Miriam stands at the edge of the sea, terrified that she will not be able to take a step, that she will be unable to find her voice.  Like the artist standing before a blank canvas or an empty piece of paper, indeed like all of us who face the unexpected in our lives, Miriam must endure that place of unknowing; she must courageously wait, trusting that something will emerge.  She, like the rest of us, must have faith in her spirit, her life force, her creativity, her capacity to move forward.  She must trust that form will emerge from formlessness, that meaning will emerge from ambiguity, and that creativity will emerge from chaos.

Miriam’s story, as depicted in Ruth Sohn’s poetic midrash, is the story of the human spirit.  It is the story of giving birth to parts of ourselves that have been masked by fear, and of finding what is alive and fresh and vital– a process that, in the best of circumstances, recurs in many ways throughout our lives.

This show is a tribute to that process.  Each painting in the show is inspired by a poem or a blessing that speaks to the triumph of the human spirit.  John O’Donohue says, “Though your destination is not yet clear, You can trust the promise of this opening; Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning….”  And from Rumi, “Dance when you’re broken open.Dance when you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free….”

The act of painting is, itself, a mirror of Miriam’s journey.  I stand before my canvas, its empty whiteness filled with possibilities.  How do I begin and find a voice that is authentic?  I reach for a brush but freeze. I feel as if I’ve never done this before, as if every prior piece of work has been an accident. To choose the first color, to make the first mark is an act of courage and faith  that something will come, but what?  Soon the first mark leads to the second, and I find myself totally immersed, engaged and present. The painting which originated as a response to a poem or blessing takes on a life of its own, each brush stroke or material dictating the next.  As my song/painting emerges and takes form, I feel pleasure, awe and gratitude.  In a very real sense, every painting represents a little triumph of spirit.

This collaborative show and musical program reflect the spirit found in art, music and, most importantly, friendship.  It began with a poem (“I Shall Sing to the Lord a New Song”) written by Ruth Sohn, a Rabbi.   Ultimately, the poem begat my painting as well as a sculpture by Tania Kravath and a musical composition by Roberta Kosse, all born of friendship and nourished by the passion of creation.