Song of Peace: One Day

Thought I would start this week's blog with an uplifting group sing-a-long of peace shared with me by my Ann Arbor friends Claudia and Anita. It might be old news, since it took place in Haifa, Israel with the voices of 3000 Arabs and Jews in 2018, but it is never too late to revive it again. Click here to listen to Matisyahu's One Day and please feel free to join in...There is definitely something about singing that lifts the soul...

This event was organized by Koolulam, "a social musical initiative aimed at empowering communities and strengthening the fabric of society. Though collaborative create experiences, they bring together people of different backgrounds, cultures, faiths and geographies..."

And don't stop here, check out this other community sing video to totally inspire your day and lift your mouth into a big smile.

Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts & Artist Kensuke Yamada

Although I am a painter, I have dabbled in ceramics over the years, especially when I first met my Danish husband, Gert Mathiesen, who actually went to art school for ceramics. I had the good fortune of participating in a workshop this past weekend with the amazing artist Kensuke Yamada and it was so great to get my hands back in clay again after quite a while.

Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Edgecomb, Maine is an amazing place and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in ceramic arts. Check out their website to see their varied list of programs and residencies. I definitely plan on going back to their beautiful facilities that include eight kilns and a very large and pleasant studio space on gorgeous grounds in a wonderful area of Maine.

I can't say enough about Kensuke Yamada and his art. I will let Kensuke's words and images speak for themselves: "In my sculpture, I seek figurative extensions of these shared experiences. Clay has become another primary source of communication for me. The vocabulary consists of gestures, patterns, textures, colors and rhythms. In conversation, these qualities bring the figure to life."is figurative scultpures are

The Inspirational Sam Berns

This is a truly inspirational Ted Talk given by Sam Berns (1996-2014) about what comprised his happy life... and how he didn't let obstacles get in the way of his dreams, despite suffering from a deadly disease named progeria, that was sure to drastically shorten his life...This is a shot in the arm to remind us to appreciate and concentrate on that which we do have...

Charity of the Week:
Save the Children

Photo of the Week

Can’t say enough about the facilities and staff at the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Edgecomb, Maine.

Boycott Walgreens

Walgreens confirmed to Politico last week it would not sell or ship mifepristone, which is used to terminate a pregnancy, in at least 21 states after Republican attorneys general had sent requests for the pharmacy not to—including in some states where abortion remains legal, such as Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Montana.

Walgreens is coming under an increasing amount of scrutiny and a boycott of all their stores (including Duane Reade) has been called. Boycotts are a very effective tool and I hope you will consider staying away until they decide to reverse their policy.

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.