CHAIR + CONVERSATION Project:
“My greatest desire as a socially responsible Artist, is to design ways for people to be able to talk with one another, to listen to each other, and to have an open mind to our common threads and differences. I believe that the diversity of ideas will solve the most pressing issues within our communities.” - Clara Cohan
Description of the CHAIR + CONVERSATION Project :
The focus of this project is to create a unique setting that is inviting and safe for people of different backgrounds to speak their personal viewpoints and to be heard. The CHAIR + CONVERSATION Project is designed to help us move beyond our differences on universal themes, thereby finding the common threads that connect us.
Creating a safe and sacred space for sharing:
I invite people to experience the transformative power of the RED ROOM, a visually inviting and energetic space I have created. Encompassing approximately 90 square feet, this intimate setting is designed for two to three people to engage in meaningful conversations. Surrounding the participants are my wood sculptures, each a reflection of our cosmic origins, our interconnectedness, and our shared responsibility to the Earth. These pieces celebrate the sacredness of all life and our emotional and collective consciousness. The universal themes are the backdrop. The RED ROOM is located on the third floor of the Pearl Gallery, 594 Congress Street, Portland, Maine.
Who is encouraged to join in with conversations? All people, young, old and every age in-between are welcome. I encourage parents to have their child join in the conversations. I value the wisdom that each of us holds and want to hear what they have to say.
Everyone who is interested and participates in the project is my collaborator. Through engaging with the viewers of my sculptures, I have learned that the insights are valuable. They are encouraged to share their thoughts, whether verbally with me or in written form via journals that sit next to works or my website. When people share, they hear the strength of their own words and may use their voices to speak about important issues to make a difference.
Topics for the conversations are chosen for their open-ended qualities, for example; “What does ‘home’ mean to you?” “What are you most concerned about?” “What are you passionate about?” “How would you begin to solve the homeless issues in your community?” “What values in life do you hold dear?” “Are you on a spiritual journey and what does that look like?”
Audio and transcription of each person’s response will be archived for future presentations on the concept of respectfully listening to diverse voices. The goal is in understanding that diversity is a means to solve issues for the greater good within our communities, and in the broader world.
Please keep in mind that the CHAIR + CONVERSATION Project is a work in progress, as is this web page. More will be added as the project develops.
The Beginning
Everything has a beginning (or maybe everything is just a continuum). Whichever it is, the CHAIR + CONVERSATION Project had a pure organic start. A wood-sculpting friend was given several Butternut Tree Trunks and asked if I would like one, with the condition that I had to pick it up from her studio. Of course, I said “Yes!” As you can see, this trunk was BIG. And heavy. When I examined the trunk, I saw the rotting areas within it and knew I needed to envision what it was to be, around these parts. What I saw was some kind of “chair”. That was the first task. The second task was to make the trunk lighter so that I/we could put it into my truck.
In the photo, I am cutting “piano keys”. The objective is to be able to wack each “key” with a sledgehammer so that the wood will split off, key by key. (Much easier than rip cutting down through the trunk).
The beginning of the CHAIR + CONVERSATION Project starts here. And so does the carving of this huge piece of wood.
Making and adding the leaves brings The TreeTrunk Chair closer to completion. This will be the first carved “chair” in the Chair Project. Four more to go!