An Exhibit of Diversity, Community, Humanity and Environment
|
Nova Starling and AARTII's Founding Board
VISIONARY PROJECT This Visionary Project began by chance with Ed Moses' portrait. Telling the story of his work in fusion inspired the use of a nebula, the birthplace of stars whose fusion is similar, in the background. While developing the composition in Photoshop, I made his layer translucent over the nebula layer in the background. When inspecting it, I zoomed into his eyes at high magnification and was struck by the sight of the stars coming through his eyes from the background. This was an aha moment for me. I thought at the time, "This is all of us, fully integrated with our universe, both merging into and emerging from it." The idea came together in what seemed like an instant, to paint a series of Americans, visionaries, men and women of diverse cultures whose careers have had global impact and who share a universal vision of humanity and nature. I knew I would paint them as if they were partly translucent emerging from yet fully integrated with the universe. I would use two light sources, one on the body and another on the image representing their focus. Their eyes would look at yet beyond the viewer in order to take them on the same journey. I would find star formations sometimes associated with legends that I could use as their background image to help tell their stories (see each artist comment.) I planned to put these portraits together as an inspirational package along with resources on-line so young people could find their own heroes and in the process define themselves. Young people have so much to deal with these days. When the world seems a crazy place, what can empower them is a belief that they can make a difference and by taking action. I searched for 6 more people to fit the profile, that is, people who dedicated their lives to improving the human condition. I wrote them, detailed my plans and asked if they were interested in participating in my exhibit. These were all very significant and busy people with remarkable achievements, recipients of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, Life Achievement Awards, headed international organizations and projects of great size. I really didn't expect anyone to reply. But they did, within a couple of months. And I thought, 'the doors are opening so easily; I really have to take this project to completion!' I have visited most of my subjects, recorded our interview and photographed them for the eventual composition, then created the painting. What I absorbed on meeting my subjects was a sense of their space, their passion and focus, mannerisms, energy, nature, tone, presence. I had studied their lives, read their books, watched their videos, knew their work and accomplishments beforehand. I brought all this information with me when I started their painting. During the process of painting, I studied every subtlety of their facial features, their hands, their posture. By the time the painting was complete I felt I knew them like an old friend. It was this process I used to create the lesson plans that act as a roadmap for young people to guide them on their visionaries' journey as they find their hero, their passion and their purpose. I share the story of the Visionary Project for young people to know that if they have a dream, one that is not so much about their success but about doing something significant for others, if they keep talking about it, people who can help them achieve that goal will hear them and the doors will open for them. In the meantime, they will meet a lot of really nice people and their sights will be raised higher and higher to the unlimited possibilities of their own life. BOARD |
|
 Nova Starling President & CEO |
Art has been my lens to focus on and investigate aspects of the world that interest me. When making my initial career decision, I knew what I wanted most at that time was to understand how things worked and how they were made. That curiosity led me to a functional art & design curriculum and the creation of objects which involved fabrication and casting metals, also textiles, ceramics, glass and wood. After receiving an MA in Design from UC Berkeley, I spent much of my career designing articles for the gift, accessory and apparel markets. Always having been drawn to Asian art principles and architecture eventually led to the recent creation of a Japanese Teahouse and Garden. I started painting after I moved to Livermore. I have seen art and design have remarkable impact on a person's state of well being. It can in a Zen sense touch the deepest part of their psyche before the brain has a chance to make a judgement based on learned survival patterns. That's how I see this Visionary Project, as helping young people make a connection from their hearts to their hands, to their ability to create a new vision for the future. They create a tangible feedback loop that can help focus their thoughts.
|
 Bob Woerner CFO |
Bob started his career as a laser physicist, transitioned into business and has over 36 years of experience in the banking, telecommunications, business consulting and the energy utility industries in a variety of leadership roles. For the past 10 years he has leveraged his professional experience to help the City of Livermore and recently retired as Mayor.
|
 Ruth Gasten Director |
My parents and I were Holocaust refugees who escaped from Germany in 1939. Because we had no resources, my mother and father convinced me that the way to have a “good life” in the United States was by getting educated. I believed them and did well enough in school to get a university scholarship.
As I learned more about community needs, I became involved with the Student Education Loan Fund over 50 years ago. It gives no-interest loans to Livermore high school graduates who want to get post high school training. They don’t need to have good grades or plan to go to a university. If they want to become mechanics, plumbers, or hair dressers, that’s fine.
|
 Mary Beeve Director |
A native Californian, Mary fell in love with writing poetry while attending Cal State Hayward where she received her B.A. in British and American Literature. A published poet, Mary’s passion for the written word has grown throughout her 16-year career of tutoring English students of all ages. The last 10 years she has focused on teaching ESL Conversation classes to help her students learn the ins and outs of our challenging American English Language. She believes if she can instill the love of reading and writing in her students, it opens the door to living richer lives. Mary’s desire to pass on her love of learning aligns with AARTII’s mission to inspire students to find their voices through the arts. Service in community has been an important aspect of Mary’s life, and she has volunteered as a literacy tutor at the public library and as a baker for Culinary Angels, another nonprofit organization that delivers meals to people with serious medical challenges. Mary’s other lifelong enjoyments include Qi Gong, yoga, meditation, soul collage, baking and studying poetry and Buddhist spiritual teachings. Mary also enjoys singing in the Asbury Faith Choir, which she joined in 2019, and which welcomes people of all faiths and all walks of life.
|
 Tasia James Director |
Tasia was born to very bright, loving, yet eccentric parents who spent their money on travel, not belongings. It was a big, noisy family with five kids and always lots of guests. Summers were spent traveling, often to impoverished parts of the world. From the age of three until the sixth grade, Tasia was treated for a speech impediment. She had to teach herself to read. She was diagnosed as hyperactive and so her parents always gave her plenty of room to run and play. Tasia’s childhood experiences made her thrive and inspired her to a 30-year career in education, teaching diverse 7th and 8th grade children with a variety of needs. She believed in spending private time with each student, inquiring and listening to stories about their lives. Students responded to her enthusiasm, and it was a real high for her to see the students so engaged! Her classes were structured and democratic with no double standards. Courteous behavior to everyone was the rule.
|
Ben Hance Advisory Board |
Ben is General Counsel & Head of Strategic Transactions at DroneDeploy. He studied at St. John's College in Santa Fe, NM, where he read the Western classics and developed a deep appreciation for the value of a liberal education. Ben received his law degree from Yale Law School, and worked in New York, London and Houston before finally making the Bay Area home. Ben has a lifelong love of music and the graphic arts, and enjoys drawing, painting and playing guitar with family and friends. He is a great believer in the power of art to engage and educate people, especially young people, and he is excited to help Nova further this valuable project. |
