After well over a month of social isolation our new routines give a shape to the days. We drink coffee, work in the garden and take a long isolated walk every day. My next door neighbor kindly made masks for us, using fabrics from my stash. Mine is a subtle violet, Mike got the red batik elephants. The past weeks have not been especially pleasant outside, so I have been in overdrive stitching the Wisdom Cloaks. The seventh, a tribute to women who are mentors, is almost completed and I am gathering my materials about me for the next piece. I hope to make twelve in total. I have been thinking a lot about personal protective equipment, in a psychological context, and have a few ideas about making some art about that.
Here are a few details from “Mentors.”
On a final note, I spent many years teaching art in public school classrooms and I worry about our K-12 students isolated at home. I worry about equity issues they face around connectivity, getting proper nutrition and exercise, not spending their lives in front of a screen…I worry that for many kids, this will be a hole in time that will be difficult to climb out of. Teachers will be essential workers in the up-hill climb. As my college students wrap up their semester, we have all gotten more expert at video conferencing, but we recognize that so much of education is about being together in a learning community. I look forward to a time when we will gather in classes and studios again.