Nature’s Poetry in a Red Maple Tree!

Its a Poetry month! And though I am not a poet nor a writer, I enjoy poetic talks and penning down my flowing thoughts.

For that process, makes me flow rather then talk

Makes me dance rather then just walk

It helps organize, the scattered attention 

Around one refined thought. 

-Part of a diary page from 04/13/2022

My diary excerpts on this post span within 3-4 days. It was inspired by the ‘Poetrees’ time at local library and my Red Maple Tree. 

Thanks to Elaine Bearden from Urbana Free Library for creating a beautiful ambience during ‘Poetrees’ event. And for Nature to share its immense joy and abundance with me!

These scribbles were chosen to be read with other local authors during ‘Pandemics as a Portal to Change’ virtual meet. it was a shared experience of revelations and insights into ‘We’ as a community facing common challenges. Thanks to Champaign Public Library for bringing us together!

Studying the textures of Red Maple bark and blossoms

Poetry might be a way of seeing things not just a genre of writing?

But these r just my thoughts.

For me, Nature is poetry

That always brings Awe 

Whether in forest, cities

Or on side walks,

There’s always a wonder 

And Drama 

Happening  interestingly 

Continuously

Simultaneously

Miraculously

On every enchanting path.

There’s a Red Maple Tree in our front yard. It’s a housekeeper that welcomes us with smiles every time we enter or leave our driveway. While we have appreciated it all throughout the year, I feel this year in my 3rd season of its flowering, I actually felt an Awe

I who promote connection between ecology and arts,  learning by observing, being in nature, blah blah, couldn’t find time to sketch flowers of something so close by and beautiful. 

We get so busy with what we are doing that we lose sight of why we are doing; and if that doing can happen without even doing, so much time energy and resources are saved. Probably that what they call getting simpler? But we are not talking of Minimalism or growing our own food, it is more about mindfulness that can help each of us reach our own ways of simplifying life for ourselves. 

Just sitting there under a Tree, 

with wind dancing merrily

and sunshine spotlighting 

every corner of Nature’s beauty

Reciting a poetry, 

In textures and forms

patters and colors 

of this blessed Maple tree 

That connects me to the Cosmic energy

Its like a poetry happening Here and Now

Nature’s poetry always brings an Awe!

With the onset of Pandemic, we were pushed to explore virtual world. 

My journey of virtual sharing began with a few poetic lines I had scribbled at the start of lockdown.  And out of respect for the local call for Arts for ‘Pandemics as a Portal to Change’, I submitted those as a poem instead of my artwork (Pic on top right). The poem had shades of my guilt, for enjoying the Nature when the world was ablaze with sorrow and distress. We were at the mercy of some microscopic killer virus that even Alexander the Great would not be able to suppress had it gotten to his chest. What is ‘Great’ then, I had thought? 

Its been a journey of 3 years now going through another mass destructive cycle on Earth with onset of War in one of the corners of this interesting celestial body, which humanoid creatures address as- Our/ Your Land

Whose land? Whose Earth? and what for? 

Who’s ‘me’? And who means ‘they’? 

All the might of global organizations

May it be UNO UNESCO or Peace corps,

Could not Stop 

The the destruction 

of the huge neighboring mass.

Yet, in this chaos

There peeps a call 

From the blessed Nature 

To my mind’s hall

Asking me to open up 

To its beauty that perishes fast

Yet its effects persists for (sometimes) life long 

Poetry is great

It pulls from the unknown depths of 

my terrifying darker space

That which I cannot decipher

With what I can connect

It gathers the dispersed seeds 

of many thoughts 

Into one enclosed fruit 

That my heart wants to taste

3 years now!

This how much the Pandemic completed 

And also how much my association 

With the Red Maple blossoming season going on.

So much has happened

Times ran fast, but with each step

One could see the milestones passed

Working diligently 

On a thought that was revealed 

In recent years past

About some connection between 

Eco- Culture-and Arts

Creativity- What? Why? How?

Halloween Monsters made out of recyclables for exhibiting at ‘Thrash Flash’ exhibit in Makerspace event- 2016

“‘Creativity develops finer mind, Art itself being a faculty of advanced mind’”

These lines will be found on our webpage ‘Creativity Sustainably’ from where other content is being eliminated to make space for new. Some of this content seemed fun to be shared and talked about. So made it into a post.

