The Pure

The Pure 

by Sara Swisher

      I sat down with Leslie Barker one afternoon at Caritas Village. Pen in hand, I scribbled everything she told me down hoping to formulate an aspiring article. Leslie works with the Peacemakers, an after school art program at the Village.

            "Caritas Village…" trying to contain her tears, "is one of the pure places left."

            Through out the rest of the interview, I thought about that statement. I liked that idea; it intrigued me to think that I am working with one of the purest places left in Memphis, in Tennessee, in the United States of America, and in the world. I agree with Leslie. The Village is a pure place, full of people who love community and want to make a difference. But what does it mean for a place to be "pure"? In my investigation, I went to the Oxford English Dictionary, which defined "pure" as "not mixed with any other substance or material and free from contamination or physical impurity." Is the Village truly free from contamination

Peacemaker

or impurities? Well let's define an impurity; it is something morally unclean (OED). Could poverty, hunger, loneliness, and addiction be impurities? I would argue that they are. Poverty is morally wrong and no one should be subjected to it. The Village combats poverty with programs such as a free health clinic on Tuesdays and free after school programs like the Peacemakers (an after school program at the Village ran by Theatre Memphis). The Village is filled with people who have experienced poverty, hunger, loneliness, and addiction in some way.

            Does this mean that the Village is impure and that it is in fact not one of the pure places left? I don't think so. I think the fact that the Village associates itself with those in proximity with impurities and tries to defeat the impurities themselves makes the Village pure. I think purity in this sense means mixing with the "contaminated", the Village mixes with contaminated because it craves to make a difference.

            The Caritas Village Mission Statement:

            To break down walls of hostility between the cultures, to build bridges of love and trust   between the rich and those made poor and to provide a positive alternative to the street corners for the neighborhood children.

            There is no question that the Village is mixing with the adulterated of society. Hostility between cultures and the economic classes is definitely adulterated with hate, grief, and grudges.

Leslie Barker helping a peacemaker.

The Village chooses to associate itself with that type of impurity because it sees the purity of "breaking down the walls of hostility." Defeating hostility brings peace, love, and trust. Not only does the Village want to combat impurities but also create the pure. The Village makes itself into "a positive alternative to the street corner for the neighborhood children"; they want a pure and safe place for the children, free of impurities of the street corner. They want to create an environment for growth and learning and eliminate the boredom and vulnerability of the street corner.

            I see the pure when I walk into a restaurant full of smiling faces. The faces are different colors, believe in different gods, and come from different cultures. The pure is when a child is smiling when they show their mom what they made in the Peacemakers. I see purity when a child is eating a cookie their neighbor bought for them. The pure is when someone expresses their gratefulness to me on Facebook when I tell them the doctor will be in at the free clinic tomorrow. Caritas Village is the pure. I want to save the world. I want to live in Caritas.

Breaking Stereotypes with Art

Breaking Stereotypes with Art

written by Sara Swisher and edited by Tiffany Corkran

       St. Louis resident Tiffany Johnson Cade paints intricate lines of her friend's son Malik. When she is painting, thoughtfulness comes with every stroke. Her desire to make a difference radiates throughout her heart while paint fumes fill her nostrils. She's not just painting a man who is a dance instructor in Nashville and dances in a dance company. She's painting positivity and breaking down racial stereotypes like "thug".

Malik by Tiffany Johnson Cade

            Cade's portrait collection Paradigm Shift incites conversation about how African American males are portrayed in the media. She painted African American men in a positive light and projected their "atypical qualities", like her son Camden the saxophone player and member of his school's robotics team. The illuminated saxophone carefully placed in Camden's hands show us who he is as a person. Camden is a teenager that likes to play the saxophone, and he can be and do anything he wants. She says she is breaking down the stereotype that African American males are destined to be criminals, and the only way they can become successful is by being a rapper or basketball player. Camden shows the world that this stereotype isn't true. Camden can be a saxophone player or a robotics engineer. Not only did she create a space where people can talk about the portrayal of African American men in the media but also, Paradigm Shift is her reaction to Michael Brown's murder in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis.

            "I want them to think, that is someone's child," says Cade. The lump in her throat makes her voice shake.

            "Right," I say while I think about Brown's murder. Michael Brown is a human being with

Camden by Tiffany Johnson Cade

rights and his rights were violated.

            "I purposely used big canvases so people are forced to look at their faces. Just don't shoot," She says.

            I was amazed by her creative thoughtfulness.

            "I had to sit down with my sons and tell them about the 'do's and don'ts's' of behaving around the police," choking, "That could've been my son."

