Apologies for not blogging yesterday! Margaret and I left the ranch at 9:30am and returned at 10:30pm. Wednesday was a busy, busy day for us. We were prepping for a major art exhibit that happened this evening, more on that in a minute, we had classes to teach, and we were in search of a storage cupboard and art cubbys/drying racks for the art classroom and had to go to Kuona Trust to finalize our last aspects of the opening of the exhibit, approving the announcement, looking at the press release, ordering the food, timing the set up of the gallery, etc. This all happened before we got to class at 2:3o to teach our wonderful students.
The biggest reward that we receive is the response from the students. On Wednesday we showed up for class with 5 major pieces of furniture, the students were in awe and they got together and carried all these pieces of furniture to the third floor of the school to the art room and set it up. They just kept thanking us for the beautiful furniture. It is clear to them that their work and creations are valued when we make their work important by buying such needed pieces for the school. Lets be totally clear, if you had not already noticed, we are more in awe of them, we are surprised that there is an art room just for the work they get to do all year around based on this annual immersion experience and we are shocked and impressed at the creations that they honor us with. After the furniture was places classes convened, with the forms 1/2's working on their landscapes from pencils and pastels and the whole time adoring Margaret ever so much. They look to her as a mother figure and actually listen to ever word she says. Each day, each of our classes start of with a meditation which goes for 7 minutes. It makes such a huge impact on their work and their focus.
The forms 3/4 and graduate institute folks continued on works that they had not finished. Those that were done happily cleaned up the art room, put supplies away in the new furniture and placed their works very delicately on the table and around the room so we could Jury the work for the show. At the end of class, Jacob, a graduate approached Margaret and I with a create he had made for us. We were admiring an art bag he created for himself that he carries around. Its basically a satchel made of burlap. He made Margaret and I each one with our names on it. We were so touched. They are beautiful.
After class was done for all our sessions, Margaret and I walked through the classes and looked at work and ohhh'ed and ahhhw'ed. It was great. The oil paintings are beyond our comprehension. This medium is so challenging and before August 8, these artists did not even know what oil paints were out side of a discussion we had in our curriculum on different mediums that can be used. They never had experienced the paint before we shared it with them. Now they are making some of the greatest art ever. The theme of the show is "Landscapes of the Mind" and they in fact pulled from their amazing imagination to make such creative and beautiful works of art.
After dinner we were off to meet Anne Wangari for dinner and it was a nice treat to spend time with her. Margaret and I equate this trip to many wonderful things; students, hopefulness, reciprocity in the sense that we get as much if not more than we give, and the friendships we have made along the way. Anne is one of those treasures of this trip.
Today was another rise and shine, up and out type day. The day started off with jurying the art work at the school, were Margaret and I go through the work and decide what will get into the show and what will not. It is a very difficult decision to decide you are not going to take some of their work to display. We want to share it all. We had to really focus on what really demonstrated "Landscapes of the Mind" and how well they were done.
After this we had a late breakfast, picked up some last minute shopping needs, got the certificates for tomorrows final class celebrations out of the way and then had one last stop before we went to hang the show. Caroline is David Dinda's sister that Margaret helped launch her start in being a seamstress. Early this week Caroline took Margaret's measurements to make her 2 beautiful skirts and a top. They are great.
This afternoon, Margaret and I hung the show at Kuona Trust. It was breathtaking to see how beautiful their creations look up in a gallery. The bustle of the Kuona Trust is great any time, but the anticipation of a show opening, there is lots of energy all around. Their are the cooks creating food and setting up for the reception, we are hanging the show, the property and space is being cleaned, art curators are walking in and out asking questions and showing people the lay out. All while you are worried that the bus will get to the school to get the students here on time, will it look the way we hope, are we ready, what are we going to say when we comment, etc. etc. This all went off without a hitch. Last year the students showed up late by 45 minutes, half way through the show the lights went out.
This year was totally different. The students showed up 15 minutes early and went and looked at all the artist studios who are residence at Kuona Trust. Then they came in and to watch the students see their own art up in a gallery, priceless! They point, laugh at it, show their friends and then want to be in pictures. It is so moving. The show was more than expected, the students as always really excited and well behaved. In the time of remarks, I made a few comments and thanked the Kuona Trust and thanked the students for the opportunity to work with them. Kuona trust provided us with an open ended invitation to come yearly and then Patrick, the Deputy Director, commented on their great work and the students felt very valued and Margaret and I were just beaming for them and for us. We never imagined that teaching art in the Kibera Slum would end up having us show in a gallery. We are honored.
The students ate food, milled around, danced to music that was planning and the returned to Kibera on the bus that brought them.
At the end of a day like this, we are humbled by these students in ways that are unimaginable. The one discovery that stays with us from our first visit in 2007; you can make a difference in lives of others one person at a time by just showing up and giving what you have. In our case, its two persons. We are so filled with gratitude to be able to bring something to these students that they would not have otherwise, art. We are two lucky people to be able to receive the gifts of these wonderful student/artists through the delivery of this art immersion.
One last post tomorrow and then we return home on Saturday. Thank you for being on this journey with us.
Be well.
Charles and Margaret
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