We Paint! Little Italy; Toronto, Canada

Site: Intersection of Crawford Street and College Street, Toronto
Time: 2:30 pm-5:00 pm

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It was a slow Sunday in Little Italy when we set the stage for "We Paint" this afternoon. Passersby were consistently streaming past the corner of Crawford and College, making for perfect "We Paint" conditions!
Our first participant volunteered immediately when asked the question "do you have 90 seconds to share?", setting a positive tone for the rest of the afternoon. After him there were those who wouldn't look our way as they passed, others who pleaded that they truly did not have the time to spare, and those who set aside 90 seconds and picked up a brush.
A variety of artists worked on this painting from experienced painters to first-timers. Across the board it seemed that people were able to work most effectively when they considered themselves as the owner of the canvas during their 90 second artistic opportunity.
A five year old boy stopped to make a scene while his father acted as the painter's assistant. A woman who had not painted before stopped, and a woman who told us that she dreamed of having her own easel and canvas had the chance to live out a bit of her fantasy.
One gentleman who was hesitant to stop at first, lingered long enough that it seemed silly not to participate. When he finished his work he remarked emphatically, "I am glad I stopped (to paint)...it's inspiring". I hope he went on to do things to inspire himself and others later in the day. I hope we all did.
Today's beautiful collaboration is just more proof that it only takes a little bit of work from those willing to spare a moment, to make a significant difference.
Special thanks to Maita and Naoko for great work in documenting today's event.

We Paint! Bryant Park, New York City

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Site: Bryant Park, New York City
Time: 3:45- 5:45 pm
Contributors:
Benny Goldman, Ariel Zipkin, Mollie Zipkin, Zach Pollakoff
(*I did not have a sign up sheet for contributing artists at this event. If you contributed and would like to be added as a creator of the work, please write your name on the comments link below)

We Paint is back in North America! Thanks to Zach who was the official 90-second timer of the day as well as a fine participant-grabber.
Setting up in Bryant Park seemed to assure us that we would attract a wide variety of New Yorkers and out-of-towners, and certainly a midtown location should draw a number of business men and women. We had a great start with a group of art students who dove in hands first, followed by others who were mostly more reluctant at the start. Amongst those who are more inhibited in their art practice, a common thread is the growth in the level of their comfort once the brush is in their hand and the paint is spread across the canvas.
One woman in particular made me feel that the project was doing its job. She almost passed by the site without noticing the canvas at all; she seemed to be deep in thought in a far off place. When asked to paint, she snapped out of her other world and into this one. She was glad to paint, grabbed a brush dipped in red paint, and made a seemingly small contribution to the canvas. Nonetheless she walked away with a smile and with an expression on her face that said "I am here".
It is these moments that remind me of the importance of the one a day moments in every individual's life experience.

We Paint! Damascus Gate, Old City, Jerusalem

Site: Damascus Gate of the Old City, Jerusalem
Time: 1:30 pm- 3:30 pm
Contributors: Ardea Vinuegopd, Mhomad, Julio Delgado, Raed Almouhtsb, Razd, Dina, Asil, Jubril, Alaa Obeid, Hassain Al Kaissa, Aea Dwak, Ibrahim Sandlouka, Katia Birs Kefa, Mohammaed Hawash, Hane, Aaleh Arejibi
Click here to see more photos.

The Damascus Gate of the Old City in Jerusalem is better known as the bustling East Jerusalem entrance to the city, and is typically highly populated by Arabs. The primary-color-washed canvas was set up on the lowest platform leading outward from the gate. Though it was a hot day, those of us female facilitators wore long sleeve t-shirts in order to show respect to potential religious painting participants.
The flow of interest was consistent and controlled as the first hour of painting proceeded. We had a diverse gathering of participants ranging from South American to Indian, along with locals. There was a noticeably larger amount of men than women who were willing to paint, and by the second hour there was a sizable crowd of young boys (along with a handful of daring girls), surrounding the canvas.

As more people gathered around and the kids realized it would take longer for them to have a chance, the group began to crowd the painting so that there was barely any space between the canvas and the front row's noses. An older man who also wanted the chance to have a chance, turned his walking stick horizontal and pushed the line back. I continued to ask the group to take three steps backward until I made my best efforts to do the American thing and line up by number. After I numbered the group off, everyone insisted that they were in fact number one.

