Shrine and the Art of Resilience
In times of extreme upheaval—global or personal—can the act of art-making ease suffering and strengthen resilience?
Dear Friends,
For the past several years, Brent Allen Spears, a 50-something, self-taught artist from L.A. who is better known as “Shrine,” has veered from the path of commercial success, instead showing up in ghettos, war zones, and refugee camps to paint for free — traveling the world to “reimagine the bombed-out, trashed, and discarded” through color and design.
Though Shrine himself deflects the idea that he’s helping anyone, studies have shown that art therapy and other forms of creative expression are healing for severely traumatized people. And while these pro bono, communal art projects can’t change the effects of war and extreme poverty, for people who are “just trying to heal and survive” they can spark a sense of purpose and hope — the seeds of resilience.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading the latest story in our Field Notes section, “Shrine and the Art of Resilience,” written by Melinda Misuraca.
Our Summer issue on “The Craft of Resilience” will continue through mid-July. Each Friday, we release a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, or podcast related to some aspect of our theme. We also try to offer a few stories on other topics each quarter so that there's something for everyone — currently free of charge, and always free of ads. So please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read — or watch, or listen to — within our pages. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Summer 2022: The Craft of Resilience
Given our mounting travails these days (climate chaos, ongoing pandemic, worsening summer wildfires, among others), we're focusing this summer on pioneers who are rising to these challenges. From indigenous people in Mexico who reclaimed their ancestral lands from eco-terrorists, to a highly developed community in Italy that holistically treats addiction, you will meet artisans and innovators who are creating unique paths to help people thrive in our fast-changing world. By mixing ingenuity, tenacity, and hope, these brave souls highlight what might be called the craft of resilience.