Dear All,
I had a list of "thank yous", I couldn't sleep for days thinking about what I would tell everyone at our annual fundraiser: what Exposion did for our students, for our instructors, for our volunteers, for me…I froze. I won't go into detail about all of that, instead I just want to tell you how deeply changed, moved, and inspired we all were from this project and how incredibly helpful everyone was in making it happen.
Exposion started off very disorganized. We changed meeting days, we were delayed in starting the costumes, and I didn’t even schedule rehearsals until a couple of days before the show. Yet, somehow, we made it. When the event happened, everything came together in a way I can’t explain other than saying it was a miracle.
A week before the show we had a situation arise that demonstrated what Exposion had created for all of us. Every Saturday morning we came together to artistically explore ourselves as Whole and Complete people without even knowing that was what we were doing. I watched as students started off uncertain and slightly uncomfortable with exploring who they REALLY are to being confident and proud individuals.
Frequently, those of us who are fortunate enough to work with this clearly capable community feel as if we need to instruct rather than coach, tell rather than ask, and know rather than learn. I have been just as guilty as anyone else. This project taught us what empowerment really means. It taught us how to generate an environment where people feel the freedom to empower themselves in choices, individuality, and life. By the end of the program students were telling me what music they wanted, how they wanted to present their costume, they were telling me “no” and it was extraordinary. We learned that the best possible performance is one where the performer is their “self-expressed” self, and that art is a fantastic conduit of identity and expression. And we learned that people who had never had relationships with our students could be interested, touched, and changed by them.
I want to acknowledge some of the people who made this happen. K8e Orr, the Assistant Director, was relentless in ensuring that everyone who participated had whatever costume they wanted and volunteered an endless amount of hours in the process. The show simply would have not happened without her. Her brother, Jon Orr stepped in at the last minute (due to my own disorganization) to put together the dignifying programs for the show. Kathy Giuffre in addition to being Joe’s assisting artist, supported me tremendously as I undertook the biggest project I have undertaken since doing my undergraduate thesis with her my senior year in college. Byla and The Club of Arts Board were absolutely fantastic! For one, they took a great chance on this project and on me, they supported and coached me, and pitched in on helping everything come together. The volunteer artists were amazing, big thanks to them: Ingrid Morath, Gabrelle Croat, K8e Orr, Joel Newmiller, Mallori Meyer, Douglas Rouse, Naomi Marshall, Kathy and Aiden Giuffre, Kathy Dowdell, Pam Bilberry and Angel Weiss.
Thank you all for supporting The Club of Arts and its incredible artists!
Yours,
Jessie Pocock
Development and Program Director