Artists and performers of all varieties participated in the 9th Annual Artistic Uprising that raised funds for the Bridge Program on Friday, November 11, 2016. The Artistic Uprising is an annual celebration of creative work, critical minds, and community engagement in support of an incredible project.
The halls of AULA were filled with paintings, sculptures, photographs, video installations, and crafts. Rooms teemed with music, dance, and readings–all put together by AULA students, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends. Some of the art was sold in a silent auction to support the Bridge Program, which provided university level education for students who may not otherwise have access to higher education.
“I’ve always loved going to poetry slams and coffee shop open-mics,” said this year’s student curator Kayla Ormandy. “The sense of coming together to listen to another person share their deepest heart always fills my soul. It was truly a pleasure and a dream come true to be given the opportunity to create such a safe holding space within our walls for such sharing this past Veteran’s Day.”
Antioch University artists have been donating to the Bridge Program since 2008, when BA student (now alumna and Bridge faculty member) Cindy Short designed, curated, and initiated the first Artistic Uprising in order to enrich and infuse the AULA campus with the bursting energy of creative art mounted in the cause of social justice.
“Walking in to behold each performance of the evening gave me goosebumps! It was such a blessing to enjoy the end of a difficult week with this soothing balm of community, expression, and belonging,” said Kayla. “Standing in the back of a dark, crowded room, I realized that no matter what our political futures hold, we will always have each other.”
This year’s event included a Salsa room which played grooving salsa music from the 1940’s and offered a variety of culinary delights. Vendors brought beautiful wares, from metal creations, to textiles, to paintings, to soap. Participants created loving letters for the veterans and troops for Operation Gratitude. The virtual world of 3-D painting amused and delighted everyone from five-year-old participants to those gracing senior-hood.
“What an honor it was for my team and I to host such a positive communal gathering. Each of our participants, volunteers, vendors, and artists made this event possible,” added Kayla. “Together, we successfully raised a yet-to-be-finalized amount of money for our Bridge Program, and we are grateful for each dollar.”
Karen Hamilton ’17 (Antioch Los Angeles, MA) is Antioch's Director of Marketing for Content and Communications. She has used her storytelling and copywriting skills for more than twenty years, crafting articles and creating publications. She believes that communication is a powerful driver for social change.