What is Creativity? Why is it important for our mental health? What develops creative faculties of brain?

While many studies on this topic can b found on internet, this post is aimed for interactive talks rather than just info based. We have few starter points below while sharing our past events and their creative nature. Feel free to question, elaborate, play with for ideas. Welcoming all :)

‘Creativity’ broadly means, ones unique way of doing anything, not just creating Art. It can be applied everywhere. May it be home decorating, problem solving at work, fixing things with inadequate tools, or cooking, or pretty much anything. ‘Creative’ is an ‘Outlook’ and its possible for all.

Many factors promote Creative thinking.

Left: Casually made cave with fallen grass cuttings and rocks around.

Nature play or just being surrounded by it, has profound effect on quality of brain development. Where arts are concerned, Nature has influenced the many artistic expressions, even if there was no trace or direct reference to it in the art works.

As an advanced animal species, we do not need to try hard to connect with Nature, we just need to disconnect with unhealthy mental and physical practices that stop our creative organic flow as a part of Nature. 

Right: Friends playing as princesses with long colorful hair.

Girls made Paper flowers with colorful streamers and used the rest to make  their hair streaks.  The dances and gestures that followed were a visual treat with novel play!

Unstructured play time is a great platform for promoting child’s own creativity. Being Mindful of the materials that surround them during that time of their exploration, can help give it a meaningful direction.

Left: Environmental Day 2020 virtual celebration with puppets.

Puppets made during Earth Day-week  Zoom meets, came to life in Puppet Show on World Environmental Day 2020. Puppets spoke about the effects CoVid19 has on their Habitat and discussed possible ways of co-existence with humans.

“But like every human thing, Art and creating 
need not be contaminating anything. 
True Art is Sanctifying.”

— From Creativity Sustainably.

There is immense raw material around us for making casual short-term Art and playful creative projects. There is no need to buy foam stickers, sparklers, or any materials that will be used for 15 minutes of crafts that end up in landfill within 5 days and stay there for 50 years. The less we buy ready-made, the more is scope for creativity, and added advantage— Fun close to Zero waste!

Making available Natural world can amaze and inspire, bringing in the wonder of creation while touching ones own naturally creative channels. Why not use dry materials found in Nature that can be decomposed into nourishing earth for life! For example our creating activity at Maker Fest 2017.

Unlimited supply of market products 

can hinder ones creative stimulus 

also increasing our  

carbon footprint Extensively,                                    

Can we Re-think 

Creativity Sustainably? 

Check our latest Earth-n-Arts projects here.

Our Past exhibits like ‘Paper exhibit’ for Boneyard fest 2019 Environmental Arts at Maker Fest- 2017, 2019 , Inspired by Nature and many others were successful Zero-waste events.

While we face some daunting Global issues,  compassion and  creativity can play a positive role in finding the right solutions.

They all point towards our relation with Nature, and towards exploring our own Nature as humans, towards our relations with each other and with our co-creatures existing on this unique planet.

Transitions- Gratitude for 2021

Movie Night at Anita Purves Nature Center. Wall-E in Moonlight.

As one man-made calendar outdates, 

the other is replaced.

The previous events

r still playing its presence in the next 

And present movements 

already had its seeds in past events.

This is a space where 

two moments, two planes, two episodes

Interact Transit Transform 

Creating a chance for change

2021 saw the best of both- 

The brunt of pandemic, shadows of which seem to extend into this following year.

And the rise in awareness, in connectedness and urgency for harmony as a collective fate. 

As Thich Nhat Hanh says- ‘No mud, no Lotus’. The mud is the reason for Lotus to flower. There has been enough space this year and much negative from past to accelerate our speed for humanity to blossom.

As an Art facilitator, It is nice to see how Arts are creating a revolution, making a difference and creating awareness while also maintaining its flavorful creativity, nourishing our senses. 

It would  be nice to share some of my inspiring Art-moments from the exiting year as 2022 makes its way into present.  Most of these events would be continued into 2022 and I feel pleased to write about them.

I would like to start from events we hosted. A huge thanks to all the Volunteers, Supporters and Guests who, inspite of the stress and challenges, made 2021 a productive year generating more hopes for all.

