Good/ Mourning, Thanksgiving
I still want to torch 2020 on a big ol’ bonfire, but I’m a little shocked to realize The Worst has not happened (yet). I know many people are in mourning for various reasons, which has me conflicted about the few bright spots.
“Janus: Value” in the collector’s home. Photo courtesy Korey McLeod.
On the one hand, I’m thrilled that “Janus: Value” now lives in Washington, DC, at the home of Korey McLeod. Actually, that collage wasn’t even in my solo show at Morton Fine Art. But after visiting the gallery, Korey found it on my website and asked if it was available. I’m deeply grateful for the support, especially during the pandemic.
Credit: All My Relations podcast/ Instagram
Speaking of COVID-19, the virus has claimed more Indigenous (and Black) lives than in any other group. So family gatherings with people outside your household are not a good idea; neither are public events critical of Thanksgiving. This year Un-Thanksgiving at the University of Oregon, the annual Sunrise Gathering at Alcatraz Island and the National Day of Mourning all went online.
Credit: Gregg Deal/ Amplifier.org
Understatement of the year: What a bittersweet holiday. For those who can access it, a Zoom gathering might help to ease the separation. But I think old-school phone calls, to share the good and the bad, might be better for me in this exhausting year.
Riding the second wave of museum closures
Thank goodness art museums are reopening! Now I can see the new Barbara Earl Thomas exhibit — oh wait…
[bitter laugh] Just kidding. Coronavirus rates are spiking again and we’re under a second stay-home order until at least mid-December. When one door closes…
If you’re art-starved and longing for The Before Times, search my blog for posts tagged “museum,” including:
Parents’ Day Out with me (and without the kids)
“Double Exposure,” contrasting portrayals of indigenous people in the Northwest
In the meantime, I guess we put museum visits on the raincheck list of restricted activities. ‘Raincheck in Rain City’ thanks to the ‘Rona. Ha. We are not amused.
New work: What's another word for 'waiting?'
Hi, kids! Today, “When” is our Word Of The Day. When will we get a handle on the coronavirus infection rate? When will my kids be able to go back to school? It’s like being suspended.
Nobody’s done anything wrong, but the kids are essentially banished from school.
You could even say remote learning is supposed to cushion us from spikes in the COVID-19 infection rates, like a suspension system reduces the impact of outside shocks.
Now that we’ve settled into a “class time” routine, my kids are doing okay and I’ve carved out enough studio time for a new collage. At first, “Suspension” was going to show the teacher, students and the schoolhouse right-side-up.
Lisa Myers Bulmash, “Suspension,” collage on paper
But flipping the image captures the surreal nature of school in the Upside-Down more accurately. I’m still working on a way to visualize my kids’ isolation in a new way, though. I think they (and I) are getting out of the habit of being around people who don’t live with them. Which brings us back to the word of the day: When will they hang out with their friends again, without having to be pried out of our house?