Self Expression

7/6/10
My being here is so much bigger than myself. I keep thinking all about me- my discomforts, my problems, my homesickness etc. However, tonight, I was reminded that I am here for a reason and this experience is far more than a test to see how I can handle myself in a foreign country. I had the pleasure- and by pleasure I mean I was blessedly allowed- to attend a presentation of the artistic works of my new host father Gerardo at Jubilee House in Ciudad Sandino for a group visiting from Bucknell University. (Just a quick sidenote: I moved out of Doña Rita’s house on Sunday after much discussion with Amanda about having a different Nicaraguan cultural experience than the one occurring in Doña Rita’s more than comfortable house.) Gerardo is the painting instructor at the Center and he has been painting there since he was a young boy. He felt a personal, human connection with the murals he was taught to paint during his childhood and his experiences inspired within him a passion for art. His mural skills remind me of Diego Rivera and his separate paintings are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen (and that was from a projector so I can’t imagine how amazing they are in real life). His style is best described as a modern Picasso. I mean, that’s the closest comparison I can make to another artist because when it comes to it his style is simply Gerardo Arias. The vibrant colors, energy, movement, and emotion expressed in his paintings and his level of technical skill are truly breathtaking. I’m not an art critic, but I know enough about art to know when it’s good and when I like it and when a person like Gerardo is creating something extraordinary. However, it is not only is his art that is extraordinary. In my opinion, what is more extraordinary is the greater story behind his art about his life and his connection to Batahola. Gerardo is a great testament to the importance of the CCBN for honing talent within the community. During his presentation I was blown away by both Gerardo and by his art. He said he feels that life is just a passing moment and all of his gifts and talents don’t really belong to him because they were given to him from other human beings through the blessings of God. Therefore, he believes it is his duty to pass on his gifts to others. That is why he works on so many mural projects with youth, like the project at the clinic in Nueva Vida (a poverty stricken community on the outskirts of Managua in Ciudad Sandino that consists of refugees from Hurricane Mitch in 1998), and why he works as the Painting Instructor in the Center. Gerardo wants all children to have the same opportunities that were given to him and for them to have a passion for art ignited in their hearts. Incredible.

In addition, his presentation focused on the importance of murals and their role in the self expression of artists. In particular, the expression of political feelings towards the government. Unfortunately, these feelings are being repressed and most of the murals that were shown in Gerardo’s presentation no longer exist because they were destroyed by the government. (I learned that former President Alemán even tried to destroy the beautiful murals in the CCBN.) Now, I realize with greater clarity the importance of murals for storytelling and documentation purposes. Man has been painting as a means of documentation and expression since the time of the caveman and cave paintings. Murals should be allowed to be painted everywhere! Now, I must do my part to make sure that the murals that still exist in Batahola are preserved and protected. Since I learned a lot about the importance of storytelling the past semester in PSP 202 (through Marshall Ganz and others), I’ve been asked to initiate a storytelling project. Part of my storytelling project is supposed to be training the mural tour team and some other youth at the CCBN about how to make tangible connections between their stories, the murals, the Batahola community, and Nicaragua as a whole. However, (and I may be biased now) I believe that one of the strongest stories at the center is Gerardo’s. He grew up during the revolution and his family was very poor. His mother sold cooked beans in the streets, and he used the charcoal left over from her fires in the morning to draw all over the walls in his house. So far, that’s all I really know about Gerardo’s childhood (not much I’m aware) but I am excited to learn more.

I think that moving from Doña Rita’s family to the wonderful family of Gerardo, Maria Eugenia, and their 13-year-old daughter Sara, though it was difficult, was one of the best things that could have happened during my time here. I truly feel at home and like I am a part of this family. We eat all of our meals together and they are constantly asking questions about my life. Maria Eugenia even gave me a lesson on how to wash my clothes by hand today because I no longer have a washing machine. Their house may be modest but their hearts are big. I’ve also never met a family who is so talented with handicrafts. Maria Eugenia makes beautiful jewelry, Sara embroiders many different things, Gerardo has his painting, and with my friendship bracelets I fit right in. This next month is going to be a good one I can feel it.