The Story Continues-"In the midst of it all, there was singing"


Less than a week ago, a horrific earthquake, epicentered in Port au Prince, hit Haiti. Donna Lively Clark, my musician partner in the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra's Notable Arts project, is still trying to get news of a good friend who arrived in the capital last week. It is a very emotional time and an emotional subject. (update: Donna's friend has been located, living on a baseball field, having escaped the school with no means of communication.)


"Danza #4: First Impressions" was finished a week before the tragic disaster. The music piece always projected an underlying sadness to me. Listening to the music as I worked, recalling details of Donna's experiences in Haiti, and viewing photographs of the school and its students and teachers, I was moved to capture the spirit of all of these things: Haitian people, facing difficulties constantly and now, overwhelmingly, and the role that music and art plays in these people's lives. The more I lived with Danza #4, the more I was moved to express through my painting that music and the story it tells of the Haitian experience.


Today, I read news accounts of people in Haiti gathering in the open to sing together, to provide comfort.


Danza #4 inspired me to paint a story and the story has grown bigger.

Comments

  1. What a sweet post. I can't wait to see Danza #4 the next time I am in Indianapolis. I'm happy to hear that your friend Donna located her friend. Keep writing!

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  2. 3 more paintings have emerged from "Danza #4-they will be on my website soon. Doctors Without Borders has asked artists to design a poster for Haiti. Artists, if you design a poster, have some printed,and send the posters to them, they will sell them on their site...going to find out the exact name and insert it here. DWB is trying to raise awareness and money for medical work in Haiti.

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  3. THE HAITI POSTER PROJECT

    http://thehaitiposterproject.com/pages/call_for_entries
    Although the call is officially over, they are still accepting. If you still want to help down there, this is a way.

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