Our first important event was ‘National Crafts Month 2021’ 

We r Thankful to Spurlock museum and Museum of The Grand Prairie for being our cohost on this week long virtual celebration.

Ms Kim Sheahan had beautifully compiled various resources and activities based on each day’s themes. As a Storyteller, she did a fantastic job with her interactive stories, opening up youths for creative activities that followed! 

Kim Shehan’s stories can be enjoyed at Facebook live on their page

https://www.facebook.com/SpurlockMuseum

Also it was wonderful to hear Ms Katie Snyder, from Museum of Grand Prairie, talk about the local history as she gave us a virtual tour of various Museum collections.  Interesting to know a little more about our local orientations.

Over all it was a great learning experience and fun too! 

We are working on ‘Art based on Museum’, a project for March 2022. 

Our Earth-day event was a wonderful culmination of Arts, Culture and Eco -Talks. Thanks to Ms Beth Watkins from Spurlock museum for cohosting this virtual event. Ms Watkins brought to the virtual scene, the Museum’s prolific collection based on Series themes. The presentations, in form of slide shows, were a treat for one’s with artistic taste  and historic inclinations.

Link to the meets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZWwqKneOMo&list=PLRx2TLHW7oP4DcBbg1FebnmHXA79TDFdN

Another event in the series of Earthday celebrations was  Spirit of India- Ladies’ meet. We are thankful to our guests, Harshal Jagdale who shared her creative reuse of fabrics and Nirmala Gehlot who threw some light on her Native foods and their foraged origins. It was a wonder and learning while watching them.

Check the excerpts here

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRx2TLHW7oP4wdgjpmjcFNTva8VQQVV9l

Spirit of Inia also celebrated ‘Environmental day 2021’ We are grateful to Aditi Tiwari Misra and Ketki Bendre for gathering the kids and helping organize a week long virtual STEAM workshop that culminated in Environmental day zoom event. It was impressive to see how our youths at this age are aware and open to work towards the right change. Excerpts of the meet here-

https://youtu.be/AVi_04VTW_c

Collage of Art works display at Boneyards Arts fest 2021- Artists from right to left: Michael Roughton, Mohan Tracy, Michael Sherfield, Kuldeepa VM

Our Cultural exchange event for Boneyards 2021 was an invigorating experience!  Thanks to Nazanine Agassi for sponsoring the event and gathering her talented friends who brought various interesting facets of their native cultures, making it a fun yet enriching experience! Thanks to Bao Bui for hosting the event. There was Music, Talks, Food, and Visual arts! 

We are looking forward for more such cultural events. Check some excerpts here-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyZ-PBzoJjk&list=PLRx2TLHW7oP5L_Tcty_7KemxTcejx4-BF

‘Inspired by Nature’ exhibition including the following meet ups were part of ‘America Recycles day 2021’ celebration. It was fun and educational series.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRx2TLHW7oP41TyuyZpLNJpOmDE6VyDOQ

Huge Thanks to Asian American Cultural Center for hosting our exhibit, and to all the Guest Artist, and David Subers from Anita Purves Nature center for being willing to help in anyway to promote environmental work. Even though a short time, he agreed for a presentation on pollinators and a game based on right recycling methods.  He shared the following link to help create local pollinator pockets. 

https://extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/pollinator-pockets

APNC will have many interesting events and Nature based activities as the new year unfolds. Some events are mentioned below in APNC para. 

As part of the exhibition prep, Julie Nieset and George Hardbeck hosted a persimmon planting activity and art making from dried leaves, a panel called ‘Nature the best recyclers’ with 4-H youths. Thanks to them both and to Mrs Thiele, our leader for 4-H Club, for encouraging us always. The panel adorned one of our exhibit walls.

 The ‘Inspired by Nature’ project will continue well through Spring of 2022.

Some of my surrounding experiences.

End of the year I happen to attend a book discussion on OCTAVIA E. BUTLER'S ‘PARABLE OF THE SOWER’ 

A virtual event hosted by Champaign Public library as a pre-event discussion for upcoming performance at Krannert Center.

I haven’t read all the book yet but the discussion was very involving and for me,  it was inspiring to hear each participant’s take on revisiting our own societal, personal and inner relationships moving into the Future.  

