report by Justin Nygren
You see, I’ve heard it said that third projects have this “thing” about them. Sometimes artists choose to rest on their proverbial laurels based on the success of their first two projects. They bask in the fame. They enjoy the spotlight and the buzz around their name. So, they slack. They relax on their creativity. They take it for granted that people enjoy what they do. In short, they get proud. They begin to think the whole thing really is about them.
On the other hand, some third projects seem to do something unique. They cause the artist to reach outside of themselves for inspiration, to fuse pieces of the puzzles from deep within and bring forth something into creation that the world has never seen. They move past the buzz, past external expectations and into the realm of…
AWAKEN.
When we set out to establish the Live Events of Art Love Magic, we intentionally integrated the value of giving new artists a place to begin their career as professional artists. It has been an honor to give the floor to multiple new artists in our shows. REACH saw Rebecca Brooks and Sarah Gilmore. FUSION saw Kevin Steele, (Chelsea) Blessings and The Elder Statesmen (featuring my wife, Kelly on the mic)… This show saw the likes of Amanda Davis, Dee Hill, and Dale Norvell bring their talents to a public audience for their first time and all of them did an incredible job. However, my greatest pride in AWAKEN was seeing Sherry Smith and her photography in the gallery. Sherry and I go back a long way and our journeys have definitely seen harder days. But thankfully, by some Great Grace, our paths have gotten a little cleaner and our lives are making enough sense that our art and our gifts are beginning to shine through. It was great to see a sister shine. Brightly.
I feel like Mike, Dave and I refused to rest on the laurels this time around. We stretched ourselves, put ourselves into new roles and I think we came up with a beautiful recipe that brought forth an awesome soufflé of artistic goodness.
Where can we go from here? Well, we’ve got a few projects boiling in the pot that will take us through the end of the year. Part of Art Love Magic’s DNA is trying to do some good in the world outside of ourselves. As part of that heartbeat, we’re working on a benefit event for a friend’s 3 year-old daughter who recently had a liver transplant. If you’d like to make a difference, come on out and bid on some pieces. You’ll know that you are changing the world of a family in need. Also, Southside on Lamar, who has graciously hosted all three of our events this year, has asked us to design some major parts of the Urban Arts Festival in September. We’ll keep you posted on the dates and the details. And then, after those gigs we might just take a break until New Years. Who knows, we might just need that time to prepare for something on December 31st. (Insert maniacal laughter here.)
Finally, AWAKEN opened our eyes (pun intended) to the fact that we need masses. We need masses of people to help us spread the word. We need masses of hands to help build this movement, one moment at a time. We’re going to shamelessly ask for your help and the help of your networks. We know that we’re doing a good thing and good things need people to make them happen. We’ll be keeping you posted on how you can join us in the Love Revolution.
Dreamers, keep your eyes open. Reach out, fuse and awaken the masses. Bring the art, spread the love and make the magic.
Justin Nygren
Live Event Producer
REACH, FUSION & AWAKEN
