TCM’s First Pop-Up Exhibit!
The Compassion Museum set up its first interactive pop-up exhibit at Boyd Park in Saint Paul last weekend. We are grateful to everyone who stopped by to participate!
From the beginning of the pandemic and in response to ongoing social unrest following the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, we’ve had a keen interest in hearing what’s in the hearts and minds of our community. We wanted to bring people together to reflect on, listen to and inspire each other in a COVID-safe way.
This popup began as a piece of what we hope will become a larger “compassion trail” park installation. We are interested in creating interactive experiences that take visitors on a journey exploring what Goleman and Davidson refer to as the “arc of compassion.” Points along the arc include moving from ignoring to noticing, noticing to empathy, and empathy to compassion. This process involves our senses, perceptions, ability to identify our common humanity, and a desire to act to alleviate others’ suffering.
The pandemic forced us to think about how we might offer interactive experiences to the public in a safe way. We modified earlier designs to accommodate safety protocols. We worked with a local artist, Harper Steinbach, to design boards 3 feet in width to help limit the number of people gathering at one time. Hand sanitizer and disposable chalk also became essential parts of the installation.
Pop-up Exhibit in Boyd Park
One effective way to experience common humanity is through lovingkindness practice. This tradition was given to monks by the historical Buddha to help them connect with their hearts and overcome their fear of enemies. Wishing ourselves and others well helps us become more aware of the fact that we are beings that share the basic desires to be happy, healthy, and free from fear. At the same time, it allows us to recognize and appreciate our differences. For example, each of us is affected by the pandemic and social unrest in ways unique to our own lives and position in society.
It was inspiring and fun to read people’s entries. Common threads in response to the prompt: “What I fear most at this time” included fear of loss, social unrest, sickness, death, removal of rights, and uncaring political leaders. Themes for “What I wish for most now” included desires for racial justice and equal rights, peace, love, compassion, and an end to COVID. People also expressed more ordinary kinds of wishes like wanting a new car and a barbie dream house—reminders that, even during a pandemic, we are human beings who look forward to things that bring us joy—whatever that may be for each of us.
Finally, we wanted to explore with our community what some essential elements of compassion are. Desires for justice for marginalized groups, love, and kindness showed up here as well. So did “looking in the mirror.” Looking into ourselves and reflecting on how we see and relate to others is a crucial piece of cultivating compassion in our world.
We are excited about our first pop-up exhibit and look forward to hearing from and learning more from our community over the coming weeks. We’re scheduling our next stop for Minneapolis and (we hope!) Brooklyn Park and will be posting details soon. In the meantime, please tell us about your greatest fears and wishes right now by participating in our online version at: https://www.thecompassionmuseum.org/interactive-board-exhibit
