Founded by artist LeAnn Siefferman, Making Conversations is an ongoing dinner series in which participants sit together at a large dinner table eat drink and talk about issues that effect us today. In cooperation with The Dinner Party Project the topical dinnerware is transformed into an intimate, private dinner party experience… with 12 strangers.The dinner was held in a very unique space, 1010 West Church Street in Paramour near the new soccer stadium, it’s an old airplane hangar that has been converted into a venue.

A large industrial wire spool was set up as a table and plates, all designed by LeAnn were on display. The topic for this evening’s dinner was climate change. The pates themselves addressed the issue. For instance one plate had a graph on it that showed the CO2 levels in the atmosphere over thousands of years. Thought the levels rise and fall over the centuries, the recent spike is ominous and unlike any spike from the past.

Another plate set the tone for the evening, it said, “I will listen, I will be open to your ideas. I will hold space. I will ask thoughtful questions. I will reflect before I respond. I will examine my story. I will look at both sides. I will seek the source of my beliefs. I will come to the table to learn.” The plates reflected LeAnn’s thoughts and he interpretation of information she has gathered on the subject of global warming over the years. Some people at the table were professors who acted as moderators while most were curious open minded people. The moderators were there to answer questions and prompt new ones. The goal l was to learn, listen, share and grow.

LeAnn spoke about each plate before dinner was served. She explained that we see the world through lenses. We interpret the information and project it back out into the world. That process is effected by our experiences, boundaries, religion, society, family, culture, fear, and genetics. Instead of projecting outward, perhaps the conversation could illuminate inward as we seek the source of our stories and understand where they came from. Guests each picked a plate, carried over to the table and dinner was then served.

The catered dinner looked delicious, flowers were arranged as the centerpiece, and the wine flowed. by the time I finished the sketch, the conversations were still heating up. These type of conversations on specific complex issues, by people from different communities, will help us find sustainable solutions for a more sustainable future. The goal also was to understand other peoples belief systems, to listen understand and look for answers. If we are to survive as a human race, we need to start reaching out and connecting.