… Putting our hands to work
Visitors are likely to be surprised
ate and sustain group traditions build community and contribute to every- one’s quality of life.
Working with the Senses
“Art has been the means of keeping alive the senses of purpose…” ~ John Dewey
Artful togetherness is woven
into the very fabric of community life through what often appears to be everyday utilitarian activities, such as group gardening, sewing, building, painting and cooking. In sharing time and space, we gain a sense of nurtur- ing and realize ways to hold onto the distinction of a place. In the best scenarios, we honor cherished tradi- tions and remain open to learning and reinvention by accepting and incorpo- rating new ideas from unlikely places.
by the hive of activity they encounter in local sewing and knitting supply shops lately. Take the Yarn Shop and Fiber Place, in Bozeman, Montana, for exam- ple (
BozemanYarnShop.com). The own- ers host monthly knit-alongs, spinning and weaving circles and knit-for-a-cause events. In New Jersey, a community of volunteers with the Blankie Depot has crafted some 147,000 blankets and other comforting goods for needful youngsters since 1999 (
BlankieDepo.org). The Sew- ful Austin group in Texas, on the other hand, just gets people together to have fun and share ideas for sewing projects (
Meetup.com/Sewful-Austin). Coffee shops, too, can get in on the
act. Dogleg Coffeehouse, in Bandera, Texas, (
DoglegCoffeehouse.com) is the site of a free monthly art class led by local artists. They’ve sparked a growing community of folks creating new life for repurposed and re-found items. Spontaneous expression is com- monly found in open studios or houses, as groups of artists and others meet to paint, draw, sculpt or mold. Community art collectives like Rock Paper Scissors, in Oakland, California, are hot spots for activities ranging from art walks and talks to writer readings. A volunteer-
September 2010
19
Live Art event, Naples, FL
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