American LOVE Project_044
Item
- Title
- American LOVE Project_044
- Alternative Title
- American LOVE Project
- Creator
- Karen Blessen
- Date
- 2021-2022
- Description
- The image shows an open journal, placed on a dark, textured surface. The left page is a printed document titled "WHY IS THE AMERICAN LOVE PROJECT IMPORTANT?" with typed text beneath. The passage includes names like Kelly Nash, Cindy Quandt-Guerra, and Karen Isbell among others, each discussing the significance of the project. The right page contains handwritten text in English, dated 5.23.21. The handwriting is slightly slanted, filled with reflections on the American Love Project, considering themes of division, hate, love, and the reconciliation of ideals with reality. Several page markers are visible sticking out from the top of the journal, labeled with words such as "THE TALP DECK," "ANNE FRANK," and "AMBULANCE RIDE."
- Identifier
- 2021_010621 to 2022 060222_The American LOVE Project Journal
- Dates Completed
- January 6, 2021 - June 2, 2022
- Keywords
- Insurrection; January 6; US Capitol; Texas freeze; Infrastructure fragility; Political instability; Power outage; Water disruption; Internet loss; Medical services disruption; Mail delay; Dallas weather; Lorraine Lienemann; Cancer; Grief; P. Nut; Sparky; Cat loss; 22-year-old cats; American LOVE Project; 29 Pieces; Violence response; National project; Art installation; Washington DC; Covid resurgence; Online gallery; Student art; Educator art; 24 states; Team collaboration; Project outcome; theamericanloveproject.org; Anne Frank; Diary takeaways; Lessons learned; Studio visit; Darryl Ratcliff; Journal viewing; Strategic shift
- Transcription
-
Text on the left page: "WHY IS THE AMERICAN LOVE PROJECT IMPORTANT? KELLY NASH: Particularly right now while people are thinking about survival and other big problems that the country has had for the last years, it's important to have any opportunity for someone to concentrate, use their hands, eyes, minds to consider the importance of love in everything we do.
CINDY QUANDT-GUERRA: For me it’s so needed because it shifts everyone’s focus. Our tunnel vision and focus has been so long on the challenges of the world in these last 18 months, TALP forces everyone to shift their focus onto something very positive.
KAREN ISBELL: I feel that every single person in the US has dealt with some degree of trauma over more than a year now—it has ranged anywhere from small to the ultimate trauma of "am I going to survive, will my spouse survive, will my children survive? will my parents survive?" The level of trauma has been through the roof. You don’t bounce back from that easily. You need a powerful force—within yourself and within the community to be able to climb out of that level of trauma. And to be able to see the sunlight again.
I also think people need a way to imagine how unity can exist in the midst of so many differences. Many people have given up even on the possibility of dialogue that reaches across political, racial. religious, and other divides that keep us separate. But to lead another way—we, as a people, need a means, a way, an avenue, a scaffold on which to imagine how to be united - even with people, who have different perspectives than us. Art - combined with a widespread commitment to our American ideals of justice and equality - can be the means by which we reimagine unity and renew our vision of what is possible when we do all things with love.
JUDY STONE-NUNNLEY: I am responding to Karen I's thoughts about: "We need a powerful force, within yourself and within community, to climb out of the trauma everyone has experienced this past year and see the sunlight again; people need a way to imaging how unity can exist. We need a scaffold."
I think TALP is so important because it IS the way. It is the scaffolding. The process of having Big Conversations with students and educators through the power of the LOVE Quotes, around how you create illuminated letters, how you make words as images. These are also nuanced and subtle conversations. We stand on the shoulders of the social justice artists before us. We make art that focuses on the power of beauty. When we work together, we build a compassionate community
Text on the right page: "5.23.21 What is the importance of the American LOVE Project? The voices of division and hatred have had their day in our country. The time is now for the voices of love to be louder.
what is the importance of the American Love Project? There is a tension, a disconnect between the promised ideals of America and the reality of life in America. If that space is fills with love,
It's time for rolling thunder of love to sweep this nation and be the connective tissue between the promise of America & the reality of America for many." - Rights
- To inquire about usage, please contact Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries.
- Is Part Of
- American Love Project
- Relation
- Image Gallery