            When Cade learned of 18-year-old Michael Brown's death and that he was unarmed and shot by a police officer, she thought of her son. She thought of the fear that an officer won't see her son the way she see's him, a saxophone player. When Cade heard of Michael Brown's death, it resonated with her on a personal level. That could've been her son, the member of his school's robotics team. She could've been in Michael Brown's mother's place: dealing with the media, funeral arrangements, and the loss of her son. At the time of his death, it resonated with me but not on a personal level. It was horrible what happened to Michael Brown but I knew it would never happen to my future son.
        Caritas Village has given me the ability to interview amazing people like Tiffany Johnson Cade. Cade gave me a magnifying glass and helped me to see her perspective with her portrait series. I was forced to see that these successful men are sometimes subjected to racism because they are African American. Sometimes racism turns into tragedies like the death of Michael Brown. Cade let me look into her heart and see the fear she has for her own sons. Her sons are African American young men from St. Louis just like Michael Brown. Cade could've easily gotten that call from the police department. Cade was forced to teach her sons how to act in front of police; that is unacceptable. The police are suppose to protect citizens not terrorize them. Cade made me think about what it would be like to be in her place. What if my white brother was portrayed as a "thug" in the media? What if police shot my brother for his race? Those thoughts sent chills through my spine that radiated to my stomach. No one deserves to think about that. No one should be afraid of their loved ones being devalued by media and shot by police. Cade is changing people's perspectives and forcing us to ask questions with art. She is showing the world who these men are. She is revealing to us their humanity with every stroke of paint.  Cade made me ask tough questions. How can we change the way African American men are portrayed in the media? Caritas Village provides a place for these artworks to inspire others with their Artist Reception that is every first Friday of the month. This month's artist reception is Leila Hamdan's Civil Rights Photography in Memphis, which features photographs taken from the sanitation strike in 1968. I want to save the world. I want to live in Caritas.

Caritas Village Auction Items for 2014 Benefit

 



Silent Auction to benefit Caritas Village

Friends, family and supporters of The Village will host a fun-filled evening of live music, entertainment and a silent auction at the Parish Hall of The Holy Communion Church located off Perkins Extended just east of the intersection of Walnut Grove at Perkins. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***Purchase tickets at Caritas Village or go to www.caritasvillage.org.***

 

The Village will host it's first Annual Fundraising Event on Friday, November 7, starting at 6:30 pm. It will feature local news anchor Joe Birch as the Event Emcee and dinner will be offered by Chef Mac Edwards of The Elegant Farmer. Dance troops, artists and musicians will perform throughout the evening to stimulate your mind and soul while representing the common bond and spirit that we know as Caritas.

In addition to the ticket admission of $50, a Silent Auction will be held to include the items presented below.  Any item not sold at the "Buy it Now" price will be available for bids during the Silent Auction.  Note: "Buy it Now" items may be purchased in advance from Caritas Village during normal business hours.  

The Silent Auction will close promptly Friday, November 7, at 8 pm.  Auction officials will declare the winning bids, i.e., winning Bidder, and payment is immediately due. The winning Bidder need not be present however full payment must be received once the winning bid is declared. ALL SALES ARE FINAL.  

Thank you for your ongoing support of The Village.  We anxiously look forward to you joining us for an evening of fun, food, music and more as we raise funds and celebrate Caritas 2014: Live, Love, Share & Learn.

Caritas Village uses art, music, hospitality, theatre, classes, and connections to creatively join people together in common goals from many different ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

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$200 Certificate to Jay Etkin Gallery

Contemporary & Ethnographic Works of Art
942 South Cooper St.
Memphis, TN 38104
901.550.0064

Jay Etkin returns to Memphis in the Cooper Young area with a new gallery named Jay Etkin Gallery Contemporary & Ethnographic Works of Art at 942 S. Cooper. This gallery is aimed at representing local, regional, and international contemporary artists and also important African collections. Etkin, a painter and gallerist, has dedicated his career to abstraction, spending the past 20 years or so on two immense painting projects, "Radio Days" and the "Primal" series.
 
Starting Bid:         N/A
Value:                  $200
Buy It Now:         $200
______________________

Collage Number Two
Artist:  Dani Harris

Collage Number Two is a 16 x 20 original acrylic.

 

Dani Harris, originally from Chicago, trained at Memphis College of Art  where she perfected her skills as an illustrator. This ability was further developed during her early career working as a medical illustrator at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

 

When asked to sum up the thought process behind her work - “When someone looks at my work, I want the viewer to see beyond the technique and feel some type of emotion; whether it is happiness, sadness or discomfort.” I recently read a quote by Dutch artist Roderique Arisiaman – “If you like what you see, it’s good. If you feel what you see, it’s awesome”. My feelings exactly!!

