OS with Artists
joralt
joralt at netvision.net.il
Wed Aug 23 16:45:17 PDT 2006
Thank you both Harrison and Anne
for sharing your inspiring words about those heart warming experiences.
What you both describe sounds truly wonderful and yet this is exactly the
problem I am facing right now, having to convince a small group of artists
to try to use the Open Space for the purpose of generating a shift in the
orientation within the artistic community towards a more inclusive and more
democratic process for creating a momentum for change, allowing a harmonious
work as a group, in a context of a specific art project and also more
generally, creating the conditions to let go of the constant relying on
donations and rich patronage sponsors as the only source for funding those
projects.
So it seems that while I am complaining about the exclusion of artists from
the democratic decision making, creative problem solving and future
planning, artists themselves have lost the capacity to share within their
own community and consequently with the rest of the society at large.
Josef
Josef Ralt
mobile:972528000278
home:97236821621
HYPERLINK
"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeralt"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeralt
_____
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 11:26 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: OS with Artists
Further to Anne's posting. . . but in a little different vein. some years
ago the Arts Councils of the USA had annual meetings to sharpen their trade.
These meeting were the usual talking head, special sessions, etc -- and each
year the people went home frustrated, bored and sometimes mad. On the last
meeting (this was a 5 year grant program from the Pew foundation), somebody
found Open Space. Pew almost had a fit because it sounded totally out of
control, and in fact they tried their very best to stop it. Failing that
they insisted that at least the program start with a panel of speakers.
Presumably they were "experts" b ut it was the usual -- however they did not
draw the usual response. Three quarters way through a large black man stood
up in the rear of the auditorium and said something to the effect -- I don't
know what Open Space is supposed to be -- but this is fuckin-A NOT open
space. And he left. The place was reduced ed to pandemonium -- and the
sponsors quickly turned to the facilitator (not me) and said Help!
The circle was formed, space opened, and 250 highly gifted artists (graphic,
plastic, musical, and whatever) -- went for it -- Enhancing the Arts in the
Communities: Issues and opportunities.
God knows how many sessions were proposed, but few were announced in the
"standard way." Dance sessions were "danced," music sessions were
Sung/drummed/played, etc.
And then the fun began!
The closing session (which I have only seen on a very bad video) was
incredible. 250 artists co-created, in the moment, an impromptu of major
proportions.
HO
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website HYPERLINK "http://www.openspaceworld.com"www.openspaceworld.com
Personal Website HYPERLINK "http://www.ho-image.com"www.ho-image.com
----- Original Message -----
From: HYPERLINK "mailto:annestad at comcast.net"anne stadler
To: HYPERLINK
"mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU"OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 4:25 PM
Subject: OS with Artists
First: if this comes to you twice on the OSListServe it is not because I
posted twice. It is something which happens elsewhere. So I am SORRY.
Re. OS and artists: I have often had circles in which artists participate.
They offer their work (be it musically, visually or whatever...) in the
marketplace, and sometimes as convenors. The crucial and only issue is
“take responsibility for what you love” and do it fluently as a gift to the
community, within the minimal formal context provided by the OS patterns.
If the artist is a convenor, he/she participates fluently as an equal of the
person responsible for OS facilitation, offering whatever comes, whenever it
is timely. And when convenors meet for attuning before the gathering, or
during it, he/she participates as an equal listener and voice.
For instance, visual artists offer marketplace sessions. Once we had a
gallery of sculptures people made during a marketplace session, which
everyone in the circle (of 500+ people) was invited to tour. (That was
amazing: all the sculptures were made from rolls of aluminum and found
objects!)
In the closing circle, visual artists show their own interpretations of
energetic exchanges they are witnessing or whatever they are inspired to
create. Dancers dance their interpretations of our subject. (This happened
once in Dharmshala at an OS on the subject: “Creating Value out of Values”.
It was awe-inspiring!)
People have read poems that came to them as we were together. Musicians
have sung songs, played instruments as they were guided.
Etc. etc. etc.
One of my most profound experiences was at Spirited Work. We arrived to
find that very large, tall sculptures had been erected on every post in the
large room in which we had our circle. There were eight of them. They were
like totems, made of found objects, and each had extraordinary power. It
was as if a group of archetypes had graced our space. All weekend we
interacted with them. Two small children who were part of our group
periodically gave people gifts of candies which came out of a hand-like
space of one of them. On Saturday night we always had a special celebration
dinner, to which we invited the artist (who was a neighbor). After supper
he told us the story of his life which had blossomed completely after he
left everything he’d believed he needed and simply trusted God to guide him.
What a fantastic inspiration!! And it was totally on the money, given the
season and the method of OS!! Talk about synchronicity!
All of us have the capacity to speak, listen, write, move our bodies, create
theater, draw, paint, create sculpture, make musical sounds. AND it is
sublime having all those gifts present and expressed in any space we inhabit
in order to gain maximum inspiration in my humble and enthusiastic opinion.
Blessings to all, Anne
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