Behind the Gates Part II

This is the second in a series of musings from my friend, Yer Vang, who helped put The Gates in Central Park.

Friday, Feb. 11

I think I figured out how to sum up this whole experience:  It's just like summer camp.

While eating our fabulous meals from a buffet-style cafeteria, I turned to my fellow teammates and realized that this just like camp. We even have an "end to the gates dance" on Sunday night at some cheesy club off of 14th Street. It has an open bar, so I guess that part of it is not so summer camp-ish. But I do feel like our little cabin has come a long way, and as much as The Gates is this beautiful visual experience, I think it's also about the relationships formed in all of our willingness to make this artistic vision come to life. I think we are always on a constant search for this connection, whether it be a small moment connecting with one person or a big moment of coming together with a group of people and building 7,800 gates for Central Park. We live for moments like these, like standing in the middle of the dance floor and feeling everyone groove to the same beat, the feeling that beyond all of our differences there is that one moment of synchronicity. It's wonderful when we can allow art to do this for us; I live for these moments.

Even though I'm seriously in pain, and Bengay has really become my best friend, and I'll probably be getting up at 6am without an alarm for the next week, and my next paycheck will be cut in half, it was so worth the experience, especially tomorrow when we unfurl the fabric.

...  I hope you all are finding moments of inspiration, especially in these times.