Portrait Unveiling Celebrated With Art, Music, Theater, Literature and Speeches
I often speak about the shift to a culture of nonviolence, a society in which artists, teachers, scientists, political leaders, writers, thinkers, and everyone replaces the typical focus on war and violence with a celebration and affirmation of the power of nonviolent alternatives. In this culture, books movies, music, paintings, etc. uplift a different kind of heroism and popularize effective tools for dealing with conflict – like boycotts, strikes, restorative practices, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and much more.
On Sunday, May 4th, 125+ people had a remarkable experience of this world. Seventy-five of them gathered in the beautiful, circular hall of the Bay School in Blue Hill for my Portrait Unveiling in Robert Shetterly’s Americans Who Tell the Truth series. Another 40-50 people virtually joined the in-person crowd that included my mother, sisters, niece and nephews, college friends, peace colleagues, and even the weaver I apprenticed to as a teenager.
Eight large portraits – just some of the 280+ portraits in the series – lined the walls: Edward Snowden, Kathy Kelly, Jeannette Rankin, Ida B. Wells, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pauli Murray, and Joanna Macy. Their eyes – and inspiring examples – watched over us, their beautiful paintings honoring how they worked for peace, truth, racial equality, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and social justice.
The local bookshop, Blue Hill Books, set up a table and sold only novels that affirmed peace and nonviolence. Imagine if this was the case on every bookstore shelf. (If you’re local, the bookstore has my books on its shelves. Go get some!) Nearby, the Americans Who Tell the Truth team offered their books, mugs, posters, and tee-shirts affirming heroes who stood up for change.
Artist Robert Shetterly spoke about how we met and why he decided to paint my portrait. (And it wasn’t just because red hair is so fun to paint.) My good friend Sherri Mitchell moved us all to tears with her eloquent words about our collaboration on Love and Revolution Radio, the power of changing the narrative, and the gift of being alive to do one’s heart-work.
Bay School teacher Scott Springer introduced five of his students who had adapted one of the short stories in The Adventures of Alaren into a theatrical skit. Swiveling in our seats to view the stage, the students reenacted this tale of mourning war, rehumanizing conflict, and using nonviolent action to stop a king from charging into battle. To see these words come to life – to be given voice – through these young people brought tears to my eyes and sent good shivers down my spine. This is why I write my stories.
Rob and I pulled the cloth off the portrait (cue my waterworks again). It’s a humbling thing to see yourself through an artist’s eyes, to be immortalized through paint, and to be added to this impressive series full of the most amazing people I know. When I spoke, I felt the weight of what it means to tell the truth – especially in these times. Here’s an excerpt of my speech:
“Look at these portrait subjects … they didn’t just tell the truths that were popular and appealing. They told the truth when everyone hated hearing it … and sometimes literally shot the messenger. Truthtellers are always more popular in hindsight. For our job is not to say the emperor looks so handsome in his new clothes, or even just that the emperor has no clothes. Our job is to ask: why do we have an emperor at all?”
Watch the livestream recording
or listen to the podcast version by local radio station WERU (best audio quality).
The gathering concluded with a very moving gift of music. Songwriter Aro Veno traveled all the way from Vermont to get us singing along to her original song, Like the Dandelion, inspired by the novel, The Dandelion Insurrection. Check out Aro Veno’s music on SoundCloud and here’s a live version from the coast on Maine – with a local dandelion. (It did not translate to the livestream well, so be sure to listen to it at one of these other links!)
It was an extraordinary day of celebrating in art, music, theater, literature, and speeches. Being included in the Americans Who Tell the Truth portrait series is one of the greatest honors of my life – and one that I shall strive to live up to. It’s humbling to stand alongside all of my heroes, both past and present, and deeply inspiring. My profound gratitude goes out to Rob and team, and all the people who made the unveiling so very special. I encourage everyone to explore the portrait series:
Here is my portrait and bio.
Check out the portrait gallery of 280+ truthtellers.
Find books, posters, prints, mugs, and more on their store.
For an afternoon, we were immersed in what it will feel like to live in a culture that celebrates nonviolence, nonviolent action, and social change in art, music, theater, literature, speeches, even in clothing and coffee mugs. It’s the world I live in … and the world I’m always trying to welcome more and more people to step into.
May we all live in a culture of nonviolence,
Rivera Sun
Look at this! Some great people in Blue Hill are starting a tiny house co-housing community … and they named their street after my novel! I’m so honored and thrilled. I saw the sign on the way to the Portrait Unveiling and wondered if it was just happenstance. Then the mother and daughter (who performed in the Alaren skit) came up to me at the end and told me the backstory.
Tom Hastings
says:Wow, what a great tribute, richly deserved. Even as they all honor you and your work, you find ways to honor them. Beautiful. This is how community is germinated and grown. What an honor to know your work, and to know you. Now I feel like I know so much more about the local and regional effects your work is inspiring. Just wait until it all gets up there on the big screen and shifts American culture toward what we can be.