The Big Bang Supernova Popheart Rainbow
This Labor Day Weekend we will celebrate Sundance for the 19th time in
as many years. Though I didn’t start producing an "official"
Sundance painting and print until 1996, I have always been responsible for
the themes—so you can blame me for the tongue-twisting phrasing of the
last few years. Almost always the themes have been tied into my current
artistic endeavors. This year is the first time that the theme of Sundance
and the Sundance painting title have been one and the same—The Big Bang
Supernova Popheart Rainbow.
As an aside I must say that a few of my favorites include: The
Super-Duper Ultra Iridescent Rainbow Revolution; Rainbow Revival (jump,
shout, hallelujah, jubilation in the house); The Divine Order of the Wings
of the Cosmic Rainbow; and, of course, last year’s The Unspeakable Joy
of the Razzle Dazzle Rainbow Show.
This year’s convergence of theme and title is noteworthy to me
because I believe that its message—which is ultimately about creative
solutions for restoring balance and increasing love in the world—is
especially needed right now. Will our community coming together to dance
at Sundance make a difference to a world torn by war, disease,
environmental and natural disasters? Who can say? Maybe the love and joy
we create among ourselves can be spread further than anyone imagines—or
perhaps I should say, as far as we all can imagine when we put our minds
and hearts together.
Sundance for me has always been a wonderful paradox, both a wild
celebration and night of frivolous fun, and a rite of passage that is
almost a ceremonial experience. Coming as it does on Labor Day weekend; it
is a doorway connecting the last week of the high summer season with the
approaching time of harvest. I love that ceremonial quality because we
live in a world where ceremony has lost its magic. I certainly can’t
speak about the needs of others, but I, for one, long for a little more
mystery and magic in the world, and relish every opportunity to experience
more.
The real magic of Sundance, of course, is its people. Rehoboth Beach is
an amazing community that connects people up and down the East Coast and
beyond. The people who gather for Sundance represent a wonderful cross
section of our town and its surrounding communities. Just look at the
enormous list of Sponsors, Supporters, and Hosts listed on pages 6-7. Add
to that the many volunteers it will take to produce the event and all the
people who will come to the event—gay, straight, young and old—and the
connections will run for miles. I’ve always felt that the Sundance
spirit traveled with us long after the event had come and gone.
Back during the fifth (and seventh) Sundance I wrote a little piece I
called Rainbow Dancers. I asked Steve if we had ever published it before,
but neither of us can remember—which certainly doesn’t mean that we
did or did not. I guess if we can’t remember no one else will either—and
it really doesn’t matter anyway—so I’m including it on the next
page. Like this year’s painting, it too is about the restoration of
balance in the world around us and the intrinsic order that is a part of
the structure of a rainbow.
Sometimes I feel like everything I do, everything I paint, everything I
write, all the events, CAMP Rehoboth, Sundance, all of it, is one single
piece of art—which, of course, for me, it is—the art of my life. As we’ve
pointed out with our HeArt of the Community projects, "art" is a
part of "heart," and when we share our hearts (and our art) with
one another, I believe we can make a "big bang" in the world
around us.
I certainly can’t explain it and don’t even want to try, but
Sundance is always a little magical to me—and I hope it always will be.
Murray Archibald is Founder and President of the Board of Directors
of CAMP Rehoboth, and an artist in Rehoboth Beach.
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