The performance is coming up in Feb of 2022. 

https://krannertcenter.com/parablepathcu
 

Another event in fall by CSAMES hosting Afghanistan rapper, Sonita, was deeply moving and inspiring how the next  Gen is leading in powerful ways, a much needed change.

Sonita Alizada’s family has been targeted by the Taliban due to her public activism for Afghan women and girls. She is trying to get her family safely overseas and we can help her at following link.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-sonitas-family

This reminds me of  ‘Wonderful Women creating Change’ a virtual event hosted by Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. As they mentioned, ‘ Women’s history is the history of entire humanity, of science, and of arts…” I felt uplifted after attending part of the event. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG0H8_f3wa8 

On Arts and Cultural front, it’s astounding to see how the global issues are impacting the Art creation in immersive ways. The exhibitions I encountered this year were not just high quality Art, some of them were centered around social activism, cultural awareness, human histories, Ecological issues, all in interesting ways, bringing new approaches towards social norms as well as Art expressions!

‘Americans in Spain’ at Milwaukee Art Museum,

 https://mam.org/exhibitions/details/americans-in-spain.php

Sewn in Memory: AIDS Quilt Panels from Central Illinois at Spurlock Museum

https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/exhibits/profiles/sewn-in-memory.html

Abraham’s Farewell to Ismael at Perez Museum of Art

https://www.pamm.org/collections/abrahams-farewell-ishmael

Krannert Center for Performing Arts annually celebrates Ellnora guitar fest! This year I was fortunate to attend it after several years of gap. Many uplifting performances!  The one caught my attention the most was Joe Reuen’s performance with his hanmade guitars from everyday objects. Not only the designs of instruments were amazingly creative but also their varying Sounds were engaging! Joe also learns Eastern classical music making it no surprise to feel the depth in his art an his  music. https://college.berklee.edu/bt/news/joe-rauen

On environmental front much work is impressively progressing all over the world! 

In March, I happen to attend a virtual Turtle conservancy meet hosted by Florida Wildlife Conservation.  https://flmtph.myfwc.com/attend-online/

The talk of saving turtle habitats touched various topics related to environmental issues. One of them, the night light pollution coincided with our ‘night lights  off’ promotion based on Champaign county’s documents on this topic. The page 6 on link takes us to useful info on light pollution 

https://www.ccfpd.org/Portals/0/adam/Content/m0Yrrp4qo0Co3Fvdr8-fOQ/Text/DarkSkyResourceGuide2.pdf
 

Who doesn’t love pristine nights! You see I have always been  attracted to the Darkness. ‘Darkness’ seems to be aesthetically and spiritually inclined, whereas the ‘Dark-side’ carries negative connotations.

No surprise I love All Night landscape paintings, not  just ‘the Starry night’  and I enjoy my own collection of night captures, though they r urban. Oh so much to write about night landscape… may be a different post later! 
 

Talking of night, reminds me of movie night hosted by Urbana Park District at Anita Purves Nature center, a place me and my kid loves to visit whenever possible! And the movie was none other then my favorite— Wall-E!!! I watched it several times yet it was wonderful experience to watch it in open air with people dispersed at secured lengths and the moon rising behind movie, it was like experiencing a larger drama around the movie screen!

The UPD has some interesting events planned for coming year! One of them is ‘Butterflies Across the World’ exhibit which is open at the center for viewing. They will have an adjoining virtual event free for public but registration is required. Check their event at 

https://www.facebook.com/events/496097961838832?ref=newsfeed

To register for event-

https://apm.activecommunities.com/urbanaparks/Activity_Search/10579

As we talk of Nature, comes to mind Ms Elizabeth Evans, an ESL teacher from Franklin Middle school who initiated the idea of Gardening on unused piece of land in their premises. Her work caught momentum forming into a Garden club. It is inspiring how Ms Evans worked through the challenges to get the ball rolling and made possible some meaningful addition to the education system.

Talking of eco, reminds me of WRI’s talk on Carbon emissions promoting  E- vehicles in public sectors.  Personally, it is uplifting for me to attend any meets hosted by WRI. It’s putting efforts in action based programs simultaneously promoting Global Eco- talks, data softwares, creating provoking newsletters and much more. Their work in developing countries makes it an impactful organization curbing Climate change 

https://www.wri.org/our-work

So many events are catering to awareness of a global village, simultaneously fostering local lands.

