First off, from our conference artist, Ted Lyndon Hatten:
My goal is always the same – dialogue. I think HyVee Hall works against that aim. It is not a space that lends itself to conversation. So, I’ve secured a room on the lower level and will be converting it into a gallery with dialogue-provoking images and installations dealing with hospitality and justice. It will be a place for conversation. Each piece will have a large post-it paper hanging near with idea that we could use it like fb posts. The conversation will accumulate over our time together. I’ve also made talk tags – think name tag, but instead of showing your name these tags show the issue(s) you’d like to talk about. I guess you could say that I’m asking the delegates to go trolling for conversation by wearing the bait. I don’t think that’s what Jesus had in mind when he calls us to fish for people.
Eh, maybe not exactly what Jesus had in mind… but what a good idea!
In addition to the face-to-face interaction, gallery dialogues, and conversations around our tables at our annual conference, I am attempting to help foster some electronic dialogue through social media.
It begins through facebook and twitter, the hashtag #iacartwork (Iowa Annual Conference Artwork)
By attaching #iacartwork to your posts, you will help us compile all of the thoughts floating around out there into one central location.
I imagine that this social media component will help us to focus on hospitality and justice through this artwork… even as we are sitting down around the tables in that HUGE room.
When your mind starts to wonder, think about what you have seen in the art gallery… think about what moves you… and instead of playing solitaire or doodling in your conference notebook or making snarky comments on facebook – share your thoughts with others.
Post from your cell phone.
Post from your laptop or Ipad or Kindle.
Post from whatever.
Just engage in the conversation.
Help us to keep hospitality and justice at the center of all that we do, say, think, and feel this Annual Conference.
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