South

The kick off to summer has started with two openings in the “Deep South” of California. Traversing various locations was a positive challenge for worthy causes. Opportunities rarely appear on a silver platter. A lesson learned since day one. For this lady, I embrace and remember to be grateful. My life purpose and intention is good despite its occasional mistranslation.

Flying into Los Angeles International Airport, the goal was to navigate to a rental car and go. A refresher of the LACMA replenishes the soul. A Ken Price clay sculpture oozed elegance hidden in a quiet sacred spot. Senses of Time, a room dedicated to video and film-based African works dazzled. The top floor of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum was a Agnes Martin sanctuary. Take deep breath, it felt good to be here.

Then off to The Art of Change exhibit at the Marylyn & Chuck Klaus Center for the Arts of Marymount California University Arts & Media. Ebony Perry, curator extraordinaire, picked artists “…whose works provide a platform for thoughtful dialogue, concerning love as a foundation in propelling social change.” Adrienne Wade’s artworks radiated strength aesthetically and conceptually. The future looks bright for these two fabulous ladies!

The Art of Change_Name Credits

Waking up early the next day, I boarded the Pacific Surfliner Train from Union Station to San Luis Obispo. It was my first time traveling California from this point of view. Vistas of hidden urban environments such as graffiti, homeless camps, construction debris, palm trees, golf courses, rescue helicopters, and luxury housing connect to create a greater Los Angeles’ patchwork. As population density disappears, the landscape reclaims its territory. It is truly the cycle of life.

Upon my arrival, meandered to the Blue Marble exhibit at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. Juror Patricia Watts: “The artists in this exhibition have captured a visual sense of what it means to be here on this planet, with the perspective of being a part of something larger, a dot in the Universe. The struggle to maintain balance with nature, the understanding of the fragility of nested ecosystems, and the participation in a dialogue of what natural resources are left and what can be saved, moving forward, is on the minds of most every living artist today.”

Highlights:

During the opening, my artworks received a third place prize from the curator. It was truly a special surprise that left me speechless. Travel provides the memories that fuel my art practice. It offers clarity mixed with honesty. It offers fearlessness, which is the core of existence. Sleep with visit another day. Inspiration is calling…