The original CAMP Rehoboth mission statement and purpose was created 17 years ago and has remained unchanged over the years since. To the best of my memory, it has been printed in every single issue of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth. For most Letters’ readers, that probably means it was read once or twice many years ago, and then forgotten. It remains, however, the most important guide we have for our organization.

Art and creativity have always been a part of CAMP Rehoboth, and their importance is reflected in the words of our mission statement: "promoting artistic expressions and creative thinking, and giving aid to artists and craftspeople with an emphasis on the works of lesbians and gay men." At every step in the design process for the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, inclusion of gallery space has been a priority. At present, the two ground floor public rooms were designed to function as gallery space. The large multipurpose room to be added to the Community Center in the fall takes it a step further by including not only additional gallery, but performance and meeting space, as well.

In anticipation of the new opportunities and issues we will face in the future, an art review committee has been created, and has begun the process of developing guidelines for individual shows, juried exhibitions, and other activities that our expanded space will make possible. Even in our existing space, which by necessity must remain versatile, we’ve successfully accommodated exhibits like our HeART of the Community previews as well as the work from our Student Art Contest and exhibitions for World AIDS Day.

With my long history with CAMP Rehoboth, I’m excited to say that my annual summer show will be the first one-person show at the Community Center—and will also include the unveiling of the 2007 Sundance painting.

The title of the show is Still Life (in motion). The work in it—for me, and I hope for the viewer—exists on two opposing planes. The objects (flowers, fruits, and hearts) are realistic, dimensional in a defined way by light and shadow. The backgrounds of the paintings are far more abstract, and remain visible through the objects. As human beings we live in a dimensional, defined world, and yet at the same time, in order to understand our world and our relationship to it we must also exist in a creative, powerful place of deep abstraction—a place where intuition, emotion, spirit, creativity, heart, and reason are assembled into the building blocks of our souls.

On the surface, the paintings in the show are much more lighthearted than might seem possible after reading the above description. There is much humor to be found in the show, I think, especially in the "fruit" paintings—Big Fruit (in the family); Fruit (in parenthesis); and The Evolution of Fruit.

I love the word "fruit." It’s often applied to gay people as a derogatory term, and yet when we think about what a fruit is to the survival of the plant from which it comes, it provides a fascinating starting point for a discussion about who we are as gay people, and what role we play in the society around us.

One of the very first poems I ever wrote is called "Pansies and Fairies and Fruit"—and yes, we have published it in Letters before, certainly I’ve written about it before, though not in a long time—and it seems to be an especially good accompaniment to this body of work.

you call us pansies and fairies and fruits
for you too are born of instinct
though understanding may be buried deep
you know our difference
for flowers and fruits
adorn strong stalks and stems
and with unashamed splendor
announce their beauty to the world
and the light footed spirits of the earth
have roamed always where imagination flowed

so to you it may be insult
no injury is made
for though you do not know it
you have praised our very souls

Learning to accept and love ourselves is the first step toward learning to love others. No matter the issue—sexual identity, nationality, race, age, or looks—if our hearts are filled with self loathing for who we are, that loathing will transform into bitterness, anger, contempt and hatred of others. Remember the bitchy self loathing queens in the classic film The Boys in the Band?

I have for a long time now, found my gayness to be a gift. The process of being different has made me stronger and more creative because I love that aspect of who I am. That, I suppose, is why I enjoy being a "big fruit," so to speak.

Another part of the CAMP Rehoboth mission statement that I mentioned above—the most important part because its words form the acronym that makes up the word CAMP itself—is the call to "Create A More Positive" world. The only way we can do that is to celebrate the diversity around us. When we rejoice in the differences that exist among us, we encourage love for both ourselves and others.

Our enemies want us to hate ourselves because they know that hate is self destructive. That’s why Gay Pride celebrations were created and why, though some of us may feel like we’ve moved past them, they are still important.