This year, as part of a citywide reading initiative, Attleboro will be reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In this National Endowment for the Arts program participants are encouraged to read the same book at the same time – and extend their connection to the chosen text through local arts and culture activities.
In response to this novel, Attleboro Arts Museum is coordinating a special exhibition that is inspired by one of the book’s key themes – “loss of innocence” in children. The exhibition will represent the loss of innocence in the form of 15 creatively constructed “nests.”
I have been invited to create one of these nests and to have it included in this commemorative Museum exhibition. Mine will represent the experience of a teen girl who lost her parents to a car accident when she was 13 years old. It was a devastating loss for her. Fortunately she had an uncle who was able to take responsibility for her care. Then her uncle died of cancer. Another traumatizing loss.
Today, in spite of her experiences and continued sadness, my youth demonstrates strength and resilience of character. She has been able to continue at her same school, is on the honor roll and plans to go to college to become a social worker.
With my nest, I hope to represent the transcendence from trauma to strength in the presence of turmoil. And to illustrate the spirit and courage required to transform a bleak situation into a bright future full of possibilities.
Attleboro Arts Museum
One‐day invitational exhibition
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
7-8:30 pm
Evening reception and Big Read recognition event that honors each artist and their piece in the show. Free and open to all.
Very thhoughtful blog
ReplyDelete