Reclaiming Our Humanity with Art: The Manifesto

We believe that art plays a significant role in enriching our lives, shaping our societies, and contributing to our collective understanding of what it means to be human. We envision a world in which we embrace the creation of art as an inalienable right, alongside the rights to life and liberty. In other words, making art should not be a privilege for a small elite, but a common practice that benefits the many.

1.  Art as a Human Endeavor: We believe that art plays a significant role in expressing the human experience; it not only reflects, but transforms our emotions, thoughts, and perceptions. It is a powerful tool that we can use to explore our humanity.

2. Art as a Spiritual Practice: We believe that the process of making art provides a means of connecting with our inner selves, as well as the tangible and intangible world. Art has the power to evoke emotions, stimulate imagination, and foster self-expression. By engaging in art as a spiritual practice, we can cultivate self-awareness, mindfulness, and personal growth, enabling individuals to live lives of deep meaning and purpose.

3. Art as an Experience: We believe that art should be experienced, not just consumed. Art is not meant to be passive entertainment or a luxury for the elite. Art should be accessible and participatory, engaging all individuals in the process of creation, experimentation, and exploration. Art should foster connections, spark conversation, and provide respite from the ever maddening complexities of society.

4.  Art for Meaning and Purpose: We believe that art has the potential to bring meaning and purpose to our lives. Through artistic expression, we can communicate our unique perspectives, share our stories, and make sense of the world. Art can ignite our imagination, challenge our assumptions, and inspire us to create positive communities.

5. Art for All: We advocate for the democratization of art, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to engage in artistic expression.

Visual arts, such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and other forms of artistic expression, can be deeply connected with mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, where one is fully present and engaged in the experience without being consumed by thoughts of the past or worries about the future. When applied to visual arts, mindfulness involves being fully present with the creative process, paying attention to the colors, shapes, textures, and other sensory aspects of the artistic experience, without getting caught up in thoughts, judgments, or distractions.

Painting

Traditional Block Printmaking