Soon enough the kids had abandoned the line and were grabbing brushes and paints, sloshing the colors around on the canvas as they pleased. While I appreciate the process of this painting and perhaps its portrayal of these young boys and their culture, I knew that it was time to pack up.

We Paint! Jaffa Gate, Old City of Jerusalem, Israel

Site: Jaffa Gate of the Old City, Jerusalem
Time: 2 pm- 4 pm
Contributors: Jackie, Andrew, Chaya, Smen, Yischar, Daniel, Yitzchak Meir, Alyatt, Mohammad, Andrew, Audrey Thomas, Dominique Young, Harel Gabai, Paul Sass, Maya Tobias, Rachel Ellison and other anonymous artists

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Today "We Paint" went to the Old City of Jerusalem, a holy site for monotheists everywhere, to add a little more color to an already vibrant place.
On the technical side of things I decided to take some good advice (thanks, Tuvs) and made a wash of color over the white canvas before starting both "We Paint" projects set in Jerusalem. In my opinion the results were most definitely favorable. Artists were much more daring with their approach to the canvas, were more willing to layer their color over previous works, and were not reluctant to paint to the edge of the canvas.
Above: Before participants began

The crowd today was a great mix of locals and tourists, children and adults of all ages, and believers of various religions. While the Jaffa Gate is typically the main gate Jews use to enter the city, it is used by people of all faiths and backgrounds. The project is now able to attract a good variation of people with invitation signs in 3 languages (English, Hebrew, and Arabic). I am hoping to have more as time goes on. One challenge that comes with the language barrier becomes evident when artists paint words on the canvas that I cannot read. Jerusalem is obviously a highly political atmosphere with a population of Palestinian/Arab and Israeli/Jewish civilians living side-by-side in apprehensive peace.
Though the nature of "We Paint" is peaceful and good-hearted, it is also open-ended to the point that it can be manipulated in negative ways. One man emphatically explained that he painted "Palestine" in Arabic. Then later on when a religious Jewish teenage girl painted the words "מוות לערבים’, meaning "death to Arabs", I was able to decipher the Hebrew completely. Feelings of shock and even embarrassment fell over me for a moment, knowing that someone from my culture would make such a mark on our shared canvas. This, however, is a part of the process of the work. Everyone is able to make their own touch. Such is art. Nonetheless, Maya's turn to paint came conveniently after this hateful marking, and she healed it up with colorful green and purple stitches of paint (see photo above). Overall the project was a success today. Thank you to all who took a moment to make a difference. Special thanks to Maya Tobias and Paul Sass, who joined me on the trip to make the "We Paint" Jerusalem tour!

Above: the final product
More photos coming soon!

We Paint! Darfur Refugee Center; Tel Aviv, Israel

Site: Darfur Refugee Shelter, South Tel Aviv
Time: 2:30-4:30 pm
Contributors: Ali Abakar Ishkary, Babiker S., Bhareldin Nueueu, Babiker Mohammad Osman, Mohamed Abdula Adam, Noureldin Adam Haruun, Abad Abdulskuhuor, Adam Ali, Atba, Adam Muhammad, Arbab Gumma, Muhamed Bakara Salle, Ali Abdula Ali, Adam Ahmed Adam, Yhaya Edmas Hammid, Sailk Uhaya Knaff, Colombo, Hamed, Maya Tobias, Rachel Ellison


Today's We Paint was much different than any other before. Maya works with a group of people who teach English to the refugees who have escaped the dangers of life in Sudan, and who have usually spent some time detained in a prison before reaching Tel Aviv. A substantial number of men live in this apartment-sized cluster of rooms. Without citizenship and waiting for worker's permits, they sit around most of the day playing cards and speaking with journalists who meander in and out, until they can change their individual situations. The group at this shelter seem to care for one another as a pack of brothers. They support one another and make eachother laugh in spite of their distressing situation.

We set up the canvas in the main room, whose perimeter is lined with about 30-40 mattresses where residents sleep at night and lounge in the daytime. Before we finished setting up, the first artist was ready to paint. Noureldin Adam Haruun was the guinea pig who continued to direct the subsequent participants in a narrative work. Midway through we stopped for an explanation of the story. The men explained that the painting told the story of how these men reached Israel; leaving their burning villages, escaping Egyptian prisons and gunshots, and stories beyond my imagination. When the canvas seemed to be full, the men asked me to paint, so I added the first splash of color-- a ribbon of blue and purple. While the day began using only a cool color palette, the reds and yellows were introduced later. This and the flipping of the canvas at different points were new elements.
While more refugees will keep entering already crowded shelters like this one, it is hard to know what to do first to help these people, and there is a lot to be done. Considering their plight, the group seems like a motivated group, willing to work hard to create a new life for themselves.
Click here to see more photos.

