Sunday, November 27, 2022

An Abundant Life - Gratitude

Recently I had a conversation with someone who had been going through a challenging time and was beginning to find a new space and place in the world to heal and grow. The conversation reminded me of other times in my life when things had been so difficult that I didn't know how they would ever get better, and that somehow they did and somehow here I am in a time and place where I can look back and see that not only was I able to find places and people to bless me on my journey, but that in every case the time that I went through not only helped me learn something that was important, but also helped me to make necessary changes in my life that led me to much better ways of living and thinking and being.

Twenty years ago I began the search for someone to partner with to create a community space for art and performance and health and wellness and educational programs in topics like sustainability. As I've written in these pages before, I found the person to partner with, but somehow at the end of two more years everything I cared about seemed lost. And now here I am after having gone through such a dark night of the soul all those years ago, having had a spiritual awakening in the process that led to a relationship with God and so many other life changing and miraculous experiences along the way, here I am looking back and realizing that it was twenty years ago when the seed of an idea came into my heart to start the community center and now it has become a reality at YES Gallery.

This past week marked the third month anniversary of the gallery opening, and it was the day before Thanksgiving. As I began to think back and be reminded of other times, I thought about Thanksgivings in the past when I was dealing with so many things that were so difficult, times when I wondered how I could find a way to feel thankful and grateful when it seemed that life was not ever going to be the way that I had always hoped it could be. During one of those times, at the end of that two year partnership that ended in what felt like the worst kind of disaster, someone I knew directed me to begin making gratitude lists and speaking gratitude into my life every moment of every day. I wrote a short story at the time with that name, and it is one of my favorites still. And as strange as it may seem, just speaking gratitude began to make things feel like there was a change for the better. It is now as I look back that I realize how far and wide things have changed, and as I remember that time and those gratitude lists I begin to understand just a little that perhaps in the process of trying to find something to be grateful for I was able to begin to focus on the God that I began to know and to understand that though the world around me seemed bleak, there is a God who is always there with us, helping to guide us to a better place to be.

In the gratitude that I learned to live out in my life, there was a part of it that began to help me understand that I was loved and cared for. Being grateful for the things and people that appeared in my path to help and share kindness helped me receive the gifts and blessings they offered with a heart that over time began to be so filled that it could open to others and share what had been shared with me. I was speaking with someone the other day who said they loved the name of YES Gallery because so often what we all hear is no. As I've written before there are all kinds of inspirations behind the name, but perhaps that is the best one of all. Saying yes is not always easy and hearing no is what we so often expect, so here's to the blessing of having a space and a place where yes is the way of life.


YES Gallery
408 6th Street
Hoboken, New Jersey








Blessings,

Jannie Susan


Sunday, November 20, 2022

An Abundant Life - The Most Fragile Landscape

When I began to plan the current show at YES Gallery, I was thinking about titles that were drawn from words in several of my poems, and for some reason the one that seemed the most right for this time was from a poem titled "Be As A Child" that I wrote in 2019 as part of creating a collage piece that had been requested for a show. The poem is about learning to live and love and create again in the way that children do before the world steps in with its hurts and disappointments and broken heartedness:

"Perhaps this, then, is the most fragile landscape
When the heart that has been broken
Learns to sing again
In spite of, and with all uncertainty
Trusting
Hoping
Breathing
New Life"

The title of the show became the first line, "Perhaps this, then, is the most fragile landscape" and in a very interesting way I've found myself faced with things in the world around me that seem to be almost challenging my resolve to find joy and peace in the space that has been created at YES Gallery. The show is truly stunning, more beautiful even than the first one was which is always the goal but one that I didn't expect to be able to necessarily achieve. Taking the steps of starting this gallery and saying yes have been all about what this poem speaks of, and though I wrote the poem in the Spring of 2019, its message is still resonating with me now. Saying yes to love and hope and dreams and joy and creativity and art and life are ongoing daily decisions that are not always easy to make when we live our lives with hearts that are open and fully given over to the possibility of beauty but of also the disappointment of being hurt and let down. In my life it has only been with the help of God that I've been able to find for myself a way to stay openhearted without automatically shutting down. It seems at times foolish and unwise to allow our heart to continue to love, to continue to hope where there is no sign that hope is worth waiting for, and to paraphrase my Grandmother's favorite song from "Man Of La Mancha," to dream what seem to be impossible dreams and try to reach seemingly unreachable stars. But just as my Grandmother loved that song, and her daughter, my Mother taught me that dreams were important and worth hoping and striving for, I find myself in the midst of the questions and uncertainties all around being led to look with eyes of faith, to trust and hope and believe that saying yes to life and love and creativity is still possible and necessary, and that within that yes new life will continue to grow.

