Thoughts on the Theme
Healing, to me, means making something whole, restoring strength, binding wounds, be they physical, emotional, or spiritual. Looking deeply at what is wrong, and working to make it right.
Undoubtedly, men can be healers, and Red Hook is lucky to have many of them. Judge Calabrese, Reg Flowers, Ray and Earl Hall- the list could go on and on.
What I have noticed over my past twenty years working in this area, though, is the extraordinary role women play in holding Red Hook together, in building it up and in celebrating its strengths. I have had the privilege of working with amazing women- tenants’ council leaders and principals, mothers and grandmothers- women who not only love and care about others, but who have the talent and tenacity to make a difference.
Too often, it seems, their quiet, persistent work goes unacknowledged.
Let’s change that:
Every year we pick a theme for the Red Hook Fest, our annual celebration of community and culture. As I reflected on what it might be in 2012, I looked back over past festival contact lists and was reminded of those many special women.
Our theme became Women’s Work: Healing our Community.
Our Mainstage will feature female artists who use their talent to heal, each in their own way, but the theme is also an invitation to get involved. We want to honor the women of Red Hook, and we’re asking you to help us.
Share the story of a woman that has made a difference in your life. That difference may be personal or public. It could be a beloved aunt, or a teacher, or someone at your church. Email us a photo and a few words about a woman you’d like to acknowledge. Attend a pre-festival poetry or photography workshop to create art that tells their story.
We may never be able to capture all of the inspiring work that goes on in our neighborhood, but together- through the Women’s Work Project- we can share at least a piece of this powerful history.
Get involved- use your creativity to show some love for the many women who have worked hard to make this world a better place- one person, one neighborhood at a time.
For a timeline of the Women’s Work Project, visit this link.