Work-in-progress: the risks dreamers take
I've just about finished the faces for two new collage portraits. Want a peek?
Each is a dreamer of sorts, quiet on the outside but with a wilder heart than one might suspect.
I found the inspiration on a favorite wild place: a pirate ship.
A "pirate ship" on which we took a day trip two years ago. Credit: Lisa Myers Bulmash
My subjects will still be buttoned up on the outside, but they'll reveal a bit more as I make progress on their portraits.
Stay tuned!
Why Black History Month is necessary
You know how sometimes you're scrolling through your Facebook feed, and someone you know posts a photo of themselves in blackface for Throwback Thursday?
Yeah.
The person in question had posted a childhood photo from a dance performance. Okay... REALLY bad judgement on the part of the teacher who dressed her up like that umpteen years ago. But in 2014, the person then added this illuminating comment:
"Couldn't dance white let alone..."
Yeah. I just can't even.
Yes, I contacted the person privately to explain -- just in case it wasn't clear -- why blackface is offensive.
Yes, the person explained, in a comment ("publicly," so to speak), she had posted the photo as one of several from her childhood dance days, and that the photo was not meant to offend.
Credit: Funnyjunk.com
Yes, the photo and post were taken down. I don't know if the poster did so, or Facebook did (another person reported the image as offensive).
Coincidentally, I recently confirmed that my work will be shown at Alki Arts Gallery as part of a Black History Month show.
My Janus collage portraits will be among the ones on exhibit. These are the two inspired by my great-grandfather, the Civil War veteran who was shot when he tried to collect his wages from a white farmer.
See, the thing about racism now, as opposed to my great-grandfather's lifetime, is that it's like a community-based infection such as the common cold. It's everywhere. Virtually everyone is a carrier, even if they're not showing "symptoms." And it's unusual (well, less usual) for someone behaving in a racist way to try, consciously, to do harm. Like when a person sneezes directly on you, not meaning to get you sick.
"I didn't mean to," of course, doesn't really fix the problem. Racism is a sneaky thing these days. If you're looking for ideas about how to support someone who calls out racism, here are some suggestions. And in February, when you see a "black history moment" on TV or elsewhere, I would ask you to dig a little deeper and read more about it.
#GivingTuesday: for arts' sake
Now that you've finished your holiday shopping (I know, I'm laughing too) during Cyber Monday, how about going back online for one more gift?
You might've seen the GivingTuesday hashtag; it's a day especially for giving to non-profit organizations. I'd like to give a shout-out to a couple arts organizations that have made my life richer.
The Schack Art Center has included my work in in several of their group shows, and enriched my children's lives in the Schack's art classes. If you have a local arts center, I'd urge you to do some of your holiday shopping there.
You might remember I launched my full-time art career this summer with the help of Artist Trust. Usually arts funding goes to arts organizations that present artists' work. Artist Trust supports artists "at the source," as they say, with grants and other resources given directly to artists. You can see what their services support at their annual benefit art auction.
Yes, this one's for sale! Go to the "Contact Me" page of my website and email me.
If you'd rather skip the organizations and support your favorite artist, by all means shop local! And if it's just not in your budget, talk up your favorite artist to your friends. Share their work online. Word of mouth is how most people find an artist's work, so give your recommendation -- and your support -- freely!