The Powerful Me Project

 

 The Powerful Me Is based on the poem written for my students 11 years ago for my book What is My Priority? With this poem, it was an anthem For my students to declare themselves powerful individuals. Funded by the city of West Palm Beach is art in public places, the public art project the Commons awarded me and 14 other artist in Palm Beach County the opportunity to execute public arts during Covid time.

This project is to allow people to answer the open ended questions by challenging people around the country on #snapchat #tiktok & #instagram .

Sponsored by: West Palm Beach Art in Public Places (AiPP)

Project assistance by: Medium Four & Gerry Johnson Signs

The Powerful Me

(The Children’s chant)

I am Powerful.
I can provoke change in the world.
I will not allow you, or anyone to stand in my way, to my goal of positivism.
I am an educated and a powerful being,
and you cannot stop me;
The Powerful Me.

Curated as a Response to Social and Civil Injustices to Black & Brown People

How Do We Move Forward? Virtual Preview

Photo & video credit Cultural County for Palm Beach County

My RFQ was Accepted by the City of West Palm Beach

READ THE ARTICLE

Selling your Art online

Alumni influence during Covid 19 Pandemic

CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL Where boys and girls with dreamsbecome men and women of vision! Dear Spellman Family,  It is with great pride that I announce the launching of Spellman Spirit, a pilot storyline series providing updates about how our community is shining bright during these trying times. Spellmanites carry a sense of service and compassion that is unmatched and unrivaled. Each act of kindness and selflessness, further strengthens my unwavering commitment to see Spellman weather the storm of the COVID pandemic.  The goal of Spellman Spirit is to broaden our reach within our existing community, with the hope of expanding to a larger audience using our social media channels. We want to reaffirm that we are indeed "Spellman Strong". Our community has performed countless acts of kindness during the past several weeks: from donating hot meals to frontline workers; caring for family members during their last moments; buying groceries for those under quarantine; praying for the sick; patrolling the streets to ensure our safety; and simply getting up each day with the dedication of maintaining a sense of normalcy - whether via homeschooling or teaching remotely.  Spellman Spirit is comprised of four storyline panels: Food Forward, Healthcare Heroes, Community Courage and Spellman Strong. In an attempt to leave you feeling inspired and make you smile, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the following trailblazers. Healthcare Heroes Peggy Brennan Lynch '86 is Nurse Practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer for 30 years. She was moved from her regular position in Urology to Employee Health. There she has been clearing Sloan’s employees to return to work as they recover from the virus. Corey Williams '94 is a Nurse Practitioner at Westchester Square Hospital, the designated COVID-19 hospital in The Bronx. Due to the nature of his work, he was able to care for his Aunt, Marilyn Joyner, in her last moments after she tested positive for the virus. May she rest in peace. Corey is also the uncle of Olivia Barrios-Johnson, star of our postponed Aida production and member of the 2020 graduation class. Here, Corey is seen on the unit opening a box of donated hot meals, provided by Nick Mancini '10 & Posto 22.  Community Courage Fr. Luke Leighton, CFR, Assistant Spiritual Director at Spellman, along with the other clergy working at St. Anthony Shelter for Renewal in The South Bronx, have been pillars of hope. From providing meals and daily Mass to the homeless men quarantined at the shelter, to handing out bags of groceries to local community members in need, they are living examples of what it means to uplift those who are less fortunate.  Together, let's carry forward this new tradition at Spellman, where we share inspiring stories in an effort to uplift each other during times of crisis. This project will serve as a reminder that we care for one another's well-being as a community of faith. We want to hear from you! If you have an inspirational story to share, or just want to highlight the outstanding work of an alum, please email: alumni@cardinalspellman.org* andwrite "Spirit" in the subject line for a chance to be spotlighted in our next update or featured on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages. Let's continue to take care of each other! In Christ, Daniel O'Keefe President and Principal *All stories should not exceed 600 characters and must include the name and graduation year of the alum, his/her job title and place of employment (if currently employed), and a brief description of what he/she is doing to positively impact their communities. All pictures must be in JPEG or PNG format and sized to 800x600 pixels to be web compatible.  Unsubscribe Cardinal Spellman High School Alumni/Advancement Office One Cardinal Spellman Place, Bronx, NY 10466 Phone: 718-547-4732 FAX: 718-547-5640 Email: alumni@cardinalspellman.org

I Received My First Artist Grant

I am happy to announce that I am the recipient of the Palm Beach County Artist Relief Fund Grant awarded to artists during the Covid-19 Pandemic 

 Thank you for this honor.

For more information about the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, please visit their website.

How did the devil win?

Sometime one does things
not because they believe in it
but because it is simply a request.
One may have doubt in it
but because of respect
they just simply follow thru.

Silence is sometimes truth
when noise is the fibs
of interference in your head.
Sometimes we don't understand
that when we allow distractions in our life
we get dissoluteness & disoriented.
And start missing the true signs
of what is needed.
And then we grasp for whatever
or whoever is there
just because the
what we really need
isn’t instantly available at present.

One thing one needs to remember
Never give your foes ammunition
to defeat you with.
Otherwise you get what you deserve.
‎What kind of signs will it take for one
to recognize a bad mistake?
Often if hints & bluntness doesn’t  work
One  will continue to be blind
& clueless.
Then in the end
the devil has won the battle.

COVID-19 Our New Normal?