Membranes that divided science, arts, ecology, economy, compartmentalized gender groups, discriminated social classes, are all dissolving through time, creating newness.

Though the situation is not the best, we r better equipped after couple of years of survival challenges, more resilient  for future threats. So let’s look forward to a creative world thriving in a harmonious wave.

Autumn Leaves

As December dawns, 

the last leaf from November awaits its fall. 

There are other trees 

Still bearing several more leaves 

That are still tightly holding on

So this is a small tribute to the grandeur of passing Autumn 

Before all those leaves fall. 

Like every year, we resumed our autumn fun activities with warm hues of Fall leaves.

As we resumed our art play-dates beginning of this October, small group of kids met and collected various fallen leaves’ specimens. 

We Sketched them observing its shapes and curves while learning about rendering and graded line fun.

Some kids colored their drawings, some traced!

But that was irrelevant as best part was we all touched a part of nature that was technically dead but had some life left with much more beauty in them!

The girls giggle and teased amidst the fall leaves, echoing the beauty of Autumn amaze!

Then another day we had couple of senior members gather for Art meets. 

Photo credit: G. Zhang.

One of them awed on design of Maple leaf that lay outside the entrance door ready to be carefully picked.

He brought it in with him, enquiring and discussing about its type of species to solve his Quest

We rendered a still-life that was placed.

And the Maple leaf fitted in just fine within the Visual context.

After the sketching was ended, G took photos of the still life, that became an art in itself!

Then came Thankgiving!

Instead of just card making, we baked cookies 

That would go with the theme- ‘The Autumn Leaves’

It was an experiment!

And though intimidating, it was a lot of fun to execute its shapes.

We intentionally used white flours 

So as to bring out the intensity of Natural Color, more.

We made sugar-cinnamon cookies with Beet for Red

And salted cookies with rice flour plus turmeric for Yellow’s flair

The raw batters looked amazing with stunning colors 

But after baking, they all were fade

And ofcorse it was expected

But yet we had not accepted

until…. The cookies cooled

And the kids tasted..

Ahh, they said, “Not bad at’ll'“

For the efforts we made

For the ideas we executed 

While shaping the leaf contours 

And carving carefully its veins

It was worth all the pains!

So much fun we gained

Inspired by Nature,

making edible Art that also entertained!

Art need not be confined to Art 

It can intermingle with everyday’s caos

While tidying, while dressing while cooking 

or even on gardening patch.

Art can be part of anything you choose

Enhancing beauty, adding zest

of creative Energy 

in whatever we do!

Good bye, beautiful Autumn! Thank you, my Friend :-)

Zen experience with living structures

Guggenheim Museum from inside.

It was a dream come true to visit some of the art  destinations on wish list. 

I was fortunate to be granted a visit at Guggenheim, MOMA and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling waters’!

One could feel the Zen experience in each of these.

Guggenheim had Kandinsky displayed elaborately through all his phases. i have liked Kandinsky for his thoughts more than his paintings but this exhibit changed my relation to his huge body of works and art journey! 

Apart from the morphing phases of his interesting paintings, the Museum’s non-angular circular movements could not be missed. Though a backdrop to exhibits, the Guggenheim Museum offers a beauty of its own, without distracting the value of artworks on display. For me, it was a contemplative experience more intensified with Wassily Kandinsky’s presence.

The magic of a beautiful visual or melodious sound is that it lingers in our minds and heart long after we have parted with it That is what happened to me with Motherwell, Rothko and V Gaitonde’s Paintings. And later, the playful light hearted joy with  Calder’s Art works at Museum of Modern Art. I still savor the subtle visual pleasures after returning miles apart. 

Both, Rothko and Gaitonde had expressed their interest in Zen philosophy when they met at New York. A fact that was surprising to me. The influence of Zen is felt in both their paintings which are meditative.  One has to be relaxed to feel these masterpieces. 