Starting Bid:          $75
Value:                   $300
Buy It Now:          $300
______________________

Looking for that special wedding gift or house-warming present?

Caritas presents this heirloom quality 9" square decorative crystal bowl by Cristal d'Arques.

 

Starting Bid:               N/A
Value:                         $50
BuyItNow:                  $50
____________________

 



Some people give up for Lent.   Artist, Suzanne Henley, gives small gifts from her heart and soul. 

 

"It's very humbling to me to do the work I do," she said. "I am just so grateful to be able to do it and to see these things that you have no idea are in you and the way they just sort of percolate up and suddenly you are in the middle of a piece of work that you have no idea how you got there. To be part of that mystery of creativity is awesome, truly awesome."

 

For Caritas, Suzanne Henley was inspired to create this matching earring and necklace set using a combination of turquoise, carnelian, agate geode and amber stones.

Starting Bid:                 $75

Value:                          $325                       
Buy It Now:                 $325

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The Happy Butterfly
Artist:  Tammy Groves Thornton

 

  

 The Happy Butterfly is a 24 x 30 orginal acrylic.

Tammy Groves Thornton loves to use bright, vibrant colors to visually electrify and to draw you into the stories being told on canvas.

"I would like to think of my art as a catalyst of change; inspiring and uplifting the spirit and encouraging the heart to love, to see things lovingly, to feel things lovingly, and to change things lovingly. I hope to make the world a better place one picture a time."

Starting Bid:                      N/A

Value:                               $250                      
Buy It Now:                      $250
____________________________

Military Man with his Daughter
Artist:  Morris T Howard

Military Man with his Daughter is a 20 x 25 original oil painting. 

Artist, Morris T Howard, channels his former milltary experience through his eyes, heart arms, hands and the very tips of his fingers to capture the essence of the emotion of his subjects in this powerful painting. The artist's intense detail simply commands attention.

Morris T Howard began drawing at the age of five by posing his brother for portraits drawn on paper bags. He recalls the Art Instruction Schools TV series hosted by Norman Rockwell as an early influence. 'He made people look real and that had quite an impact on me.'

Morris prefers to draw and paint the human figure in all its complexities. He considers mastery of draftsmanship to be the greatest asset an artist can possess. The artist believes that drawing is the very foundation of painting. 

Starting Bid:                  $300
Value:                             $700
Buy It Now:                    $700

______________________________

 

Caritas Village
2014 Benefit: Live, Love, Share & Learn
Live Performance and Silent Auction!

Caritas Village uses art, music, hospitality, theatre, classes, and connections to creatively join people together in common goals from many different ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Join Us: Nov. 7, 2014, 6:30 to 9:30pm
Holy Communion Parish Hall
4645 Walnut Grove Rd., Memphis, TN 38117

**Purchase tickets by Nov. 3 at Caritas Village or
go to www.caritasvillage.org.

Dinner by Mac Edwards
of The Elegant Farmer

I Want to Live in Caritas

written by Sara Swisher
Edited by Madeline Faber and Carl E. Moore

Memphians don’t go downtown or anywhere at night. Downtown is dangerous and most people are up to no good at night. Haven’t you seen the news? On August 11, 2014, a man was beaten on Beale Street while a crowd of onlookers recorded it on their phones and stole his wallet, phone, and clothes.
 
“This city is falling a part and we’ll never get it back,” they say while changing the channel in disgust. There are certain neighborhoods Memphians don’t go to, neighborhoods amidst poverty, Injustice, and heartache. In one of “those neighborhoods” lies a wonderful place called Caritas Village. The Village is a vibrant community center adorned with art and positivity and features appetizing food, smiling people, and optimistic volunteers who are trying to change the world through after school programs, art workshops, bible studies, and etc.

I drove down Hollywood Street like I always do, eyes glazed over and with my hands accustomed on the steering wheel. My thoughts were focused on my new classes, my new internship, and my need for a nap. My eyes adjusted to trash thrown on the street, weathered houses, and chained dogs in front yards: blight. I made a right turn onto Harvard Avenue; blight lost a well-fought battle to an attractive building adorned with signs that have words like “peace” or “love” painted on it. A warm message, “love never fails” greeted me on the entrance door; it was love at first sight. I knew this was a place where the community met to interact with each other on an emotional and spiritual level. I could feel its presence from the moment I walked in. I felt it when the other volunteers took sincere interest in me and asked me questions about my life. This was really a place of “Caritas” which is Latin for “love for all people.”

Public art pieces by local artist Frank d Robinson, Jr.

