Using Art to Build Community in St. Pete's

I spent last Sunday with the amzing community at Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I found the visit exhilarating, and not just because of the amazing weather--though that didn't hurt.  Together with the 85 students and their teachers in the religious school, we began work on a community mural based on the notion that we are all made in God's image.  We studied texts from the Torah, Talmud and Pirkei Avot. Each of these helped us to expand our notion of what it means to be made in God's image, and what that means in terms of our human obligations to our world and each other.  The kids and their teachers were really willing to think deeply and then created self portraits representing their notions of being made in God's Image.  I took their artwork home with me and I am now working on putting all of their ideas and work together into one large piece of art for their social hall.

 One thing I really appreciate about this congregation is the way in which they use art as a community building tool.  With the help of a generous donor they have an annual artist in residence program.This year they brought me in, but in other years they have used clay, created mosaics, and used fabric and fiber arts.  In each case the visiting artist helps the community work together to create something beautiful to line the walls of the congregation.  They use the communally generated work made during these programs to create a warm and vibrant building with art lining every wall from the entry way, to the social hall to the sanctuary, bringing their building to life in a way that makes everyone feel invested and included.  It is a wonderful example of how the arts can be used to engage communities and make meaning.