Your Art, Your Voice Chawky Frenn

My art is my voice. Art and life intertwine as they inform, nurture, and uphold one another. Instead of talking in general terms, I will share with you how my life influences my art, and how my art expands and deepens my life. The arts are bridges between cultures, races, religions, and classes. There is no line where life stops, and art begins. One of my fundamental beliefs is that people have more in

common than differences. To be human is at its core the recognition of the humanity of others. The arts transcend barriers that divide us and weave a tapestry of common aspirations and mutual wellbeing. Where politics divide and conquer, art brings us together and heals. The fullness of the arts resides in the diversity of expressions, functions, and meanings. Chawky Frenn received a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 1985 and completed his MFA at Tyler School of Art of Temple University in 1988. He had exhibits in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, and Paraguay. He participated in museum exhibits including the Hoyt Institute, Housatonic Museum of Art, Erie Art Museum, Arnot Art Museum, in US and Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunstin Aachen, Germany. He received critical acclaim by the New York Times, NY ARTS, Art New England, Washington Post, Boston Globe and others. Frenn is the author of 100 Boston Artists and 100 Boston. His work appeared in 100 Artists of Washington, D.C., Male Nude Now, Encyclopedia of Arab American, and a monograph Art for Life’s Sake. In 2017, Frenn was awarded the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Awards in India. He is Associate Professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.