Last night the Artventure adventure officially began!! I was treated to dinner by my friend Kevin, and his friend Greta, and we met up in Jamestown, North Dakota. I met Kevin a few years ago on the set of Dust of War, and we’ve been facebook friends ever since. Last night we tried conversation, for real.
This meet and greet was not initially part of the Artventure; in fact, we had the idea just a week ago. I was working in my basement on a painting for the Equality House in Topeka, Kansas, and Kevin came to mind. For those of you who are not familiar with the Equality House, here is a blip from their website:
“For too long, the Westboro Baptist Church has been targeting the LGBTQ community with messages of hate and discrimination. To combat their messages of hate and to support equality and anti-bullying initiatives in schools and in our community, Planting Peace has established the Equality House in Topeka, KS.
Located directly across from the Westboro Baptist Church, the House is a symbol of equality, peace, and positive change. The house, which is painted the colors of the Pride flag, will serve as the resource center for all Planting Peace equality and anti-bullying initiatives and will stand as a visual reminder of our commitment, as global citizens, to equality for all.”
I first learned of the Equality House through Kevin and his facebook postings. I loved everything about their mission, from the charitable aspects to the coy imagination of their founder Aaron Jackson, and of course the simplicity of fighting a ‘good’ fight. I’m not involved in the gay rights movement, at all, but I’m drawn to the Equality House. I need to go there to find out why.
If I go there I need to give them a gift, and I thought and thought and finally came up with a painting, Monsters of Equality. Not the greatest of titles but I love the colors, and I hope the House can use it in some way.
Kevin came into the picture about half way through painting. I kept thinking about him, and the postings that I’ve read about his life on his facebook page. Kevin is gay, and it is not easy to be a gay man in small town North Dakota. I don’t fully comprehend his struggles – I don’t know what gay people go through on a day to day basis because I live in a hole. I’m pretty happy in my hole but out in the world, Kevin is fighting for gay rights on some level each and every day. He only wants to be treated fairly, and respected because he’s a pretty decent guy. Don’t we all?
I contacted Kevin about a week ago and asked if I could donate the Equality painting in his honor. Because of his (facebook) friendship, I’ve been exposed to the day to day life and times of a gay person, something I didn’t have access to as readily before. Of course I know other gay people, but I connect with Kevin on a spiritual level (through facebook), and I feel more clued in to the world than I was a few years ago because of what he has to say.
Kevin was honored to have a painting donated in his name. He suggested we meet up for a photo op; actually he wanted to road trip to Kansas with me to deliver the painting, but since the painting is part of the Artventure project that really wasn’t in the cards. I was happy to meet up with him in Jamestown though, and I got a two for one when introduced to his friend Greta. I enjoy hearing the stories of new friends, and I’m thankful for the evening that we all shared.
I am still not 100% sure why I’m donating a painting to the Equality House – it could be one of those things that just makes sense ‘some day.’ I’d like to meet up with Kevin and Greta again in the fall.. as per usual with interesting friends, one thinks of a hundred questions to ask after the occasion. I asked Kevin if there was anything that he would like me to say to the friends at the Equality House; any special message that he would like for me to deliver.
‘Just keep fighting the good fight’ was his response. ‘Just keep telling the world that God doesn’t hate us; God loves everybody.’ I believe that is true, and after an evening with Kevin, I don’t see how anyone could ‘hate’ him. He seemed like a genuinely loving guy.