Items
topic_interest is exactly
creativity
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2020-09-24
The Mask
I wrote this poem during my senior year shortly after Providence College began its campus lockdown in September of 2020 in response to a major spike in COVID-19 cases. Unable to leave my apartment on campus for days at a time except to go for a walk by myself around campus, I felt the weight of the emotional impacts of the pandemic. I wrote the poem from a place of hurt and concern that my fellow students could not abide by guidelines to keep the campus community and the surrounding community safe. Masks were simultaneously hiding our fears while also being a constant reminder of them. I published this poem in the Portfolio section of The Cowl, Providence College's student-run newspaper. It appeared in the October 1, 2020 issue. -
2021-05-01
"Hope Love Heal"
Art can create change. The 2020 pandemic year and all its struggles informed my mail art project. My hope was that this small art project would help others in a big way through creativity and connection to the community. My art piece titled "Hope Love Heal" is a direct response to the collective struggle. I am honored to be a part of the "We Rise" Campaign to help shed light on mental illness, mental awareness and mental well being. I hope my mail art project will touch others and let others know that they are not alone. And to remember...with a little "hope" and "love" we can "heal". -
2020-08-30
The Together While Apart Art Project
I want to share a beautiful story about hope, healing and creativity during the pandemic that originated here in Charleston, South Carolina. It is about how 20 artists from 8 different states got together from afar while physically separated to spread joy and happiness through a large art collaboration. There was no other goal than simply wanting to heal our world. The Together While Apart Art Project grew from a desire to combat the sadness and isolation that was prevalent during the pandemic. Twenty artists from over 8 states got together from afar to use their creative gifts to collaborate on one large work of art. What is significant about this group project is that each artist channeled the emotions they were experiencing during the height of the global pandemic in hopes of healing themselves as well as providing comfort to a broader audience. The 20 artists were from many diverse backgrounds and from 8 different states. I was able to locate them through an open call on social media, as well as using contacts generated by a wide range of friends and family. At the onset of this project, the only art supplies I had to send each participant were an abundant supply of recycled shipping boxes. Because much of my art is built from repurposed items, keeping this theme of repurposing for the Together While Apart Art Project was very fitting. I sent each artist several 6” x 6” square pieces of cut cardboard from these recycled boxes with one simple instruction: think outside of the box! My goal was that through the creative process, each artist would find an outlet for his or her feelings and eventually these emotions would transform into joy. Ultimately, our collective joys would be multiplied and shared with many others through our artwork. I knew the world needed this dynamic group’s creative gifts. I also knew these amazing participants needed to share their gifts in order to process the current situation the world was in. I can say with certainty, that I am amazed at the outcome. This collaborative piece tells an inspirational story of resiliency, connections and hope during a pandemic that none of us could have imagined a few years ago. And now, it is time to find this amazing piece a home. If you have a suggestion for an appropriate place that we might donate and/or exhibit this piece, please let me know. I would consider doing a rotation cycle so that several organizations may each enjoy this amazing artwork. Wherever this piece is displayed, I hope it inspires love, warmth, optimism, strength and happiness-the emotions we all felt while creating our individual squares. When people view this beautiful collaboration, they will be reassured that our collective strength grows when we come together by showing love and support for one another. When we connect with one another, we can use our strengths to work towards a greater good. Together, even while apart, we can do great things. And despite the utter chaos and sadness in the world, there are always kind hearted people working to find ways to bring hope and healing to others. Here is a very short video celebrating this project. https://youtu.be/9eGsOCIqESY Fondly, Deane Bowers Charleston, SC 804-874-2929 -
2021-03-31
Indigenous Art
This is a mural painted by Indigenous artist, Ivan Lee. -
2021-03-02
George Floyd Square Artists
From Drew Arrieta's post: On Sunday, George Floyd Square held space for black creatives to showcase and celebrate their creative excellence. The Twin Cities hands-down has one of the best spoken word and poetry communities. Thanks to @b_tulloch + @siriuslymarie + @toussaintmorrison for putting on this event. -
2020-03-28
B.I.G Changes
During Quarantine, I began my online small business. I took this opportunity to share my art with the world and make it accessible to people who are looking to buy. I started with this painting that was immediately sold and that is what made me start my own art page. -
2020-04-23
Cardi B Wears a Face Covering in San Antonio
This is a photograph of a graffiti mural depicting the female rapper Cardi B wearing a face mask. This mural was originally painted by a man named Colton Valentine depicting the rapper with no mask, however, it was updated recently this year to adjust to our current global situation. I chose to place this item in the archive because I felt as though it demonstrates the significant roles that celebrities have over my generation under Covid. Many young people look to celebrities for advice and it is incredibly important that said people are setting a proper example by wearing a mask. I enjoyed bringing a different form of creative art into the archival collection with this object. -
