WHEN WORDS FAIL, CAN ART PROVIDE AN ANSWER ???

By Dr. Hans Guggeneheim

WHEN WORDS FAIL, CAN ART PROVIDE AN ANSWER ???

Yes, it has for thousands of years.

Whether by guns or by knives, in Connecticut or in China, violence against the defenseless has become routine, but even when it reaches a level of horror that forces the President of the United States to speak out, school administrators may decide to hide events from their students. We understand their desire not to frighten or to panic young children although we disagree with policy of not discussing horrific events such as the Newtown slayings in classrooms.  In our experience the only defense against fear is knowledge, and we believe that this holds true for any age and any level of understanding. Silence may lead to new disasters. On Dec.19 an incident was reported about an eleven year old at the West Kearns Elementary School in Fox Lake City, Utah  : "He pulled out a gun and he put it to my head — me and my friend — (and) said he was going to kill us," Isabelle Rios told KSL. "I told him I was going to tell, but he said “If you tell, I'm going to kill you.”

Young children may not easily find words to cope with traumatic events which may reach them in uncontrolled way through the social media or via older siblings and classmates.  Information about the death of kids their own age will be especially traumatic, and they may not have the courage to talk about their feelings.

We therefore urge teachers and even parents to discuss the problem of violence with their students or children and to provide them with paint and paper so that they can express their inner feelings, overcome the trauma, and face their future without anxiety.

If we at Projectguggenheim can be of any help to you in this task, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

To avoid having children make illustrations of violent killings, the goal of helping them work through such crises could be met by suggesting themes such as:

What makes you feel Safe?

What makes you feel strong?

What can you do to help others who may need your assistance?

In response to Newtown shooting

By Dr. Hans Guggenheim 

The continuing massacres by the mentally deranged of both adults and children in the United State is having a traumatic effect on young students in our schools. In response to the most recent tragedy an effort is an effort is on the way to help the victims of the Sandy Hook Connecticut Elementary School by different organizations which provide counseling activities locally and we are listing them below for your information.

However, the impact of the Sandy Hook killings is far reaching and Projectguggenheim would like to encourage Elementary Schools to help children cope with their fears by giving them an opportunity to express their feelings, their compassion and their anxieties by drawing or painting. Creating art can provide the means to cope with emotional stress caused by shocking news of children killed, kids their own age with whom they readily identify. The resulting art works could be exhibited in the schools ,forwarded to the Sandy Hook school as an expression of sympathy, or auctioned off to raise funds for the organizations listed below which I found on the web.

Local mental health professionals and aid organizations are stepping forward to help those affected by the tragedy.

Police reported that at least 27 people, including 18 children, were killed Friday morning during a shooting at Sandy Hook elementary School in Newtown, according to the Associated Press. Officials identified the gunman as Adam Lanza, 20, who died at the scene, CNN reports.

As the shocked community begins to mourn, a number of organizations are prepared to help with counseling services, bereavement therapy and blood donations.

Find out how the area’s nonprofits are getting involved in the relief effort and how you can help: 

Newtown Youth and Family Services 
Newtown Youth & Family Services, Inc., a nonprofit mental health clinic, will be open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for emergency counseling for families, community members or staff involved in the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy. All donations made to the organization will benefit those affected. Find out how you can help here.

Newtown Parent Connection
The Newtown Parent Connection, a nonprofit that addresses issues of substance abuse, also offers bereavement group counseling on the first Wednesday of every month. The organization told The Huffington Post that it’s going to try to bring in additional counselors to accommodate the needs of those affected by the Sandy Hook shooting. Find out how you can help here.

The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross of Connecticut immediately responded to the shooting scene and provided more than 50 units of blood platelets and plasma to the Danbury Hospital, where some of the victims were transported, spokesperson Melanie Pipkin told the Huffington Post. The aid organization has also distributed food and water to first responders and is setting up a family reception center that will provide initial grief counseling. The aid organization is not seeking blood donations at this time and doesn't anticipate any additional need. Learn about how you can help here.

Lecture at Plymouth State University Dec. 3

PLYMOUTH — An internationally renowned art educator and anthropologist will speak at Plymouth State University's Smith Recital Hall Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. as part of a lecture series on artists and war. Dr. Hans Guggenheim's presentation, War in Art: Connectomes and Synchronicity, is the first of four presentations by Dr. Guggenheim. During this first presentation, he will be examining how artists have expressed their perspectives about war from the 17th century to present using Goya's Disasters of War as the centerpiece.

Dr. Guggenheim has also loaned PSU a variety of works from his personal collection as part of the Disaster of War series that will be on display from Dec. 3 through Dec. 21 in the Karl Drerup Art Gallery. 

Guggenheim's lecture and the Goya print exhibit is part of a series of events organized by Plymouth State University Deans Dr. Cynthia Vascak and Dr. Trent Boggess. The Hans Guggenheim Lecture Series includes one presentation each Fall and Spring semester from Fall 2012 through Spring 2014. 

Guggenheim, whose family fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an Associate Professor of Anthropology and was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard's Center for International Affairs. A respected artist in his own right, he also produced an acclaimed series for Life magazine in the 1950s, travelling through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Japan. He later founded Project Guggenheim, which provides opportunities for young artists and encourages innovation as well as continuity for ancient art traditions, throughout many countries including the Peoples Republic of China, Tibet, Mali, Guatemala, Israel, Tonga and Macedonia.

( resource from the laconia daily sun )

Lecture and exhibition at PSU