The Evolution of Art Series presents Art, Coffee & Poetry: H4 @ Beanetics

Here we are for another exciting opening at Beanetics! Walk in now and the coffee aroma envelopes you. Today's event is a bit different than usual: we have an informal coffee-tasting with five different kinds of coffee available, as well as a poetry reading. What a great way to spend this beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon! Glad to see some of you coming by to say hi, see the art and taste some fabulous coffee.

There's a lot of buzz about the poetry, as we wait for Ashira Malka to come on by to read her wondrous words at 3:30pm. The official word has come from her mother that she has just arrived. And Gwenn Zaberer just walked in with her husband, Travis. Come by and see Gwenn's art and be sure to ask her about it. She's sitting right by her piece, Sunflower Quilt. According to Gwenn, Sunflower Quilt is a collage made with her own hand-made paper. It weighs about 30 pounds...Imagine trying to hang that on the walls. Thanks to Travis we got it up, suspended by five wires. I definitely couldn't have hung it without him.

It is great to see so many people here, enjoying the day. Several of Ashira Malka's fan club have arrived to hear her. What a treat it is to meet fellow artists and poetry afficianados on the creative path of life. It is becoming a much smaller world as all of our paths cross. I know, you want to know what I'm talking about. Okay, how serendipitous that many of Ashira Malka's friends have been involved with Artomatic, as have I and Gwenn, and some of her artist friends. And we are all here at Beanetics today celebrating women's creative expressions! I think that's fabulous. Then there are the folks that I know because they are involved in or interested in finding out more about WCA/DC (Women's Caucus for Art), like Barbara Wolanin and Bobbi Gorban. Perhaps we can get Bobbi and Michelle and Ashira Malka to join WCA, another fantastic organization that fosters, encourages, empowers creative women to get on with their art. WCA is great because of its atmosphere of non-competitiveness. I love that everyone is encouraging and supportive of each other. To me, that is how a community of artists is born and thrives.

But I do digress, for here we are to celebrate Making HerStory 4: Feminine Reflection, and Ashira Malka is about to begin her reading.

Ashira Malka is leading everyone through a guided meditation to give some context to the first poem she will be reading, which relates to how we first met through our mutual interest in things Kabbalistic. The meditation is based on the four arch-angels, and though she is only doing a little bit of it, you do get the sense of connection to, and maybe protection from, something greater than oneself. How lovely to see everyone participating, with their eyes closed. Beginning with focusing attention on the right side, we pay attention to everything from the outermost toe on the right foot, all the way up the right side of the body to the top of the head, and give that whole experience the one word name of Michael, the presence of the God, or not God, always being with you, resting on your right shoulder. Then we did the same on the left side, from outermost pinkie-toe to tip of the fingers on the left hand and then all the way up to the top of the head, feeling all of this as Gavriel, the strength of God or not God, sacred energy resting on your left shoulder. So now we have the wings of the Divine with us as we proceed. Ashira Malka brought everyone back to the present moment in the coffee shop and explained that the meditation was part of a longer one where you call in the rest of the angels and Shekhina, and that this meditation practice usually takes about 20 minutes, the time for the sun to rise or set, the time for Shekhina to be ushered in on Shabbat.

And then she recited the poem she wrote for me for my birthday at my art opening last year at Artomatic. The opening was on a Friday night, and the way we drink wine and eat cheese, and connect is reminiscent of how we let Shekhina in on Shabbat. One of the things I love about Ashira Malka's poetry is that it is often bilingual: she wrote this poem in Hebrew and then translated it into English. I love listening to the melody of the "foreign" language, the way the sounds roll mellifluously off her tongue, like a song. And then, when she translates, it feels like the secret code is revealed. Satisfaction all around!

Then she read her poem "Hungry Because I Can't..." This is one of my favorite poems because I have had this kind of day myself. You know the one. We've all had them-- the day when you can't do something because x happened, which happened because y happened, which happened because z happened, etc. Haven't you had one of those days? As I looked around the room, I saw many listeners shaking their heads in recognition. Here's a link to the poem: http://wotgoinon.blogspot.com/2008/05/hungry-because-i-cant.html

Ashira Malka continued to read, both in Hebrew and in English, her words causing people to think about what she is saying, and how she views the world, and her place in it.

Ashira Malka's performance was wonderful and it was great to be her first venue that was neither an open mike nor a poetry slam. It was an honor and very appropriate, in my opinion, that this was her first "gig" and we are very glad we could support her in this endeavor. That is what Making HerStory is all about.

After Ashira Malka's reading we all hung about, tasted the great coffees and chatted with each other. A few more artists arrived, including another H4 artist, Robin McDougal (her piece is called Tidal Basin Oil), and the next artist to be exhibiting at Beanetics in May, Monica Stroik.

Making HerStory 4 will stay up at Beanetics (Annandale, VA) and Peace and a Cup of Joe (Baltimore, MD) through May 2nd. The main exhibit at Sewall-Belmont House may be extended a little longer. We'll be sure to let you know. Thanks to everyone who came by today to be a part of Making HerStory and celebrating women in the arts. We appreciate all your support and loved being with you.