“Open your dictionary to the definition of art, and you will find that it is this big,” said QLSP third-year Ted Fetter as he spread his thumb and forefinger to illustrate a substantial chunk of space that representing the diversity of art. “From songs in the streets during protests to the spoken word … art is integral to social change.”
It is this conviction in the power of art and spirituality that motivated QLSP’s third-year students to coordinate last weekend’s Social Change Through the Arts Conference. It is also this conviction that fuels the creative fire that motivates the diverse group of artists that came to Guilford for the event.
“So many artists use their work not only as a way to express themselves but as a medium for social change,” QLSP third-year Lauren Mitchell said.
The expression came in the form of music, photography, writing, and more. A student coffeehouse kicked off the event on Thursday night. “I’d say about 50 percent of the performances were socially or politically motivated,” Fetter said.
The creativity continued on Friday with an intimate breast plate workshop for women led by Arla Patch. Later in the evening, Quaker Deborah Saunders held a gathering on spiritual centering and social change.
On Saturday, Skip Schiel illustrated the power of frozen moments in his photography exhibition on the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit included Apartheid and Post-Apartheid images and Civil Rights peace walks.
On Saturday night, Guilford’s Director of Community Learning James Shields and his reggae band Imani performed. Shields interjected the musical flow with powerful commentary on the roots and meaning of reggae, which has derived from Africa as the people’s music. Imani represented music as a movement in itself.
On Sunday, Chuck Fager conducted a workshop on writing, a powerful tool of action and expression, and Lenny Kohm presented a slide show of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge entitled the last great wilderness.
The weekend’s participants also conducted a panel. The panelists emphasized their calling to their respective art forms and the importance of being vessels for social change.
Social Change Through the Arts was sponsored by the third-year QLSP members. “The idea was conceived from a brainstorm,” Mitchell said. “It is something that interests us all … We all have our art forms that we peruse as much as possible.”
The idea of social action through nonviolent means is one that is central to Quaker values. QLSP coordinators found it particularly relevant in the context of current world events.
“It is like we’re in the kitchen and the world is the stove with pots boiling over everywhere. So where do we start?” Fetter said. “Art is really important to us, as is social change. This is what we can do, and this is what we saw last weekend.