offthebeatenpath
A Letter to Palestine: We have Failed you!
Dear Palestine, At times, it pains me to think that in your world, we might seem like mere shadows. My heart aches as I acknowledge the profound failures of humanity, the wounds inflicted upon you that may be too deep for forgiveness. They’ve seized your land, torn apart your people, and subjected you to air, …
Orientalism: The Imitation Or Depiction Of Aspects In The Eastern World By Western Superiority
“Arabs, for example, are thought of as camel-riding, terroristic, hook-nosed, venal lechers whose undeserved wealth is an affront to real civilization. Always there lurks the assumption that although the Western consumer belongs to a numerical minority, he is entitled either to own or to expend (or both) the majority of the world resources. Why? Because …
Beirut’s Holiday Inn: a symbol of the Lebanese Civil War
Today April 13, marks the 46th anniversary of the beginning of the Lebanese civil war, and the abandoned Holiday Inn Hotel is one of Beirut’s war landmarks. This 26-story building officially opened in 1974 when Beirut’s economy was booming and when Beirut was one of the most visited touristic centers of the Middle East. The …
Empowering Students To Become Innovators & Creative Thinkers Through Art
Not one of the artists we report on was born a fully-fledged creative. Their individual bodies of work stem from education, whether that education is experiential or formal. An early exposure to the arts is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child; it expands their minds and unlocks new insights that wouldn’t …
Building A Bridge In A Divided Community Amid Spike In Tourism Industry
Mural festivals are a powerful force in today’s artistic era. They can be divisive or unifying, because street art is a facet of placemaking, a sort of ‘face’ each community presents to its residents and visitors. As such, concrete mission statements from festivals must guide this force, and those missions determine a community’s tone. Akumal …
REWILD By Escif: A Rewind Symbol To Reconnect With And Respect The Earth
Spanish artist ESCIF has teamed up with cultural initiative Splash and Burn, curated by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic and coordinated by Charlotte Pyatt, for their latest endeavor, titled REWILD. This ambitious, multifaceted project is centered around a stunning land intervention, supplemented by murals, and culminating with a short film. The entire project is inspired by …
Opening Lines: Connecting 2 Groups Of 5th Graders Living 7000 Miles Apart
One Blue Sky, a new educational project launched by Laura Rodgers of The Good Works Foundation, has officially completed its first endeavor, titled “Opening Lines” with the help of Michigan-based street artist Pat Perry and Samantha Robinson of aptART. As we reported in May, a statement from the One Blue Sky staff explains that “through the …
Conflicting Forces Within A Rapidly Changing Lynn
In January 2019, we ran an article highlighting the role that street art can play in aiding the nefarious forces of gentrification, oftentimes set into action by greedy corporate land developers. We told this story specifically through a lens focused on the role that the new Beyond Walls mural festival has played in a rapidly transforming …
Kindness Through Greenery: Street Artists Icy & Sot Aid Asylum Seekers at Moira Refugee Camp
The story of refugees in the Greek islands has faded from headline news, yet the humanitarian crisis is far from over. The underlying factors that led to more than 1.8 million people to come to Europe since 2014 are still very much a reality, and unless the conditions in their home countries improve, people will …
One Blue Sky: An Art Intervention That Aims To Instill Within Children A Shared Humanity
Later this month, the end of May will not only usher in the summer season, but also the beginning of a new educational art endeavor brought to fruition with help from Samantha Robison, founder and director of aptART. One Blue Sky is a new project by Laura Rodgers, Director of The Good Works Foundation. The …
The Lost Art Of Caring
The story of refugees in the Greek islands has faded from headline news, yet the struggle and suffering continues. Mainstream Europe have stopped caring about the crisis and in effect have stopped caring for their fellow humans. In an effort to revive the art of caring and improve the environment where children seek mental and …
Marhaba, welcome!
There she sat right across the table from me in Arafat’s old soap factory wearing her black hijab and dress bursting out with absolutely no hesitation at all “I’m tired of life”, it’s clear to me that it’s something that’s been on her mind for a while. I freeze, can’t speak, the only thing in …