 In the 1920’s Gertrude Stein did it in her Paris flat. A few years earlier, Mable Dodge did it on Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Dorothy Parker did it consistently and with great style at the Algonquin. And in 18th Century France, Madame Geoffrin did it during her lavish dinners!
What did this eclectic group of movers and shakers do in so many different places? The answer: they held salons; passionate and lively discussions with a diverse group of people on a wide variety of ever-changing topics.
The original salonists had great expectations that their gatherings would change the world. (And perhaps they did - there is a theory that the French Revolution was actually begun at a late 18th century salon!) Whether discussing literature, politics, art, or events of the day, members of these salons were raising consciousness and elevating the art of conversation to new heights and having a lot of fun doing it.
After its heyday in the 20s, the salon movement died down until the early 1990s when it reemerged once again. Today salons have people coming together to share experiences and trade thoughts on every topic imaginable. They are discovering the unparalleled excitement of a lively exchange of ideas with thinking, feeling people. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in Jackie Lent’s Reel Power experience, where she has taken the concept of salons to a global level.
What began in 1993 as a test market in cafes throughout the New York metropolitan area has evolved into ‘reel time’ tele-salons connecting people all over the globe. Jackie uses contemporary film as a vehicle for raising concsiousness; bringing people together to trade thoughts on popular culture and issues of the day. Her Reel Power Salons encourage people to begin fresh dialogue, while providing a much needed outlet for the ideas we seldom share with each other.
Will today’s salons change the world? Who knows! At the very least—which is substantial, they can initiate contact, rekindle our creativity, stimulate thought and make us better listeners. Talking is the first step toward greater understanding and acceptance of one another. Listening grounds the spirit and enables us to celebrate and revel in our diversity.
So, yes! Salons can change the world—as long as we add our voices to the ever-growing discussion. Now, that’s what we call 'REEL POWER'.
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