An artist is never poor.” Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen Do you know the story Babette’s Feast? 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 deeply religious sisters—without pay. One day, Babette’s financial position changes, so…
“I was raped,” a student revealed during a recent phone interview. Each year several students contact me requesting an interview or mentoring. Although the purpose of each interview is to discuss my work, the conversations often turn personal. This past year, students from Colorado and southern California asked for coaching with their sex-trafficking projects. I…
“Your art speaks of healing,” said New York artist Makoto Fujimura when Pamela Alderman showed him her humble portfolio in his book signing line. Following this powerful five-minute encounter, Pamela started creating a new kind of artist/citizen work that invites audience collaboration. Her work lets others speak and respond. After ArtPrize 2014, her work, The…
Story told in Sabrina’s own words In Eastern Congo, we heard shootings of rifles and some great detonations. Then the quiet was felt, and we saw emerging soldiers armed entering our house and coming into the living room where we were, my husband and I. Our five daughters were in their rooms. There was a…
Before retiring my Courage Ablaze Collection—a collection of twenty-five paintings highlighting the Democratic Republic of Congo’s genocide and massive-scale rape—I would like to introduce you to a dear Congolese friend whom I’ll call Jetta. Jetta and her children fled into Uganda as gunfire broke out near their home. Trying to save the lives of her…
It is surprising, in a way, how I could have written almost all of the one hundred twenty-six Let Go letters or sentences that were submitted. Though the details of our stories may differ, our struggles are often very similar. And these common experiences of pain and loss connect us like a dot-to-dot drawing. Throughout…