Steven Rhude - Paintings/Drawings

“One believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved” (St. Paul, Rom. 10:10). On October 23rd, 2018 I met and interviewed Reverend Stephen Wade in Paradise, Nova Scotia. In 1978, New Years Eve day, Reverend Wade met and provided spiritual consolation hours before Everett Lewis was murdered. Port Lorne, Nova Scotia, 2013 - a power outage owing to a winter storm. He went out to his garage to start up his generator which was in need of fuel. The power was out and emergency sirens could be heard through out the region. It was one of those winter nights.  I'm reminded of the power of gasoline, my own can stored in a shed ... pull back the plastic lock to release the cap into motion and then turn the cap counter clockwise to expose the flammable agent... did it a thousand times. The odour staining my nostrils, as I eventually fill my lawn mower gas tank to cut my grass and maintain a common, and collective suburban exercise. An im

Re: Emma Smith article Nov. 20th Re: Protesting Viola Desmond’s protest. Considering the response from the   artist. Why should artists mentally segregate themselves from issues of racism because someone claims cultural ownership of a certain historical event? https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/viola-desmond-macgillivrey-law-firm-new-glasgow-roseland-theatre-1.4913059?fbclid=IwAR04Xr5ythx69_X5JfD7d2MTZYauKAAXgHYmT-Pxr_8tobBpxj-pdesmsdg   What message does that send to children of diverse ethnic backgrounds that are being educated in the history and tradition of protest art, who are learning how it adds value to their community dialogue, and may want a better community where they live? It could say “what’s the use,” and only expand an already existing divide rather than help bridge that divide. What seems to be missing from the recent article of November 20th is the art and the message - all of it strongly made through the spirit of Viola Desmond.