We Paint! Yafo; Israel

Site: The Flea Market in Yafo (Jaffa), Israel
Time: 12:30- 2:30 pm
Contributors: Maya Tobias, Zoe Jordan, Oded, Tuvs, Adi M., Rita, Saloom, Kfir, Demssie Habte, Guy, Mel from Australia, Maoz, Rachel Ellison, Had, Issac Kirman, and several more anonymous artists.

Yafo is an ancient port city mentioned as far back as the Bible. One of the first port cities in the country (not to mention in the world), today it is a part of the municipality of the much yonger city of Tel-Aviv. In Old Yafo you can find enchanting walkways filled with art galleries and great views of the port. We Paint was set up in a much different part of town: the flea market. This is a place where one would certainly go to make treasure of someone else's trash. There are areas where goods and antiques are sold; the spot where we set up is full of private vendors who spread their sale items across blankets on the ground so that shoppers can browse and bargain. It's a casual operation. The artists of the flea market were an active bunch, with many passers-by who stopped to make their mark on the canvas.
Special thanks to Tuvs and Maya who helped me out today and to Kefah Hesgmeh, the midwife who showed me how to write my sign in Arabic.


Keep painting out there!

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P.S. This We Paint was conducted today in honor of the birthday of Jeremy Louis Guttman!

We Paint! Circle of Health International

Site: The first Circle of Health International Middle East meeting, Mindy Levy's birth center at Moshav Bet Lechem G'lilit in northern Israel
Time: While I usually ask for one minute and thirty seconds from We Paint participants, these women were free to paint as long as they wished from Thursday evening until Friday afternoon.
Contributors: Tia Pinsky, Haleema Badran, Kefah Hesgmeh, Polly Hyams, Jehad Sabbah, Gomer Ben Moshe, Seham Shamasueh, Hilary Kirshenbaum, Naomi Noe, Sahar Jolany, Manal Mousa

The project seemed to be a good outlet for the ladies, who spent a lot of time thinking about heavy topics in meeting periods. This was a way to experience a moment of freedom. I am also excited to say that I now know how to write "Please Share a Moment of Your Day" in Arabic, so I will be able to invite a more diverse crowd to paint at my next public "We Paint" event!

We Paint! Dizengof; Tel Aviv, Israel

Site: Dizengoff Square. Tel Aviv, Israel
Time: Friday, February 22, 2008 from about 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm
Contributors (while I have some names listed, I am missing quite a few. I am almost certain I mis-spelled names as well. If you contributed and do not see your name or you have a correction to make, please contact me at ellison.rach@gmail.com):
אור ולך, אלירז אורטס, תמר מרכס, נורית עמיר, ירון פרז, Ronny Hayman, צחי חכמון, Amior Badash, Liran , Sivan, Mira, Dalit, Amnon Bar-cochva, Noaam Blum, Amit Gross, Ruth Roveh, Ariel Zipkin, Amanda Hasten, Gene Dolgin, דויד ש , Adam Samuels

Welcome to Israel, We Paint!
Today was a great testimony to how I hope We Paint will be received as I begin to develop the project outside of the United States. It was a beautiful and lively day in the center of Tel Aviv and many passersby were willing to become artists, spending 90 seconds of their day contributing to the canvas. A group of young children were quite taken by the chance to paint and wanted to take out more time from their days than 90 seconds, so we had to start a mini painting for them. Each individual has a different approach to the canvas and I enjoy the beginning when the canvas is empty enough to make a completely original mark. I especially love to see when people can see a "full" canvas as a work in progress, and throw away their inhibitions enough to participate even when it looks like there is no space for his or her work. Everyone's work is important. This element of the project is symbolic of something that is essential to the quality of our lives as a whole: active participation. May we all participate actively and thoughtfully in the moments of our lives.
Thank you to those participants who made We Paint Dizengoff a great success!
Shabbat Shalom!


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