Our Old Boardwalk as Art

Saturday the 28th was another day with both the Farmer's Market and the Fine Arts exhibit in Kennedy Plaza. I used to go to these events frequently, but Saturday I went to it for the first time since the storm. Unfortunately, my mind's been stuck in low gear recovering from the storm, and I just wasn't drawn to these higher levels of "the finer things." Today I went to the activities in the Plaza, and it was a great thing for my spirit. I really felt how well our community had hung together and even grown from our shared tragedies.

What made today's Fair so meaningful for me was an activity put on by the community group West End Arts. It's hard to describe, but it was a way for all of us to create a piece of an artwork commemorating our lives here after Sandy. The Artists Guild had collected dozens of small pieces of the old boardwalk. Several tables were set up with artist paints and brushes, and we could each choose a part of the boardwalk wood to paint on, whatever we chose. The long tables were "family style" with people sharing the supplies as well as sharing our experiences.  The "artists" ranged from kid's to seniors, dozens through the day. Everyone painted their own little image. Some painted elaborate beautiful sunsets, some just a word or two like "Strong Island" or the letters LBMC surrounded by water. One had a simple sunrise and the words "New Day," another said "We are Family..." One with some sunny sky said "Home Sweet Home."

I took some photos of the painters at work, but they can't capture what a good thing this was for us all. For the first time in a while I felt that I could move beyond the "survival" level and up to a higher level of thought. Perhaps it was because I was so closely surrounded by people who could understand what I was feeling without needing an explanation.

West End Arts is going to combine all the painted pieces into some kind of mosaic. I look forward to seeing the finished "self portrait" of our neighbors. The Visual Artists Guild deserves our thanks for making art a part of our healing process.