The months following the First Anniversary / Winter 2012 issue have been an interesting and challenging time. 

aaduna Inc.’s commitment to professional development and creating viable platforms for our contributing writers and artists to reach wider audiences prompted us to secure programmatic specific grants.  In late March, aaduna enabled poets Cyd Charisse Fulton and Tamara J. Madison to participate in the 11th National Black Writers Conference convened in Brooklyn, NY as a professional development opportunity.  In early April, Fulton and Madison delivered an afternoon of poetry and spoken word to students, faculty and staff at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, NJ as our National Poetry Month recognition.  Based on their overwhelmingly well-received presentation, campus officials invited aaduna to return to the College in April 2013. 

On June 1, 2012, “aaduna at The Seward House Museum 2012” convened as a First Friday celebration and exhibition opening reception.  You may recall that aaduna’s initial presence at SHM was in October 2011 when we presented readings from five writers and exhibited a representative sample of the artwork published in the aaduna galleries up to that point in time.  For 2012, aaduna primarily focused on the artwork of emerging artist Marisol Landers.  (Her images are in this issue’s Borders Gallery.)  Her solo exhibition will continue at SHM through the month of June. 

Writer and poet Christine Green will read at the Center at High Falls Art Gallery in Rochester, NY on July 22nd as part of the opening reception for the “Thick and Thin” art exhibition.  Moreover, with preliminary plans to present other contributing writers and artists throughout 2012, aaduna recognizes the funding support provided by the Sovereign Foundation.  As far as our long range planning, aaduna will celebrate the centennial of the passing of Harriet Tubman with a premier poetry event on March 10, 2013.  As some of you may know, Harriet Tubman, an American hero, lived, died and found her resting place in Auburn.  It is only fitting that we bring truth to her legacy through the written and spoken word.  I will share additional information on this celebration in my September message and hope that some of you may venture to the Finger Lakes region of Central New York to celebrate with the City of Auburn community.      

The aaduna Board of Directors continues to play a pivotal role in our organizational development, strategic planning and program initiatives.  Their advice and counsel enables aaduna to stay committed to our Mission and philosophical objectives.  Lisa Brennan, our visual arts editor, continues to identify avenues to make our blog, www.aadunanotes.blogspot.com and the journal more attractive and user friendly while she works with the visual artists whose work grace the galleries.  We also appreciate the work of contributing editor Rosemary Blake who joins Keith Leonard and a few others in providing a calm and supportive spirit to what we do. 

This issue (once again) presents writers and visual artists whose work finally found publication via our pathway.  aaduna remains on task with that goal and continues to welcome new, emerging and established writers and visual artists whose work captures the complexities and idiosyncrasies of humankind while motivating readers to think critically, observe and share their comment on the human condition.

Stay creative.
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