“I have a dream” is a powerful phrase. And because today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the phrase, “I have a dream,” repeats over and over in our minds, not to mention in the media. King carries his dream in his words. He unites people with words. King’s force is verbal, and people follow him. When we combine the right words with real purpose, we get things done.
Josh Spero, writer for Guardian Unlimited, feels he’s missing out on something with religious art. “It’s just gold leaf and too many halos,” Spero says. He feels that being an atheist has excluded him from understanding its meaning. Spero’s stuck on appearance and can’t move beyond that. So I wonder, can we bridge the gap between non-belief and religious works of art?
I recently spoke with John Kluth, owner of The Open Space Art Gallery in Kent, Ohio. He dedicates one section of his gallery to contemporary and ancient Vietnamese art and uses the remaining section of the gallery to display his own work. Sales are slow, but I admire his effort to involve the community with his gallery. Kluth even attends local markets to promote his gallery. "I have decided that Kent needs marmalade with its art," he says.