“Are you hungry, Sara?” Wayne, a regular volunteer in the kitchen asks me as I walk into the Village for my internship.
“I already ate but thank you,” I reply shuffling to a nearby booth, ready to start on a new article for the newsletter.
“How has your day been?” Wayne asked.
 
“Good, thank you.” Wayne always takes sincere interest in me. Every day he always asks me how my day or weekend was and if I'd had lunch yet. He cares about everybody that walks into the Village and he treats everybody the same. He asks me the same questions he asks homeless men who walk in off the street.
 
Lee is a regular at Caritas Village. He is in a wheel chair and was homeless for twenty years. He is a recovering alcoholic and was bounced around to different foster homes when he was a child because his parents were abusive. Lee believed what his parents and other people said about him, which made him bitter. He ultimately hated losing people all the time, which was what led him to leave homelessness behind and ask for help. His friend told him he wasn’t going to enable his homelessness. He told him that if he wanted to continue to be homeless, that was fine but he could not continue with their friendship. He told Lee if he wanted to get off the streets, he would help him get situated into society. While he told this story in detail, he gave me the image of himself in a West Memphis hotel room, on his knees, praying for God to help him with his decision. He left the streets behind for good that night, October 1, 2007. His friend helped him get situated into an apartment in Midtown and he has been off the streets for almost seven years. Currently, he lives in the Caritas Village Community House and loves his roommates. Lee is a Marine and loves to sing, laugh, and play cards.

Lee

“I have the Cadillac of Scrabble boards,” he says.

“I don’t believe you,” I say in my usual sarcastic tone.
 
“Here,” he shows me this unbelievable blue Scrabble board. He opens it up, it’s made of plastic and draped with perfect plastic squares that hold the letters in place so they won’t slip of the board.
 

Caritas Village

“That really is the Cadillac of Scrabble boards.”

 Despite Lee’s rough past he still continues to smile and make people laugh. He says Caritas Village is a real community and is one of the best places in Memphis. Lee regularly eats and hangs out at Caritas. He plays cards with volunteers and his fellow neighbors He says people really care and are concerned about your well-being. Lee has taught me that one should never give up. Even in the darkest of times it is possible to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and continue on.

Caritas Village is full of colorful individuals from the neighborhood that teach you about fancy Scrabble boards and how one can always manage to smile despite their dreary past. The volunteers teach you about kindness and what it means to truly serve everyone. The Village is welcoming and full of life. “Caritas” means love for all people and this place has it. I want to save the world. I want to live in Caritas.

About Me: Sara Swisher, Media Intern

Caritas Village has opened me up to different lifestyles. I have come into contact with people that haven’t had the same advantages as me and those who have dedicated their lives to service. These various perspectives make me think about my own life path. I have always felt uncomfortable picturing myself in a “traditional” lifestyle. I don’t like the idea of pursuing a career solely for money and not to develop as person. I want to learn about other people and help society. The people I have met at Caritas Village have helped me feel comfortable with wanting to help others. I want to preserve the environment, educate kids, and eliminate violence. I want to save the world. I want to live in Caritas.

My name is Sara Swisher and I am 21 years old. I’m a junior at Christian Brothers University studying English Education with a minor in Sustainability (Environmental Studies). I want to teach high school English or write for a non-profit. I am interning at Caritas Village because I want to develop my professional writing skills, grow as a person, and receive an English credit from my university. My duties as the media intern is to blog (of course), write and construct the monthly newsletter, and update Facebook. I grew up in Bartlett in the same house and was around the same people for 18 years. I was sheltered and believed that everyone had the same advantages and beliefs as me. Even in college, where different races, religions, and economic classes now surround me; I still feel like I’m around people who are like me. Even though we are different in some respects, we still have the same vision on how life should be lived and we're all on the same general path in life:

 Degree+career+marriage+kids+retirement=happiness

Caritas Village has shown me diverse lifestyles and people. This blog is an opportunity for people to experience the diversity and good work of the Village. Mainly volunteers run the Village’s kitchen. The kitchen only hires a couple of residents from the neighborhood. Artists often donate or display their art at the Village. After school programs for neighborhood kids are ran by volunteers from Theatre Memphis. Various art clubs, bible study groups, and a medical clinic host their events at the Village. Welcome to my digital flipbook of the Binghamton Community Center Caritas Village. I hope to inspire people to learn from volunteers and community members by telling my story of how these people impacted me. I hope this blogs inspire you to change the world and live in Caritas.

 

Our friends from the Indian Community Fund for Greater Memphis

The Indian Community Fund for Greater Memphis art project!, Making Holiday Greeting Cards!