Twenty years ago, the Columbine High School tragedy happened. America sat in shock, frozen before the television. Kids were gunned down. At school. The killers laughing. Like playing Fortnite. In real life. Sadly, history replayed. A few years later a milkman locked ten Amish girls in a Pennsylvania school house and pulled the trigger. Again.…
“How would you help heal our broken world?” As an artist, I was delighted when one person responded to my question with the word “create.” This traveling art project purposes to start a movement of healing through interactive and collaborative art. To participate, individuals are invited to trace their hand on a piece of map…
Over the past year, I’ve been engaging people on the sidewalks from New York to San Francisco with this question: “How would you help heal our broken world?” Random people have been pausing to write well-thought-out answers on pieces of maps. Their unique responses, which included a tracing of their hand, have sparked the following…
While creatively traversing the country from New York to San Francisco, I’ve been asking random people on the streets or in coffee shops this question: “How would you help heal our broken world?” In response, individuals are invited to trace their hand on a piece of map, representing our world, and record their answer. This…
Open Hands, a PowerPoint presentation with an interactive follow-up exercise, challenges students to make positive choices and rethink their responsibilities as global citizens. During the presentation, students learn about a fictional refugee character named Babette. Babette’s social status changes, after working years without pay, when she wins the lottery. Instead of choosing a new life…
Do you know the fictional story “Babette’s Feast” by Isak Dinesen? Babette, once a famous chef, is a refugee, who escapes the French civil war and resettles in Norway. For the next twelve years, she cooks for two devoutly religious sisters—without pay. One day, Babette’s financial position changes, so she decides to prepare a lavish…
Where in the world is Open Hands now? While creatively traversing the country, we’ve been randomly engaging people on the streets with this question: “How would you help heal our broken world?” Open Hands, inspired by Babette’s Feast on stage, first debuted on the streets of New York City in March of 2018. This mobile…