A Season of Vitality, Reflection, and Focused Directions

The start of fall routinely signals the start of a new cultural/artistic season.  Amidst new exhibitions, premiers, special issues, tours, and openings, there is the behind the scenes drama that challenges creative minds to challenge one another, compromise, negotiate and quite possibly re-direct individual energies towards different paths than previously planned.  In this type of vortex, it is often wise to rise above the process, view it with a certain ease of detachment, seek clarity, and re-enter the "fray" with a singular sense of purpose.  As aaduna experiences such a process, I am reminded of the various temperments when I interned at The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts/National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston; directed the BFA/MFA program at Antioch; mounted a cultural arts performance program at Stony Brook; experienced the affects of political interference on academic freedom associated with artistic performances, exhibitions, and speakers at Rockland Community College, and the conservative nature of other institutions that ensured stagnant status quo cultural presentations, which routinely failed to challenge preconceived notions.  Needless to say, this is an interesting time.

Being mindful that the work of aaduna must continue even amongst rigorous debate and some inanity, this afternoon our submissions manager launched the start of a two-day blitz to invite emerging arrtists to consider aaduna as a publication of choice for submissions.  These artists reside in diverse places such as Lantau Island (Hong Kong), Columbia (South Carolina), San Francisco, Nashville, Yonkers, Chattanooga, Silver Spring (Maryland), Memphis, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem, Oakland, Bodoe (Norway), and Jersey City.  I get to launch to supporters and the readership base tomorrow, as well as to some international artists, and out of country organizations.  This is surely an interesting time.