By NANCY WILMOT
We are so blessed to live in our little community. There is so much to be thankful for here, and it doesn’t take a lot of work to find it.
We all know that it is easy to focus on what is wrong, dark or negative. This voice seems to be the loudest in the crowd. It is a voice that is charismatic and has magnetic power to pull us down.
With practice, though, we can muffle the sound of the negative and tune our dial to seek out the good and fill the spaces with the brightness that shines all around us.
So, to help you find the station that can bring you a dose of brightness, I thought I would take you along with me to visit the annual Peeps Exhibition at the Library Arts Center in Newport.
The thought of an art gallery probably conjures up thoughts of people silently musing over photography, paintings created with oil, watercolors, charcoal or pastels. The Library Arts Center is currently in the midst of hosting the Black and White Exhibition that artfully covers the walls.
People could be seen gazing at the masterpieces that make up this exhibit silently exclaiming the talent of the artists. However, there is no contemplative silence today at the Library Arts Center.
The usual silence is broken by the most beautiful sounds of giggles and squeals of joy. Newport is also privileged to be hosting one its most unique forms of art created using those marshmallow Easter treats known as Peeps.
Some, myself included, might say it is the only proper way to use Peeps because they are definitely not fit for human consumption. These creative, imaginative artists range in age from little children to adults.
The themes are as varied as their ages. Some have chosen movies, books, current events, sports, politics, and everyday activities to use as the scene for these marshmallow treats to bring to life.
Each scene, like a painting, is given an appropriate name such as “Peepidents in the House,” “Peepicorns are Real,” and the “Periodic Table of Peeps.” Adults roaming around the tables are whimsically yearning to create a scene using the medium of marshmallow art next year.
As I stood there taking in the entire scene, the most amazing visual was the smiles on every person in the gallery. For a moment, people allowed themselves to just have fun and be filled with the joy that art brings to our souls.
Today the negative noise was muffled and replaced for a time with the sound of joy. Maybe together we can all re-program our stations along the way and consciously look for the good. Who knows where our journey will take us. The joy will be in the journey that will unfold.
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