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Somerville artist Pauline Lim learned while in Tiznit, Morocco, that making a collaborative mural with children-an activity that the painter had always avoided-can be fulfilling, entertaining and educational. "The other artists chided me for trying to control the outcome of the project too much," she said, "But it was true, because I always think collaborative murals end up looking like a chaotic mess. This one did too, but (Cynthia Maurice, a fellow Brickbottom artist) taught |
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m is among a dozen city officials, artists, and other community members who came back from last month's week-long professional development trip in Tiznit, who looks at life a bit differently. The Sister Cities Civic Participation and Leadership Initiative was created by the University of the Middle East (UME), a program based in the Armory building on Highland Ave. UME promotes educational leadership and civic engagement through cross-cultural understanding. This week-long trip was the first official meeting of the two communities as part of |
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the partnership, which UME Executive Director Ray Matsumiya hopes will expand to a multi-year relationship. "This partnership exposes us to all of the ways that the city (of Tiznit) works, from the transportation to the artist community," Matsumiya said. Galia Shokry, UME's senior program manager, added that people abroad are always so impressed by Somerville's diversity. It's powerful what this city can offer to others for partnership ideas. Shortly after landing in Boston after the trip, Matsumiya went to Mayor Joseph Curtatone's office to talk about future ideas, of which he will disclose as ideas formulate. Curtatone attended the trip for an official signing of the partnership with Tiznit City Council President Abdellatif Ouammou. The week-long agenda was packed with luncheons, presentations, visits to classrooms, art studios, and group discussions. Lim was struck by the high level of quality and sophistication in the artist studios. Their work would have looked right at home in a gallery in New York City, she said. The Tiznit artists' painting style was akin to abstract expressionist, which is in contrast to the United States, where narrative art is making a comeback, Lim said. Fellow artist David Columbo, also of Brickbottom, thought it interesting that the Koran (which the Muslims in Tiznit honor) did not depict people, which could lend to the abstraction in their art. A third grade teacher from Somerville came to Tiznit with her students' art. The work was hung in the hotel that the group stayed at. A Moroccan mentioned to Columbo that he was impressed with the huge range of nationalities of Somerville's students. Columbo agreed and thought it would be a good idea to have a show in Somerville featuring the art of Tiznit students. Maurice learned how little she knew about or understand Islam religion and Muslim culture. "Without realizing it, I supported the assumption that we are advanced-superior-because of our technology and that we superimpose our (Judeo-Christian) standards on both Islam religion and their culture," she said "It became clear to me this is a misbegotten and dangerously narrow point of view." She arrived with some prejudices and left with far more questions and a realization of her ignorance. "My personal interaction with Tiznit counterparts and their culture had an enormous impact on me," she said. "I find myself motivated to better inform myself, maybe establish meetings, exchanges with the Muslim community here, particularly Muslim women. I would not imagine thinking this way before I left." Cynthia Good, a Methodist minister from Andover, is also on the board of the Shakespeare Actor's Project, which is housed by the UME in the Armory building. Word about the trip trickled across the hallway, and Good decided it would be an interesting trip to attend. Good prefers to travel in ways where she can connect with the culture and community, rather than just site see, so this trip was ideal for her. She was impressed by the women in Tiznit, who were really dynamic and interesting people. "During our last lunch, our task was to think about what may happen next," she said. "One woman next to me said that she noticed on the Somerville Web site a certain bike race occurs. She wondered whether we could partner in bike races somehow. That idea of thinking about further conversations is how things can grow organically." Ellin Reisner, president of the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership, went to check out Tiznit's infrastructure and water reclamation facility, among other things She also went out of cultural fascination. She was impressed with Tiznit's ingenuity of how the dry country recycles water for agricultural use, and by the electronic rail system that does not pollute the air like our country's system. She appreciated traveling with a civic group that really learned about the culture. "It's very interesting to be in a place where you can learn what life is really like, and not just from a tourist perspective," she said. "When you get to be with people from another culture, it is an enriching experience that we all grow from." Reisner has always been fascinated by Morocco. "In many ways, Somerville and Tiznit are very different, but in some ways, we are not," she said. UME has a long-standing relationship with Morocco. For the past 12 years, the UME has sought to empower the most motivated and progressive secondary school teachers of the Middle East, North Africa, and the United States through professional development and exchange programs that equip teachers with the skills and knowledge to broaden their prospective horizons. "In general, I was impressed by how earnest everyone was," Lim said. "I think of Somervillians as having a streak of irony, of having their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks. The Moroccans, while quick to smile and laugh, were definitely not silly." By Julia Fairclough | |
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