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It's time to pound on your homemade drum, climb a tree to harvest some palm wine or, at the very least, dance around your computer. Yep, it's time to celebrate. It's completely official and the paperwork is done. Patrick Gono has come to America.
He was invited by the Dayton Society of Artists as well as their Sister City Association for an artist residency in Ohio, of all places! Dayton is about an hour and a half from my home. (If you need further clarification, that is a public transportation ride from Monrovia to Kakata.) As far as I'm concerned, it's right around the corner and in my neighborhood.
The big question all along was if he could get a visa. Dayton (unbelievably, foolishly) picked another artist before Patrick. That person was denied a visa. So, it became Patrick's turn. He was scheduled for an interview on July 26 and he needed to depart that week. Nobody wanted to purchase an airline ticket for someone without a visa.
Somehow, somebody pulled strings.
It's been three years since I first met Patrick painting a community mural in Zwedru, Liberia. Thank goodness for email and Facebook. We stay in close touch. And, throughout the three years, I've mentored him, supported him and sent art supplies that he just could not get in Liberia. Patrick is an amazingly talented young man with a true gift from God, but he wouldn't have arrived in Dayton if he hadn't met me. It's a humbling responsibility.
And, last night, Patrick had his first art exhibition in the United States. I was so proud to be at his side. He gave a brief statement before the crowd of art-lovers, and it was delightful to see how far he's come in three years. When I first met him, it was several days before I could get him to look me in the eyes. I never learned if it was due to African respect or shyness. But, it was an entirely different young man standing before the audience. He delivered his speech perfectly. I could not have written a better expression of heart-felt gratitude. That's just the kind of person Patrick is.
Patrick had six pieces of art displayed in a small room of the gallery. It was a part of a larger exhibition with other artists also displaying in other rooms. But, it was a very personal moment for the guests as they viewed Patrick's work. The room was too small not to see and talk to Patrick while his work was admired.
When Patrick told one woman that a painting was created from one of my photographs, she asked, "Who are you and what is your connection here?" I spent the next twenty minutes telling her about my visit to Tugbaken in the painting, my murals in Liberia where I met Patrick, and why the warmth in the eyes of Koko (in one of Patrick's portraits) was directed at me. Then, together we marveled over Patrick's amazing talent and how graciously he mingled with the people in the room.
My other long conversation was with a City Commissioner. I told him a tale of Tugbaken that included five welcoming ceremonies, four chickens, a three-piece country cloth African gowning ceremony, two rural villages and my best friend from my Peace Corps days. And from there, we moved on to the Patrick story with murals, mentoring and a bond over the past three years. The only question I couldn't answer was, "Are you a part of this art residency experience for Patrick in Dayton? Why not?"
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So, Patrick has been in Ohio for just a few days. The residency will be most of the month of July. I can't even imagine the surprises in store for him. It was his first time to leave Liberia and his first time to ever fly. Just try to imagine that experience! There will be so many new experiences in the coming 26 days in Dayton. I know that he was extremely delighted to discover ice crem sandwiches. And, while I visited with him, I introduced him to his very first hamburger. But, Patrick isn't the only one about to learn things. WHile in Dayton, he wants to introduce the Dayton Society of Artists and the Sister Cities Association to his style of community murals.
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Everyone wins!
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