Hello, folks! In reflecting on my time at common art and common cathedral this week, I felt inspired to write a poem about finding God in the common places. I hope this poem might prove to be a fun way to experience or envision these programs!
The Divine in the blue tarps
and folding chairs,
and the wax-stained tablecloth on the piano-bench altar. Continue reading
Hello! I am Alex Shoemaker, the new intern for common art, Boston Warm, and the Art & Spirituality Prison Program. Let me introduce myself a bit here so that you all will know the “girl behind the blog posts” for the next eight-or-so months. I am originally from San Diego, California, and moved to Boston in July 2024 to attend Lesley University’s M.A. program in Art Therapy and Clinical Counseling. I love all things visual and the expressive arts, so I am excited to accompany the members of common cathedral in their art making. I am particularly interested in the intersection of community building and the healing power of art making, which is exactly what common art is all about. My hope for my time at Emmanuel is that I may help encourage restorative community and connection through therapeutic witnessing and accompaniment… and of course, art!
My first two weeks at common cathedral were spent getting to know many of its members and learning about their experience in the program. I have been met with such a warm welcome from the members, for which I am immensely grateful. There seems to be an energy of hope and excitement for the coming months. I am honored to be even a small part in the events that are about to take place this fall and winter. Among the upcoming events is the common cathedral Art Show, which is taking place in Beverly this Sunday, September 28. Members will be exhibiting and selling their artwork made during common art. Longtime member Dennis shared with me that many members are fundraising for the Poor People’s Campaign and their upcoming trip to Washington D.C. to march alongside activists from across the nation. The art show will be a wonderful opportunity for common art members to showcase their work (and by extension themselves) in a space that prioritizes dignity, respect, and care. Additionally, longtime member Richard Berman has written another play for common cathedral. I am honored and excited to be asked to help him bring it to life this fall. It’s gonna be good, you won’t want to miss it! Production date and other details about the play will be announced soon.
Portrait of Tenzin by Wanyi Huang
It has been a week (two weeks for Common Art and Emmanuel Cafe) of my not seeing people in the group because of the holiday and a cold. During this short absence from the groups, I got a notification about the sudden loss of our long-term “artist in the kitchen,” Tenzin.
I am thinking about the connections between people and me, the experience of loss, and the available place of grief. I know these topics seem like a broad and never-ending speech, but it happens to our community so often. The pain of grief can impact both mental and physical health. Some people might experience difficulty keeping an energy balance, eating, or sleeping. Continue reading
Collaborative collage created by BostonWarm participants to commemorate the program’s five-year anniversary
It was tough for me to figure out what to write about for this week. It’s not that nothing happened, that’s for sure—there’s always plenty going on at BostonWarm and common art—rather, there was no singular topic or moment I could think to focus on. I was starting to ask fewer questions of my (incredibly patient) supervisors and starting to learn better how to initiate things on my own. Was it possible that I was starting to find my “groove” here at my internship?
Of course, now I realize that I did indeed have a noteworthy moment at BostonWarm—I led my first art project!