While walking 6.3 miles to the Eiffel Tower, we accidentally discovered the Love Lock Bridge in Paris. I almost missed this Pinterest destination because I was admiring all the French architecture as we crossed this famous footbridge. Yes, I left my husband of 35 years a padlock declaring my love. But after reading about the…
Art speaks a universal language. Right? So, here’s a question to think about: How does art create community? I thought about this question as I waited in huge lines with people from all over the world. Or as I tried to squish up close to a Van Gogh work. Although I couldn’t speak the same…
My definition of being a human who cares about her world began to change in 2011, when I collided with Josephine and other Congolese refugees living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At the time, my knowledge of Congo didn’t extend beyond a country located on the map. For the next year, I began to research Congo’s…
Told in Josephine’s own words “My husband and I heard a man knock on the door. The door was largely open. Soldiers were emerging inside the house; we made a loud noise and asked rescue to anyone who could hear us. “I started to cry, and my husband cried too. I could not imagine that…
Viewer Responses Amazing process in how you work the face. The mouth being the last part of the painting. Women who had been seemingly silenced by horrific circumstances—reawakened with the restoration of their voice through accompaniment of listening hearts and ears that gift compassion and hope. Maura I see the past pain in her eyes…
These custom Plexiglas cityscapes were especially created for Wolverine Building Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Cityscape No. 1, Pamela Alderman, Mixed media, 64 x 32 x 4 inches, 2017 Instagram @ Pamela Alderman #paint4healing #artistcitizenwork
After posting Sabina’s story and image a few months ago, my friend Laurie asked me to paint another Congolese work. But Laurie’s request posed two challenges for me. The first challenge was to paint a watercolor painting. Four years ago, I had tucked away my watercolor paints—partly in frustration with my watercolor work at the…