Mavis T. Thompson, President National Bar Association, feted at Salon 53

Tanner, my 5-year-old-upstairs-neighbor, spotted me as I left of Freida Wheaton’s latest Salon 53 soiree.

JGR: “I’m going to a party!” and swirled to show off my coral silk dress.

Tanner: “What kind of party is it?”

JGR: “The kind where you enjoy good hugs, good talk, and good food.” And, wiggling my fingers, off I went.

Freida Wheaton gives the best parties ever! There’s always a lively group of painters, photographers, writers, dancers, arts organization honchos, social workers, and just good folk.

At last night’s celebration Freida’s place was jammed with esteemed members of the legal profession in all its guises. We were there to wish Mavis T. Thompson well in her new post as President of the National Bar Association.

David A. N. Jackson, a multi-talented creative, was there to serenade us with all manner of percussion rhythms. David also designs jewelry, and tells motivational stories for children and adults. We chatted forever about our love and reverence for Ghana’s Adinkra symbols.

Photographers abounded. Lois Ingrum, Katrina Shannon, and Ros Crenshaw, all talented and fascinating guests provided spirited documentation for the event.

Sandy, a lawyer who has worked at state and national levels for policy, and now heads a development company focused on building small communities around housing, shared her similar experiences in caring for our mothers.

Lester Bunton was the featured artist presenting two kinds of work: stylized masks and abstract work reminiscent of Robert Delaunay [French Cubist Painter, 1885-1941] work. (Cf: Homage to Blériot, c. 1914).

I felt that these two types of work could be paired. The mask paintings could be seen not as shielding a persona, but rather looking in x-ray as an inner life as shown on a face. The abstract paintings then could be a rendition of this person’s inner life. I’d love to see Lester B. offer this as a service to make soul portraits…and to display these works as pairs. This is Lester’s soul work, and it shows.

Thanks, Freida for another rich evening with old and new friends all around.