CESTA, Czech Republic

I'm still in Tabor. I've really been enjoying staying at CESTA. Enjoy isn't the word. It's more of a creative recharging, soaking up of all that is important in life. CESTA has had in the past couple of weeks a high concentration of wonderfully talented artists and because it is the fall (the summer is evidently super busy) I have had the pleasure of getting to know them. I've been documenting their work, installations and performances as well as interviewing Chris and Hillary about CESTA. It really feels like a creative tribe/family and CESTA feels like a home. Last night The three artists in residence (Candice Lin, Carolyne "Ryder" Cooley, and Bea Whittle) did an installation and performance which started in the town square. Local children brought drawings and we processed down to a candle lit Gazebo in a forested nearby park. Carolyne was dressed in a gothic feather dress she made, with a black veil/hood while and lead the procession while playin her accordian. We then made our way to CESTA where the installation of art was presented. Carolyne played the saw in a room where she draw/engraved buildings from Tabor's square. It was a piece about history, and the history of the room itself was revealed as the layers of paint, plaster and wallpaper were revealed. CESTA was originally a grain mill, built in the early 1900's, it then became low income housing during the Communist era for poor romani (gypsy) families. Cesta's current neighbors (a retired Communist boxer and wife who names her chickens before she eats them), who live next door, lived in that room for many years. We sat in that room, with local artists/musicians, surrounded by art, eating apple pie that I made, drinking sosnice (plum vodka) and I couldn't help but feel this connectedness, this sense of belonging, and having a place in the history of those walls and beyond. I know it sounds sentimental, but it was a wonderful feeling and made me realize what home is. It's finding your place and being connected to its roots, to history, wherever or however that may be.

I'm scheduled to leave CESTA on Monday to go to Budapest Hungary. From there I will probably go down south to Greece (and poissibly Romania and Turkey). I want to return here and make more of a contribution, either as an artist or help turn their theater (which is freezing cold) into a livable workspace by installing some form of insullation and dry wall. I'm hoping I can follow through on this as I would love to see this theatre become a reality. If anyone would be interested in joining me on the project, let me know. I'm hoping to come back in a year or so.

I also want to say it's been really wonderful hearing from all my dear friends and getting such wonderful words of encouragement. Things are good right now and this trip is proving to be exactly what I was needing. I'm looking forward to what the next 5 months will bring. I'm learning an important lesson about travel. It is what Rachel, my friend in Edinburgh, told me. She said that "When you travel, people are important...you can see lots of beautiful places, but people really make the travelling possible." That is indeed true.