View from new house to old house..

Images of the new house:

I was really inspired by William (Bill) Christenberry's lecture today. It got me thinking about my relationship with my own past/present and memory, loss, decay. This is a topic is close to me recently. My family is moving out of my childhood house. The weird part is that we are moving to the backyard, to a brand new just built "beautiful", big, "practical" house. This has been a hard transition for my family because not only is our old house my childhood home, it is also my mom's childhood home, and has been in the family since the early 70s. Our old, rusty, victorian house is filled with memories. For my mom and I, the character lies in the house's imperfections, because thats where the stories are. So, this impeccable new house, unfortunately, does not feel like our home, it feels like a hotel. The worst part is, we will have to watch other people living in our old house. But, its just a house right? Its just wood, plaster, paint. This idea of objects having their own lives, having histories, and being containers for events, memories, emotions, and feelings even after the moment has left is something I am fascinated with. I want to show this relationship between this immense attachment to our personal histories through this transition. I am interested in documentary, and find it may be a good way to create relationships with others around this idea of "home". What makes a home a home? My ex boyfriend and good friend of mine is going through a similar transition with his childhood home, it is a different situation but is equally as bizarre. His family owned the smallest house in my town, actually making it somewhat of a historical landmark. While, people made fun it's petiteness, everyone who spent time inside of this house grew to love it, About 3 years ago his mom was killed in a car accident that he was also in. As an offering of support, a neighbor of his was moving out of his medium sized ranch house and out of an act of pure kindness offered to donate his house to the family. They ended up knocking down their home, and moving the house to their lot..the old man's old lived in ranch house. I want to investigate these sorts of stories, because, i feel like losing a home is a death of sorts, but more of a metaphorical death and that is very interesting to me.

I am in the middle of moving!
not only that but my parents are in the middle of moving!
and I'm trying to get ready to teach on Saturday!
Overwhelmed.

I want to talk about the artists role in society.
How do I connect the work I do to my outside audience?
How do I use my passions to connect to the the community?
How do I get students engaged in their communities?
Where is the line between art and life? Is there one? Should there be one?

Does art give us the opportunities to empathize with differences? How?

These are all questions I'm raising to my students, but also questions I need to deal with as an artist myself.
I'm having a hard time connecting the things that I am passionate about with outside causes.
I feel this need to help my community, to become an active citizen of the world.. because I truly believe that art is the best way to change, and can become the most effective weapon in battling injustice.

So,
National Foundation for Cancer Research Breast Cancer Fund America's Second Harvest Global Health YouthAIDS Doctors of the World - USA Pro Literacy Worldwide Wildlife Trust Prevent Child Abuse America Environmental Defense Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation Amnesty International Best Friends Animal Society International Child Art Foundation National Alliance to End Homelessness Youth Advocate Program Kids Can Free the Children Medical Research Agencies of America Child Welfare League of America Transplant Recipients International Organization Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. Brightside for Families and Children Downtown Skaters Health, Peace, Joy, Happiness People of Peace World of Peace PEACE Kids Starry Night Children of the World Children of the World.

Where do I start??

How do I narrow this list down to find something I really can put myself into? I dont have cancer.. I'm not homeless.. How do I put the amount of passion I have for the things I love into a topic that doesnt have to do with me?
I think I need to make it more personal..
maybe there is someone I can talk to that has been abused, or maybe I can go and talk to a medical researcher, these types of relationships will help to make the distance between the subject and I more real..
I figure since I am giving my students this same assignment, I should also be making art for a cause..so i can go through the same frustrations and successes along their side.

My next project for this class is going to be for a cause. I'm just not sure what that is yet.