achieving inner peace.
- Emotional Regulation: Understanding and managing emotions through various strategies like cognitive reframing and emotional intelligence.
- Physical Well-being: The role of physical health in maintaining inner peace, including exercise, diet, and sleep.
- We paint/draw while continuing the conversation. Each person will have a set of 2×2 wood squares. You will create whatever you want on each square. The second half of the session we will share squares with each other. At the end, each person leaves with a mosaic that contains a square from each person in the group.
*During November sessions you will have the opportunity to hear from and talk with guests from the community. Our guests will be from organizations that you would be interested in collaborating with to create art that supports and inspires their work in our community.
Session 3: Friday, October 11
Mindfulness and Wellness:
Incorporate practices that promote mental health and well-being into the discussions. Techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and self-care can help you stay grounded and resilient in challenging times. Today we take good care of ourselves by incorporating mindfulness, meditation, and art making. We begin with a guided meditation then make art. Each participant will make art with the medium of their own choice.
Session 4: Friday, November 8
Social and Political Engagement: How do we engage and make a difference?
During this session we will talk and make art regarding this particular moment in time.
Seesion 5: Friday, November 22
Social and Political Engagement: Encourage student and community members to engage with pressing social and political issues through their artistic expression and/or work. This could involve addressing topics like climate change, inequality, immigration, or democracy, using art as a tool for advocacy, activism, and belonging.
This session will begin with a panel discussion featuring guest speakers. After the panel presentation, we will split into small groups so that you can speak directly to the panelists. Participants may wish to share ideas with the panelists to see how they might collaborate in the future. The names of panelists will be shared at a later date. Please bring any images or links you would like to share.
Session 6: Friday, December 6
Imagining Alternative Futures:
Providing space for creative brainstorming and speculative thinking about the future. Artists have a unique ability to imagine worlds that don’t yet exist, offering hope and inspiration for new possibilities even in challenging times.
Today we recognize our successes in 2024 and consider where we are headed in 2025. Each person will create their own mixed media vision board.