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| heArt and hands, Las Cuarentas |
"Invisible threads are the strongest ties."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
However, it is the artist within us that is driven to make those threads more apparent. That was
my intent with the heArt and hands project.
For the past year I have been engrossed in
fundraising and awareness for the support of Global Education. Part of this
service has taken me to Nicaragua, to build a school along side dedicated villagers.
There was still untapped opportunity for more
awareness and connection. How can the youth and young of heart of the United States know the
story of Nicaragua? Know the gift of art? of giving? How can the youth of Nicaragua know that they are supported?
Working through the Whitemarsh Art Center and with local schools, 130 hands were outlined on heavy papers and good intentions were artistically expressed for their recipients. The garland grew throughout the month of January. In early February, they were packed up and travelled over 2,000 miles to a remote village in Central America. Two airplane flights, a long bus ride and then a very bumpy and muddy ride via truck got me, our crew and the hands to Las Cuarentes.
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| Whitemarsh Art Center pre-trek display |
Working through the Whitemarsh Art Center and with local schools, 130 hands were outlined on heavy papers and good intentions were artistically expressed for their recipients. The garland grew throughout the month of January. In early February, they were packed up and travelled over 2,000 miles to a remote village in Central America. Two airplane flights, a long bus ride and then a very bumpy and muddy ride via truck got me, our crew and the hands to Las Cuarentes.
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| Presenting heArt and hands and well wishes to the students for their forthcoming school |
Our group's ( Beyond Asana with buildOn) primary focus during this trek was to assist in the building of the school that we funded. However, most important were the connections with the people and students in the village. We spent one morning dedicated to the young students, playing games, practicing yoga, talking about rainbows (see post below, Rainbow in a bag) and finally, presenting heArt and hands to the students and teachers. With garlands in hand, we encircled the students. I shared with the students where the hands came from and the support they offered. Then each yogi spoke of their intentions for the students' future.
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| Local teacher Lydia and myself at the village's current school, a corral. |
Very moving for me and noted by others too, was seeing the artwork of our friends and family with us in this faraway place. It is my hope that the students of Las Cuarentas will find support in the gift we left them. However, knowing that a piece of each artist's soul back home was connected to these people was certain at that moment. Mission accomplished.
At that point, I considered the project finished. However, I was soon surprised and deeply touched. Before leaving Nicaragua, I was presented with the gift of art by my new friends. I'm looking forward to sharing this work with my students so the connection can come full circle.
"Art does not reproduce the visible, rather it makes it visible".
- Paul Klee
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| A gift from the children of Las Cuarentas |
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