This year, for the first time ever, I didn't help hang the altars for our Sacred Art of Altars show, because I was busy singing and speaking at the Kerrville Music Festival. Consequently, when I went to the opening reception on Monday, I had the chance to experience the full visual impact of this amazing exhibit, in the same way that all the other first time viewers get. Wow! I was blown away by it.
LOOKING FINE
There's something truly magical about looking down the long hallway, and seeing these particular pieces hanging side by side, in such a creative display of diversity. Having helped count, carry and distribute the 57 identical, bare wooden boxes to the individual artists earlier this summer, it's stunning to see the way those simple, unadorned rectangular forms with identical dimensions sprouted wings (literally in some cases) and acquired such a surprising range of colors, contexts, shapes and sizes in the hands of their individual creators.
And now that the members of the flock have been reassembled and mounted alongside each other in one row on the main hallway of the theater gallery, they appear to be having a deep conversation amongst themselves about the multiple layers of meaning they've encountered along the way to their destination.
ERASING LINES
I've spent most of my adult life learning, teaching, writing and singing about the ever-unfolding consciousness of Oneness. And over the past twenty-three years, Celebration Circle has presented hundreds of gatherings, classes, workshops and retreats exploring tangible ways of expressing the intangible movement of this consciousness in our daily lives.
It gets mighty tricky trying to demonstrate ways to see beyond the physical dimensions of our existence as separate beings and into the metaphysical realm of our deep interconnection with each other and All of Life. "Finding unity in our diversity" is a noble ideal, and "We Are One" makes for a nice bumper sticker. But words can only go so far before they tend to start tripping over themselves in their attempt to bridge the yawning gaps in logic that inevitably appear when two or more people attempt to "prove" their differing, faith-based points of view.
But I take heart in the power of art to move the conversation forward. And this particular "One People, Many Paths: The Sacred Art of Altars" exhibit does an especially good job of it, because of the visceral impact it makes. I'm really proud and excited about this year's show, not just because of the quality of the art and artists involved. Not just because the silent auction will help raise much-needed funds for Celebration Circle operations. But because it is one of the best ways to share the Circle's purpose with the general public, as we employ this inclusive, artistic platform to share our desire to "honor and nurture the Sacred in ourselves, each other and All Creation."
HAVING A GOOD TIME
One of my favorite activities is to stand back and watch the faces of the unsuspecting moviegoers as they encounter the multi-dimensional magic of the altars. Most of these folks have only come here to watch a movie, but as they stroll through the gallery on their way to the screening room, many find themselves pleasantly surprised, then captivated by the mystery, majesty and oblique spirituality of all these altars hanging in the hallway, smack dab in the middle of a suburban mall setting.
Personally, I think of this as being a kind of "sacred sneak attack" on the sensibilities of innocent bystanders -- a gentle, but penetrating way of sharing the awareness that "We Are One" with the broader community in a subtle, but powerful way. It's sort of like guerrilla warfare in reverse: instead of a violent, explosive provocation of death, it's a gentle, inclusive invitation into the wonders of life.
So, do yourself, and perhaps your loved one(s) a favor, and take this opportunity to go to the Bijou and experience this phenomenon for yourself. Of course, you could go by yourself, but it really is fun to have someone to share insights and comments with. There's no purchase necessary, because the show is free and open to the public during business hours every day this month (although the Bijou does show the best variety of art house films in town, and their Bistro serves a nice range of tasty snacks and drinks...), so this can be a first-rate, low-cost artist's date. Enjoy!
Rudi
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