Sometimes two perspectives are better than one, one of the many ways that art helps make meaning for event attendees.
I’m using this space to talk about art. Not only is it the topic of our cover and CMP Series in this issue, art has been a distinguishing feature of every cover of Convene since the magazine’s early days, and we’re halfway through our 40th year.
Illustrators who convey the message of our feature stories based on our brief start out with sketches, bringing the final to life in color. I’ve always been in awe of this creative process — while I make sense of the world in words, artists make meaning visually.
The artist for this issue’s cover, Ellyx Martinez, has beautifully captured in one illustration the essence of what we explore over 11 pages — how art resonates with us. I love that Martinez has painted illuminations in the center of each person, like they are carrying the art they’ve experienced in their being. Who better than an artist to understand that when a painting, illustration, sculpture, or other art form touches us, it hits at an emotional level. It’s not just something we turn over in our minds.
There isn’t just one person in Martinez’s illustration observing the painting alone. We found those we spoke to echoing a similar thought: The best art experiences are communal. Which is why art belongs not only in event spaces but yields benefits when woven into conference programs — whether participants are actively observing art or creating it themselves, art helps break down barriers between them. It gives participants something to discuss that goes deeper than pleasant chatter. Hearing how someone else experiences art opens your mind to other possibilities.
We often see the same thing differently, which was recently brought home to me, literally, when my husband and I set out to wallpaper our powder room. We had picked out an oversized and flowy flora and fauna print, with no immediately recognizable pattern to match up the sheets when pasted next to each other on the wall.
One-half of a butterfly regularly appeared on the right edge as we unrolled the paper, but I didn’t see its missing set of wings on the left side. I was looking at the leaves, flowers, and insects through a two-dimensional lens. My husband, however, could see what the wallpaper designer intended. Instead of looking for matching wings, we needed to line up the next roll of paper so that the butterfly was brought to rest on a leaf. Only one set of wings was meant to be visible. I needed someone else to help me see the butterfly, and the art, in a third dimension.
Gains in Green
Four years ago, Mattel released a series of four Eco-Leadership Team Barbies — you’ll recognize the chief sustainability officer as the one in a chic pink suit. A BBC article described the dolls as “a cultural bellwether,” reflecting the trend of women in sustainability leadership roles.
In this issue’s Ascent, Deputy Editor Barbara Palmer turns the spotlight on two women executives at different global companies who are leading sustainability efforts related to live events. She also takes a look at why there’s a gender gap when it comes to sustainability — in this arena, there are more women than men in the C-suite.
