Art and Politics and Good People -- January 28, 2017

The "Art and Politics" salon took a slightly different format from previous events; it was more like a roundtable. Using Michael Hopping's incisive and provocative introductory comments* as a springboard, the discussion took off like a rocket and didn't stop soaring for two solid hours. What a privilege it was for me to be in the room with such keen, articulate people, all of them with fascinating, richly thought out ideas. With everyone's careful attention to each other, good humor, and adherence to the subject matter, the sense of community and mutual respect in that room was palpable. I daresay we all gained insights we'll be processing for some time.

Because the subject was not limited to one of the arts or one political viewpoint, but covered the relationship between art and politics in general, and also, no doubt, because of the charged political atmosphere currently in our country, more people claimed a seat at this event, and did it earlier, than any before it. Microscopic though our theater may be, it accommodated everybody just fine. Some new friendships were begun, and some old ones cemented more strongly than ever.

*Mike's introductory remarks will be available as a booklet at future salon events.