About Mark Rothko: https://www.nga.gov/features/mark-rothko/mark-rothko-early-years.html

About Vasudeo Gaitonde: https://www.christies.com/features/VS-Gaitonde-7387-1.aspx

The abstractionist at MOMA reminded me of another fav contemporary artist from India, Pandit Khairnar, whose color field paintings create similar experiences of contemplative spaciousness. https://www.gallerythreshold.com/artist/pandit-khairnar/

While the visual pleasures still lingered, as though a cherry on top, I was gifted a ticket to tour ‘Falling Waters’ a Frank Lloyd work that I have always yearned to visit. A Huge thanks to the lady at entrance who helped me get into the tour in-spite of technical challenges and to my hubby who went lengths to procure a ticket for visit. 

The ‘Falling Waters’ is not just visual experience it is deeply moving to ones being. This architecture is a precious gem in the wilderness of Pittsburg. We had Guide Gerald who had his own interesting way of sharing the narratives of history geography and science of this house, Thank you Gerald! 

Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Falling waters’ built on top of a waterfall.

I could feel the Zen in entire structure! It was in rhythm with the surrounding natural formations. One particular corner in the passage that leads to guest houses has a partial rock cutting naturally thru the corner walls. There flows a tiny unnoticeable stream of water. Instead of repairing the wall, it is let to flow down with an outlet in the floor for water to subside. Gerald quoted Wright saying,  ‘it is better to flow and play with the water rather than fight it’. 

Lloyd’s love for Japanese paintings and its design principles shows its influence on his own designing philosophy. 

After returning home, I did not want to waste time in trivial happenings of life. I think the 3 day trip changed me in some way (at least temporarily ;-)

Talking of home, I have always enjoyed the sanctity of my own house! The light and space are dramatic and the entire house feels connected! It is Amish built!

A well designed space can heighten our experience of living. And it doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive, in fact it needs to be simplified, connecting us to the immediate surroundings and to ourselves and to each other dwelling in this house.
Reminds me of an architect (may be from Texas university) I watched a decade ago on Art21 series. The episode was about how architecture (in this case housing) design should be space and environment specific. The conventional four walled structures cannot serve the best interest for all geographical regions. It was a genius solution to the heat and economic conditions of community living in New-Mexico.

I forget the name and details but loved the driving force behind designing simplified low budget yet strong and sustainable housing complex. 

With the onset of lockdown, we have experienced our houses in an intense way. Many of us beautified our houses in our own way. This might be counted into the positive outcomes of Lockdown! Art works add to the mood of the space and sometimes it creates spaciousness of internal nature.  Having an expensive art piece is not necessary, we can create our own art! This art adds beauty and belonging to everyday living. 

Visiting great places is wonderful experience but creating some of these spacious zen aspects in our own homes is of better benefit and easily possible. 

May we built structures to create space for awe and harmony not enclosed walls to disconnect from the flow of life.

Art encounters through Pandemic

Since the Pandemic’s blow,

the existing systems crumbled,

people shuffled, ideas tumbled. 

Though the annihilation still goes on,

it’s inspiring to see

how we r coping up and moving on. 

I would like to share a gist of some lockdown events I came across, that made me feel optimistic and hopeful about future in spite of Pandemic’s despair. As my field is Art, would like to stick with my Art inspirations. Hope this brings the same optimism to you as it did to me.

Since the experiences r fresher, I prefer to start with the latest and the farthest.

~ As the traveling prospects opened up safely, we could visit Myrtle beach, S. Carolina, this summer.

One of the most impressive (and succesful) projects I came across unexpectedly while taking a driving break, was W. Virginia’s Tamarack marketplace stop. This arts program was the state initiative to built a platform for local makers and artisans. Many citizens lost their coal mining jobs. Tamarack was formed to promote handmade, locally made fine quality goods, creating economy that empowered its own home-talents!

Their collection is unique and original. Check the webpage https://www.tamarackwv.com 

I am Thankful to Tamarack staff, Mike Bragg, for sharing some interesting info! Check the clip https://youtu.be/SL618t8YqYk

~ Beaches have a way of connecting us to our own vast Ocean within! Apart from the touching moments with the turquoise waters of Myrtle beach, I was lucky to encounter a local library- ‘The Chapin Memorial library’ that gave me some insightful books! Thanks to a librarian who was patient with my search! 

The book, ‘Living Beaches of Georgia and the Carolinas’- By Blair Witherington and Dawn Witherington, is loaded with interesting pictures and detailed study about the Grand Strand’s flora and fauna and as mentioned, is truly - A Beachcomber's Guide! My artist mind rejoiced in relating the natural beauty with the picturesque photographs!

