photo by Deirdre Towers

Everyone, every being needs a break. Is that seal admiring the view, or nodding out? We all need to reboot our system, at home and out in public.

Playing off the push for renewable energy, we are turning that idea inwards. Inspired by tiny houses, temples, shelters in the wild, and indigenous architecture, Mara Aceves and Deirdre Towers have created a pavilion that is curious from a distance, and utterly simple inside. Over time, we see this pavilion as a peace lab developed by community of artists, scientists, and innovators determined to find effective ways to generate positive energy.

Ten years ago,  director Lucija Stojevic produced with Deirdre Towers an award-winning documentary about La Chana, a flamenco dancer, a survivor of domestic violence with no formal education, a gypsy who continued to experience moments of duende while confined to her house.  As the film was being made, La Chana made a come-back in her seventies. Young virtuosos the age of her grandchildren began to yearn for her secrets.

LA CHANA, evokes the mysteries of rhythm, will, and suspense. La Chana dances a duet; she partners her soul, her inner light. She dances with total confidence in her instincts. With her in mind, we aim to empower everyone, no matter what their age, race, education. We hope to create a wave that makes everyone hum This Little Light of Mine I’m Gonna Let it Shine …

photo by Mary Mattingly

Mary Mattingly, who created Swale, a floating food forest in New York City’s waterways. Her manifesto urges us to:

“Reset the dial by working together on utopian projects
Be a Transgressor and an Empathic Lover
Remember that we have bigger battles to fight than those we may want to fight against each other.”

Utopia…

Beyond the politics of our current swamp mess, we should care more about living well, loving with humility and believing that whatever hell we may experience, the flip side is always there, ready to be had.