The Art of Radical Love: Radical Acts of Love and Resistance through Art

Marcon Institute presents Radical Love and Art of Resistance in partnership with Lehigh University Art Galleries, Notations and Basement Poetry.

Experience art and the art of appreciation. You will be welcomed into the gallery by local musicians as you peruse the artworks on view in the galleries including the exhibition Narratives of Love by artist Afiwa Afandalo' 23. There will be readings by students from the LU Creative Writing program and Basement Poetry inspired by the exhibition What Matters Most. Then, Guillermo Lopez will lead a community-centered “Art of Appreciation” exercise, celebrating the lifetime commitments to antiracism of local artists and activists.

For more information about the Marcon Institute Presents: 2023 Radical Love conference visit: https://marcon.lehigh.edu/programs-initiatives

WHO?
Poetry is not a luxury. Poetry is the embodiment of love. It is an artistic expression that connects us to the divine with timeless grace. Making and appreciating art are crucial acts of love and resistance. Radical love requires art, but you do NOT have to be an artist to resist oppression. Join the resistance. Everyone is welcome.

Student Artist Afiwa Afandalo ‘23 will be on site to talk about her exhibition L ɔ l ɔ̃ ƒ e N y a w o (Narratives of Love) and lead attendees through a drop-in writing exercise.

LU CREATIVE WRITING:  The Art of Love – Radical Acts of Love and Resistance
Stacie Brennan, Lehigh University Art Galleries, Curator of Education
Dr. Stephanie Powell Watts, Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing, Director of Notations Writers’ Series
Dr. Bob Watts, Poet & Associate Professor of English
Creative Writing Students: Amaya Apolinario, Lauren Gilmore, Joe Jaeger, Junmoke James, and Camaryn Wheeler

BASEMENT POETRY: Chloe Cole-Wilson and Deirdre Van Walters
Featured readers include Latrice Young, Zel, Shalaine McCall, Krystal Hall and Deirdre Van Walters

MUSICIAN: Michael Wall

THE ART OF APPRECIATION:
Guillermo Lopez, Founder Intersekt Alliance & the Guillermo Lopez DE&I Institute
Marvin Boyer, Lehigh Valley Justice Institute Board Chair

WHAT?
Experience art and the art of appreciation. You will be welcomed into the gallery by local musicians as you peruse the artworks on view. There will be readings by students from the LU Creative Writing program and Basement Poetry. Then, Guillermo Lopez will lead a community-centered “Art of Appreciation” exercise, celebrating the lifetime commitments to antiracism of local artists and activists.

WHEN?   Sunday, March 5, 2023  (1:15 - 4:30 pm)

WHERE?  Lehigh University Art Galleries, LUAG Main Galleries in Zoellner Arts Center

WHY?
The Marcon Institute is founded on love as envisioned by bell hooks. Love as an organizing principle requires fostering benevolence, a genuine regard for others. Genuine love is an action that feeds our sense of self and that of others. Genuine love is care – carefully LISTENing and nurturing our sense of self. Genuine love is a commitment. Our commitment to love lays the groundwork for truth. We must commit to honesty and accuracy-motivated reasoning and transparency (being open to others and to change). Genuine love is knowledge, which includes information, skills, and experiences acquired through education and mentorship that give us a theoretical and practical understanding of a subject.

Knowledge requires familiarity, so we need to create the space for sharing antiracist knowledge and experiences with each other across our perceived differences. Those ideas, theories, myths, and imaginaries that initiate the process of “othering” by first separating us in our minds. Genuine love is trust. Building trust requires good faith in relations with each other, following through on our promises, mutuality in our exchanges, and reciprocity (the regular practice of mutuality). Genuine love is also responsible (a duty to care) and respectful (deep admiration for the qualities and abilities of ourselves and others). Radical love refers to the practice of offering genuine love, without regard for who “deserves” it (hooks 2001). Radical love is the act of giving genuine love even to those who are hard to love.

HOW?
Speaking freely and golysdiyi (understanding) are essential for cultivating loving communities in which everyone can thrive. These conversations are designed to “make it plain.” A shared understanding of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect, and trust are at the heart of antiracist change. Acts of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect, and trust are acts of love. These conversations are opportunities to act with love and build a community in which we all feel we belong and our contributions and differences are valued. We hope everyone will leave with a stronger belief in love and a credible commitment to antiracist actions based on care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect, and trust.