YES Gallery
408 6th Street
Hoboken, New Jersey





































Blessings,

Jannie Susan

Sunday, November 13, 2022

An Abundant Life - Walking Into The Future

The Hoboken Art Walk and Studio Tour was last weekend and YES Gallery celebrated the opening of a new show during this wonderful and festive two day event. Officially the new show opened on Saturday evening, November 5 at 6pm, but I had planned to be there during the afternoon for the Art Walk and Studio Tour, thinking that it might be quieter and that it would be good to be there for anyone who didn't want to attend an evening event with possibly a larger crowd of people. When I submitted the information about the show, the opening celebration and the weekend gallery hours, I had listed that I'd be there at 3pm both days. It seemed a good time to give myself a chance to get ready, and I knew that I'd be there earlier to make sure things like ice and other party and hospitality favors were arranged, and from past year's experience in attending this wonderful weekend, I was pretty sure at first that there would not be too many people with more arriving as the afternoon continued.

I arrived at 1pm after having a bit of a run around trying to find ice because the place where I'd been planning to go had a broken mechanism in the ice case, and because the day was sunny and an unseasonably warm 75 degrees, I decided to keep the door open while I set up. From the moment I opened the door waves of people began to arrive, all very friendly and excited to look at an appreciate art. The beverages had not even begun to cool off yet, but no one seemed to mind. They were there to enjoy the experience of being in the gallery and exploring the work that is there. I am so grateful to Geri Fallo and the Hoboken Division of Cultural Affairs for arranging this weekend and creating such a beautiful listing. The excellent promotion that was done brought people from around the entire area and as far away as Queens and beyond, filling the city with people on Saturday and on Sunday who were excited to experience art.

All afternoon and into the late evening people kept arriving and the feeling of joy was palpable. I found myself very relaxed in my role as hostess because everyone was having such a great time. It was busy for sure, but that goes with the territory. When it's a house party there are people to talk to and in an art party there are people who are interested in talking about the art. All of the Artists were receiving so much attention for their work that it really made me happy. It felt as if the world was trying to let me know that they were excited we were there. Marcio Donasci was painting live outside and spoke with so many people who were interested in him and his work and the gallery. Inside there was a wonderful DJ in the evening, Eddie Wilkins, who truly created a soundtrack for the event that kept everyone feeling so wonderful to talk and enjoy the space.

As I've said before I couldn't have done this alone. Everything was so beautiful and that's because the art and the Artists are such beautiful creators and people. Stephen Cimini's expertise and help in hanging and curating are invaluable, and his pieces that he shared for the show were gleaming and glowing on the wall.  I thank God for all of the beautiful Artists and beautiful people involved who make this gallery possible and who made this show an even more wonderful success than the first one, and I thank God for this beautiful blessing to be able to bring this beautiful art to the world in this beautiful place.


YES Gallery
"Perhaps This, Then, Is The Most Fragile Landscape"
Opening Celebration During The
Hoboken Art Walk And Studio Tour
408 6th Street
Hoboken, New Jersey




Blessings,

Jannie Susan

  

Sunday, November 6, 2022

An Abundant Life - Poetic Beginnings

This past week I was getting ready for the opening of the new show at YES Gallery, and so this post will be a bit on the short side. A few months ago when it was still very warm weather, I found out that the Hoboken Art and Studio Tour would be on November 5 and 6, and so I decided that I'd plan the opening of the next show for that weekend. It turned out to be a wonderful way to schedule the new opening, because the weekend of the Art and Studio Tour is a very enjoyable and fun celebratory time. It also was beautiful weather, something that is hard to predict especially this time of year, but with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70's we were truly blessed with a lovely weekend.

I'll write more soon about this new show, but for now I'll just say that it's even more beautiful than the last one. The number of Artists who have continued to say Yes to sharing their work at the gallery has grown, and the work that is coming through the doors is breathtaking. The Artist Stephen Cimini not only helped me hang and curate the artwork in the space again, but he agreed to show two of his new pieces. They are beautiful all on their own and in the show on the gallery walls they glow. The list of Artists is impressive, and I will share that here along with the name of the show and the poem that the name came from. We have a new sign for the gallery with so much gratitude to Linus Coraggio who created something for the windows that was the most beautiful sign, and when I went to pick it up I really was blessed so deeply to see it. 

All during this past week while Stephen and I were busy moving things around and while Artists came in to drop off their work, people kept stopping in to say how much they loved what they were seeing. On Friday night as I was preparing and finishing up some last details, different visitors stopped by who kept telling me how beautiful everything is. My answer to everyone is that the Artists I know are extraordinary people. Their work is beautiful and together in that room there is such a joyous feeling of creativity abounding. There is something very special happening at YES Gallery, and it's a beautiful blessing to be a part of it.


Perhaps This, Then, Is The Most Fragile Landscape
YES Gallery
408 6th Street
Hoboken, New Jersey


Participating Artists: Tommy The Animator, Alberte Bernier, Guillermo Bublik, Stephen Cimini, Linus Coraggio, Sandra DeSando, Al Diaz, DERTY, Marcio Donasci, Jacqueline Firmo Falconi, Anthony Haden-Guest, Julie Hankins - Lewis Farm Designs, Alice Hepburn, Leah Huang, Caridad Sierra Kennedy, Joel Liscio, Danilo Peguero, Stephan Sieg, Annette Werndl

Gallery Director: Jannie Wolff

"Be As A Child"
Perhaps this, then, is the most fragile landscape
When the heart that has been broken
Learns to sing again
In spite of, and with all uncertainty
Trusting
Hoping
Breathing
New Life


Blessings,

Jannie Susan