Try a Little Tenderness
Holding space for vulnerability, grief, and joy
“In a time of destruction, create something. A poem. A parade. A community. A school. A vow. A moral principle. One peaceful moment.”
―Maxine Hong Kingston
Dear Friends,
Back in 2017, one month after Trump's inauguration, my students, colleagues, and I, in collaboration with the NYC collective Mobile Print Power, launched an exhibition and laboratory space on our campus. Many of us were feeling anxious and afraid for our families, friends, communities, and the world—much like now. The collaboration provided a critical space at the right time for individuals to come together, express their fears, and find hope and power through creative expression with others. "In a time of destruction, create something."
Utilizing a range of media and tactics, we drew out the creativity in our community to ask the necessary, often uncomfortable questions within our educational institution and with the public. We landed on one powerful, potent question: What does a community of compassion, trust and inclusion look like, and how do we build relationships to make that real? "In a time of destruction, create something, a community, a school. "
Holding space with others to summon hope and collective power can feel like an impossible task and inadequate in the current moment. I experience my own feelings of anxiety and often wonder how I responsibly engage in community building with intention and care. My fear is always quelled by the intelligence and creativity of my students. They are generous and brave individuals who recognize that opening up is essential if we genuinely want to challenge our assumptions and devise creative solutions to address the world's most intractable challenges. Opening up sparks bigger and better questions to wrestle with, and positions us to take new risks in moving the work of social change and social justice forward. Sitting with and walking through our anxiety and our discomfort is a critical piece of making the bridge because it encourages vulnerability with each other and builds community trust. "In a time of destruction, create something, a vow, a moral principle."
I am inspired by students and artists who are imagining and claiming new spaces of activism (at all scales) and creating a culture of care. I have witnessed my students' empathy in action, as well as their sincere expressions of love and care. Prioritizing time for self-care and care of others in their community is significant, and this includes holding space for vulnerability and grief, as well as joy. Their modest yet mighty demonstrations of care highlight the importance of acts of love and empathy in fostering a sense of belonging and social healing within our communities. We see these same acts of love, courage and collective power on a larger scale in movements like Standing Rock and Black Lives Matter. There are many powerful models and teachers we can learn from.
Our individual and collective actions of creativity, care and resistance are needed now more than ever. Write your poem, participate in a protest, welcome the stranger.
"In a time of destruction, create something. "
Another world is possible.
Studio News
Reflections in Black
Photographs by Sean Alonzo Harris are included in the landmark exhibition, Reflections in Black, A Reframing at The Center for Black Visual Culture, NYU Tisch School of the Arts in New York City through December 21, 2025.
Reflections in Black: A Reframing. Curated by Dr. Deborah Willis, this exhibition accompanies the release of the 25th anniversary edition of Willis’ internationally acclaimed publication Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present; the first comprehensive history of black photographers. Reflections in Black: A Reframing showcases the profound visual archive Black image makers have established since the late nineteenth century, and expands upon the publication’s first iteration originally published in 2000. Reflections in Black: A Reframing includes modern and original prints and extends Willis’s pioneering effort to reshape the narrative of American history, by centering the indisputable aesthetic, political, and cultural contributions of Black photographers from the 19th century to the present.
Through both historical and contemporary lenses, Reflections in Black: A Reframing foregrounds a sweeping visual archive that affirms Black self-authorship in image making, spotlighting the evolution and enduring vitality of Black photographic practices.
Workshops at the Studio Storefront
Work with Elizabeth at the Hinge Collaborative studio storefront in downtown Waterville. Fall workshops include tetra-pak drypoint, chine colle and relief stamp printing on up-cycled clothing. Learn more about workshop offerings and sign up here.
Tender Table BIPOC Night Market
Big shout out to our friends at Tender Table! It is an honor to work with this group of artist organizers and participate in their annual Night Market at Congress Square Park in Portland, Maine. We had the added honor of designing the poster and it was a joy to work with my daughter Enrica Jabar Harris on the artwork. Thank you to our extended studio community for the support and collaboration.
Who We Are
Hinge Collaborative is the artist team of Séan Alonzo Harris and Elizabeth Jabar.
Growing up we experienced the power of art as a place of refuge and an expression of our true selves. We both spent time in after-school arts programs with teachers and mentors who showed us that art-making was our first voice, a way to be seen and communicate with the world. Making art unlocked our purpose, gave meaning to our lives and provided a space for joy, healing, community, and pathway to our future.
After 30 years of experience in making, exhibiting, teaching and public engagement initiatives, we opened a creative studio to share our models and strategies for socially engaged art and civic action. Our creative practice includes workshops, exhibitions, participatory projects, limited edition prints, photographs, and community partnerships.
Stay in touch!
https://www.hingecollaborative.com/