The Open Heart Show

Cultivating love, forgiveness, and heroes of social justice

During the month of April, The Ink People will be hosting the Open Heart Show, featuring expressions of love, forgiveness, and social justice. The Open Heart Show was created with the intention of encouraging artists to examine their experience of love, forgiveness, and/ or social justice. Artists are then contributing artwork that was created out of this journey of self-exploration.

You won’t want to miss the Open Heart Show’s opening, 6-9PM during Arts Alive! on April 5, which will feature a one-time only viewing of the performance-based contributions to the show. Damiian Lang will be hosting a talk show along the theme of his new book Making Love in Traffic. Many talk show guests will be featured including Dillon Reed Wyant who will be working words to open ideas with his poems. Attendees will also be invited to experience a short film entitled Smartee Loves Hank by David DeAngelo, Tyler Pacini, Steve Spain, and Evan Wrye.

Gallery pieces include: assemblages and writing by brain trauma survivors, an interactive piece addressing “The Color of Love” created by students at Eel River Community School and Strongs Creek School, installations by Jen Prather, an interactive piece about forgiveness by Megan Workman, collaborative work by LUNA Kids, lighted sculpture by Betsey Roberts, collage by Katy Barett, mixed media by Dylan McClure, a quilt by Brenda Goosby (pictured), paintings by Amma, and much more.

Fhyre Phoenix, who is coordinating the Heroes of Social Justice portion of the Open Heart Show, is requesting the loan of t-shirts, photos, news clippings, paintings and anything else that depicts or otherwise has to do with heroes, social justice or heroes of social justice, for the show. Deadline for these additions is 2pm on April 5 at The Ink People.

Gallery pieces as well as performance work from the show will be documented in a homemade magazine. The Open Heart ‘Zine is being created by Megan Workman in association with Humboldt Youth Service Bureau’s RAVEN Project. Completed pages will be available for viewing on the “Zine Line” at The Ink People throughout the month of April. The ‘zine in its entirety will be distributed free of charge starting in May.

The Open Heart Show is made possible in part through funding by Humboldt Area Foundation and KEET-TV’s Campaign for Love and Forgiveness.