New work: "Rare & Exquisite"
I'm not usually a huge fan of butterflies; maybe I've seen too many of them printed in pink and slapped on products for girls. Also, they're flying bugs. But I am fascinated by some of the associations and cultural baggage they carry.
Some time ago, I heard a local radio story about how a military base also provides a refuge for endangered animals, including butterflies.
Credit: Sentinel Landscape program (USDA, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Interior)
Environmental protection -- yay! -- but the irony of the program was even better. I was intrigued by the idea that a native species was safer among soldiers and artillery.
Soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (photo credit: US Dept. of Defense)
Native, local and vulnerable... hmm. As an artist, I explored the vulnerability of black bodies in my recent solo museum exhibit. And I've heard so many conversations calling black people 'an endangered species' since the 1980s. So I fused the two ideas in these collages.
I combined images from my family photo archive with photos of endangered butterflies from four regions of the United States.
As a kid, I remembered being mildly curious about the Victorian hobby of "collecting" butterflies. Then I learned the brutal reality. So as I sketched out my collage idea, I drew on that violent history.
The result is four large, dimensional collages I've titled "Rare & Exquisite." When you see them hung in a grid, they'll measure roughly six feet high by eight feet wide at the "Locally Sourced" exhibit. Want to hear more? Please join us at the reception on May 19th, at the Columbia City Gallery.
Last chance: "You're Not From Around Here, Are You?"
The last days of my museum exhibit are upon us: You're Not From Around Here, Are You? closes in one week!
True, the exhibit closes after April 8th, which is in nine days. But the Northwest African American Museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. So if you've got a day job, or you're a student, realistically you might have only this weekend or next weekend left to visit.
One last reason to go: some of these artworks have been sold to art collectors.
Once the show closes, I'm shipping those pieces off to their new homes. So if you'd thought about buying one yourself...
NOW is the time to speak up for the artwork you love. (And yes, I do installment payment plans.) Let me know: contact me here.
"Like Mother..." at TAM: supporting each other
Onward and upward!
Up to the third floor of the Tacoma Art Museum, which is hosting the current manifestation of Like Mother, Like Daughter until the end of March. After the hectic pace of the past few months, I really appreciated the opportunity to unwind, in a sunny room, with the contributing artists.
Some of the marvelous artists contributing to Like Mother, Like Daughter
What better way to celebrate Women's History Month than with these beautiful minds and their work?
Speaking of supporting people you love...
... someone has spoken up for a collage in the exhibit You're Not From Around Here, Are You? In fact, the collector contacted me two different ways to make sure this piece was still available for purchase.
If you're interested in one of these pieces, please let me know through the Contact Me page. (And yes, I do installment payment plans.) If you haven't already, I'd suggest you visit the exhibit while it's still up at the Northwest African American Museum: art always looks so much better in person.