Bridge of Light

BRIDGE OF LIGHT Artistic Illumination from the Balkans In the east is it said, "between one person and another, there is only light." BRIDGE OF LIGHT, Artistic Illumination from the Balkans traces the important artistic connection between the United States and Bulgaria William Meredith first established decades ago when he served as US Poet Laureate. This bridge has become an important part of his legacy as a teacher, poet and friend to artists. But the bridge continues as a vital cultural institution into the present and beyond. The luminescence which developed among Bulgarian artists and American colleagues continues to radiate years later in the many exchange residencies between the Griffis Arts Center in New London, and the Orpheus Foundation in Sofia, the many art exhibitions in both countries, from Seattle to Washington, from Sofia to Moscow as well as the numerous original publications and translations that have come to light over the years by Bulgarian and American writers. BRIDGE OF LIGHT includes nearly 100 works of art by Bulgarian and American artists who have shared their talent over three decades in this retrospective at the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich Connecticut. During the two-month long exhibit (June 21, 2015 - August 28, 2015), the Meredith Foundation will launch the 2015 William Meredith Award for Poetry given posthumously to Andrew Oerke, a poet who published in Bulgaria and traveled the country extensively with his wife and fellow writer, Anitra Thorhaug. BRIDGE OF LIGHT enables us to take stock of the important work that has been created over the years and serves as a fitting tribute to our beloved famous local son, William Meredith and the many friends who have crossed the bridge he first established between our two countries both coming and going. After his death in 2007 friends came together to establish a foundation to continue his legacy through educational and artistic programs such as this exhibition: WWW.WilliamMeredithFoundation.org First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote a letter joining Connecticut College in a celebration of William's 80th birthday in which she says, "The arts have always been a unifying force in our world, bringing people together across vast cultural, social, economic and geographical divisions. Through his work, William Meredith both enhances and strengthens the American spirit. As you honor Mr. Meredith, you celebrate the timeless power of poetry and poets as our American memory, our purveyors of insight and culture, and express the very heart of what connects us, plagues us, and makes us fully human."