The book, ‘Soul of the Sea: In the Age of the Algorithm’- By Nishan Degnarain and Gregory S Stone.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34735206-soul-of-the-sea

I had to quick browse for lack of time, but a take-away for me was their provoking thought- “we need to think in new ways, on fundamental levels, to approach new problems that we face in new age...” The content with logistics and diagrams are an eye opener! For me, it stimulates action.

~ Another visit that stimulated me artistically was at the Milwaukee Art Museum https://mam.org, and not just for its Art but more for it as a piece of Art! The architecture is a stunning experience of Forms and Space beautifully illuminated with a modern touch! 

They had an interactive activity for kids outside and inside the museum! My kid sketched some of the artifacts and enjoyed learning its aesthetic in a closer way! More such activities needed please :)

Sketches by Khushboo Mehta, 9yrs.

MAM’s Sketchpad activity for kids to note their favorite artifacts.

The many alternative Art events that opened up new ways of working, to cop with Lockdown situation, made them Novel in a positive light! I was impressed by such projects in my town.

‘The great Artdoors’ https://40north.org/programs/thegreatARTdoors was a lovely idea!

This project is a creative response to the limitations faced by galleries and indoor public places. When the visitors could not visit galleries, the Art came out in open for the community!

I also enjoyed the Crystal Lake Art Fair!. Even with the safety protocols, it had the same artsy vibe! Apart from some wonderful art stalls, the interactive yarn art project I found most interesting! Designed by Ashley, a staff from Urbana Park District, it was a board and cut-out letters that would finally make up the decorated Title. Anyone could stop by and work on covering up the pieces with the colorful yarn available! (Title pic of completed letters. The dry leaf seemed to match with the event logo ;-)) This activity was joyfully easy yet so vibrant! (confession :- I messed up the yarn rhythm by weaving instead of circling the corners :-/

As physical spaces closed virtual world kept us afloat! Though the digital experience might not equate the former, it has its pros of being available for longer and for wider audience! 

The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College hosted a virtual art competition for youths. https://www.facebook.com/71496921120/videos/273284644434462

While this is not great in itself, the way it was organized was impressive! It had talks and shows for community and was educating in its nature! They also organised ‘Around the block’ virtual exhibit that hosted several artist talks. Sadly, i couldn’t attend many of these but I love the gallery’s approach of inclusion and education! 

https://www.parkland.edu/Audience/Community-Business/Parkland-Presents/Art-Gallery/About 

‘PANDEMICS AS A PORTAL TO CHANGE’ was another virtual exhibit open to public and would be archived as pandemic collection. https://kam.illinois.edu/exhibition/pandemics-portal-change-community-exhibition 

I loved their title and so decided to submit a poem as my abstract paintings were not ready yet. The organisations that hosted this project also were actively involved in uplifting the community spirits through arts ithroughout lockdown period. Like Grand Prairie Museum’s ‘Art in a Time of Quarantine’. 

https://www.facebook.com/museumofthegrandprairie/videos/245278170111577

Though not visual arts, I was touched by Elaine Bearden from Urbana Free library who kept the virtual book club going even when the number of attendees fluctuated. There were interesting books to look forward every week! These sessions were followed by their creative art event the Story-Walk at Parks https://urbanafreelibrary.libnet.info/event/4482232

Though the buzz of crowd was paused, so much was happening in the corners of every block! 

Our own website was created because of Pandemic. We stood up to the challenge of designing alternative ways of keeping creativity alive!

We are grateful for a chance throughout Pandemic, to work with some wonderful organizations whose philosophies we respect! Project details and links to the organizations can be found on https://www.ascendingaesthetic.org/projects

My Pandemic experiences have been on extreme ends

oscillating btw highs to low depressions,

joyfully optimistic to draining pessimism,

and though most of it is just loss and failures,

there is so much raising insight gained!

When we don’t hold on, there is nothing to lose!

In fact efforts might be needed to loosen ourselves

so some space is made

for what needs to sip in the cracks

and let the serene beauty fill in those gaps. 

Let’s hope we come out on the other side of Pandemic with more resilience for all.