Joy is everywhere…

The current exhibits at CALC are odes to the happiness we cultivate in our lives. Joy comes from intentionality, purpose, contribution. The methods are endless and the rewards are priceless. Joy Overcoming and The Joy of Sharing the Road both exemplify how we are able to make positive changes in ourselves and our communities if we focus on the good and perpetuate it.

In the G.B. Stuart Gallery:

Our annual juried show has returned for the new year. We invited artists to enter their best representations of what brings them joy. The essential question encompassing the theme is “What keeps you moving when times get hard?”. Abria Donato, our Gallery Director, created this concept to help combat the illusion that goodness has left the world and to remind us of what we truly appreciate.

On display is a wealth of works representing personalized joy: quilted flowers, pastels of pets, acrylic adorned floorcloths. Some artists have chosen, like Lea Anne McGoldrick, to celebrate their creativity. In a cyclical fashion, the simple act of creation is sometimes the greatest catalyst for joy. Lea Anne highlights this in her piece Reclaimed referencing the material she utilizes by reclaiming used clay. She shows her process from beginning to end, from flawed attempts to a fully-fledged pot.

Another noticeable trend in this show is the focus on nature as a source of not only beauty and inspiration, but genuine happiness. Artists like Carolyn Albracht have used their skills to feature the importance of our ecosystem and how we can affect it positively or negatively. Her pair of pieces, Biodiversity Can Save Us If We Let It I and Biodiversity Can Save Us If We Let It III, were created after she watched a film about industrial farming practices and its contribution to global warming. She was struck by the practices of one farmer who does not participate in traditional monoculture farming where the fields are filled with only one type of plant or crop. His fields contain up to 20 different plants co-mingling together. The theme of biodiversity inspired Carolyn to create her portrayal of joy and appreciation towards our ecosystem. The joy she and many of the artists experience from nature cannot be undervalued or dismissed, whether they acknowledge it on a worldwide scale through climate change, or in their own backyards like Peg Belcastro. Peg’s work, Offerings, is a mixed media depiction of what centers her: working in her garden. Her joy comes from getting her hands in the dirt and from the fruits this effort will bring, a bounty that can be shared with friends indefinitely. Joy is an ongoing experience that we must nurture to last us a lifetime. Joy Overcoming is another opportunity to nurture your happiness.

In the Upper Gallery:

Transportation is a tricky subject, whether it is publicly funded or not. Often people forget that roads are not meant solely for cars. Our streets and communities are not backdrops for driving. The walkability of towns and cities was prioritized before the mass adoption of automobiles, and now our public spaces are curated primarily for cars. This exhibit is a collaboration between our CALC Collaborative Director Mo Geiger and transportation advocacy groups including Bikelisle, Northside Ride, Dickinson College’s Handlebar and the Center for Sustainability Education. Bikelisle, an organization local to Carlisle, aims to make the area more environmentally sustainable and safer for utilitarian modes of transportation such as cycling and walking.  Their efforts assist all who may not have the ability or desire to drive.

On display is a collection of posters, flags, custom bicycles, photos from group rides, video art and assorted objects collected by the members of Bikelisle. A giant black banner hangs in the center of the room stating “Legalize Walking”, a reminder of what has been lost but can also be reclaimed. A neon pink shirt hangs nearby with the quote “One Less Car” on the back and on the front a mantra of benefits that come from driving less: “Clear the Air…Save Money…No Wars for Oil…Liveable Cities…Fight Congestion…Park for Free…Keep Fit…U.S. Energy Independence”. At the bottom is the answer to it all, “Sustainable Transportation”.  These mixed media works utilize visual arts to get a point across. Each piece is not only an opportunity to learn, but an invitation to feel inspired by the artists’ and activists’ creativity. For example, the video art of a mounted camera recording the ride of two cyclists on a bakfiets (or cargo bike) is a beautiful combination of multiple mediums for multiple means of interaction. That same bakfiets bicycle is on display in the middle of the gallery so it can be interpreted by the public more than once. It was sculpturally crafted to include found materials that function as drums and instruments, reminiscent of something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

The ephemera and narratives voice diverse perspectives and experiences of non-motorist road users. Due to the lack of cultural attention towards sharing the road and physical space for anything other than cars, there is an overwhelming amount of danger and complication that comes from “risking” to traverse by any other means. These groups foster a way of living that simultaneously makes our communities mutually supportive and our spaces greener. Sustainability education and environmental advocacy are key to these efforts. By making all forms of transportation more prevalent and accessible, our lives and lands are enriched.  

Written by Rachel Haas-Gutin with contributions from Abria Donato and Mo Geiger