By Rylee Dang
December 9, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SYRACUSE, N.Y.-“When you hear of the American Dream, what do you picture?” Through the eyes of M, the American Dream is a land of opportunity, promise and new beginnings. But for her, the American Dream is in her past.
In honor of M’s experience with her dream, the Make America Dream project is proud to announce My American Dream Is In London, a collection of 20 works inspired by M’s path from Morocco to America, and everywhere in between. This immersive experience will blend artistic disciplines to capture M’s journey, with the audience’s surroundings mimicking the feel of the art on display.
The five rooms will represent each significant location in her life, as the audience accompanies her while she lives in Morocco, Spain, Israel, America, and finally London. Following themes of empathy, understanding and contentment, the exhibit provides audiences a glimpse into this uniquely American experience intertwined with M’s passion for history and human connection.
“It’s the American Dream that I wish everybody had the insight to catch and to make true because it happens, it happened for me,” M said. “Yes, the American Dream has been fulfilled.”
This art experience is centered around Ms belief that she has already achieved her American Dream, and now looks forward to retirement and potentially moving to London to be with her daughter and grandson. She dreams of having a house on the water and spending time with her family whom she has not seen as much as she wishes. While she writes to her daughter every day, M claims her soul is still with them.
M said, “Of course doors are open in the United States for everybody, it’s amazing… You can live a bit of a rich life without being rich.”
My American Dream Is In London will be on display from Jan. 6 to Feb. 2 at the ArtRage Gallery.
M is …
- Female
- White
- Straight
- Middle Class
Author’s Note
Taking the time to dive deeper into M’s story was truly an eye-opening experience on what it is like to be faced with hardships and combat them with love and understanding instead. It was truly difficult to pinpoint what stuck with me the most about M’s experience, as she is one of those people who seems to have lived a thousand lives. However, she had mentioned throughout several moments that while she is in America now, her heart truly belongs elsewhere.
When you have lived in four different countries, traveled the world, and have family abroad, it is difficult to truly settle down when you know there are people out there that you want to be with. M’s dedication to human connection was exemplified in this idea. M is one of the few that claims she has already achieved the American Dream, something she accomplished when she moved to America for her husband’s job and created a happy life here. Now that she is thinking of retiring, M did not know exactly what was next, but when talking about the freedom to go and visit her daughter and son in London when she was done teaching, her face lit up.
While she may have achieved her dream here, it is clear that M now dreams of going elsewhere to pursue the same thing that she wanted when she came to America. She dreams of contentment, connection, and her family, all of which are now in London.