The wine flowed freely on Aug. 22 at the cell theatre.
No, it wasn’t an evening of drunken merriment, although there certainly was merriment. The wine was free, as were other beverages and a delicious spread of delicacies, all in celebration of the members of Artists Without Walls.
It was a night of conversations between old friends and new. Early AWoW member Annette Homann returned from her now-home in Berlin and her many friends were able to catch up. Annette also performed with Danny Weller, Shu Nakamura and Artists Without Walls co-founder Niamh Hyland, a preview of their wildly successful show that would take place the following night.
As AWoW Member Marty Plevel said on Facebook, “Thanks again Charles R. Hale and Niamh Hyland for all you have done and will continue to do for all of the artists and other members of the Artists Without Walls community and The New York Says Thank You Foundation and the foundation’s Stars of HOPE initiative. You truly are making a huge difference. Love is stronger than hate! #LoveWins #HopeProvidesTheLight.”
The Artists Without Walls Anniversary Celebration was a night to connect and reconnect, to laugh, to enjoy incredible live performances (of course, it’s AWoW!) and an emotional reminder to Artists Without Walls members, from all corners of the city, the nation and the globe, that Charles R. Hale and Niamh Hyland created something unique, powerful, empowering, eminently enjoyable and positive in Artists Without Walls. If “membership has its benefits,” the benefits of Artists Without Walls are far too numerous to quantify. To quote Marty Plevel, “Love is stronger than hate; Hope provides the light.”
On August 22 at the cell theatre, love and hope were the natural themes.