2020-07-06
One Expensive Mask
This is a silk mask with what appears to be the $1200 stimulus check awarded to U.S. citizens during the pandemic. The design was all hand-stitched by a woman named Jennifer Markowitz in Raliegh, North Carolina. This piece is interesting as it is an artwork that overtly displays the moment in time it was made. This item will stand the test of time and be of interest to historians in the future as it illustrates significant aspects of the year 2020. This item displays an important subject of the pandemic, the stimulus check, on the piece of clothing that has become essential, a mask. This creative artwork is practical and clever when representing the times during the Covid-19 pandemic. -
2020-10-29
A Collection of Quarantine Paintings
I am posting this photo because it showcases how I have spent a lot of my time during the pandemic. This photo displays every painting I have created since the beginning of the quarantine. Some of the works shown in the picture are still works in progress and others are completed. Before Covid prevailed and we were sent home in the spring, I had lost interest in painting and had not painted in months. The lockdown that Covid brought on allowed me to slow down and rekindle the love and creativity I had for painting. In this photo, there are 14 paintings, however, I have made more and gave them to friends as gifts. I mainly work with acrylic paint on canvas because I like vibrant colors and solid lines, although, I would like to start experimenting with oil paints soon. Covid-19 brought on many obstacles to a lot of people, but I am grateful that I could reconnect with painting. This object demonstrates the significant rise of creative liberty within my generation under Covid-19. -
2020-10-29
A Collection of Quarantine Paintings
I am posting this photo because it showcases how I have spent a lot of my time during the pandemic. This photo displays every painting I have created since the beginning of quarantine. Some of the works shown in the picture are still works in progress and others are completed. Before Covid prevailed and we were sent home in the spring, I had lost interest in painting and had not painted in months. The lockdown that Covid brought on allowed me to slow down and rekindle the love and creativity I had for painting. In this photo, there are 14 paintings, however, I have made more and gave them to friends as gifts. I mainly work with acrylic paint on canvas because I like vibrant color and solid lines, although, I would like to start experimenting with oil paints soon. Covid-19 brought on many obstacles to a lot of people but I am grateful that I was allowed to reconnect with painting -
2020-09-10
Art recreations for R U OK? Day, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
As part of RU OK? Day activities for staff in this challenging year, hospital teams were invited to submit a team photo on the internal social media network. The Palliative Care team responded with a compilation recreating famous art works. The Paul Getty Museum popularized the phenomenon of recreating famous art works with a handful of household items earlier in the year. -
2020-06-11
Tunnels of Love art installation project, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
Like many hospitals, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne has a network of tunnels connecting campus buildings. The tunnels are customarily unadorned and very utilitarian in nature. The hospital's Art Curator decided to brighten them up to provide some light and cheer to staff and patients during Melbourne's COVID first wave. She called on former artists-in-residence to create thank you posters and collaborated with other staff to create works for themed tunnel sections including "Poet's Corner", "Archives Alcove" and "Pets in Iso". A straight section of the tunnels was termed "Avenue of Honour" and bore individual thank yous acknowledging each hospital department. The entire project was called the "Tunnels of Love" and its headline image (pictured) was a heart collage the Art Curator devised from photographs of flowers and plants she had taken during garden walks. There has been lots of amazing feedback to the project. It has provided a boost to the spirits of many who transit through the tunnels on a daily basis and the installation continues to evolve. -
2020-05-27
TikTok Takeover
In this world there are many things we cannot predict. For instance, we could not predict the effect COVID-19 would have on us and our everyday lives. In this unfortunate situation it is important to understand perspective. If we were able to travel back in time and show someone a picture of a masked and fully sanitized person shopping, they would think you were crazy. Along those same lines, if you were to show someone the app TikTok six months ago they may not even know what it was or what you were talking about, and if they did, they surely weren’t using it every day. When I first downloaded the app TikTok back in February before COVID-19 hit, I didn’t realize how popular it would soon become. I was mildly curious and wanted to check it out for a few minutes. Soon after, I was hooked, and it became a more prominent source of entertainment for me and millions of other people. I recognize that TikTok also has many drawbacks, including misinformation, negative suggestions, security issues and more. But for this purpose, I am focusing on TikTok as entertainment in this pandemic crisis only. Today, TikTok is used by millions of people and is still growing. The very week my sister came home from college early because of COVID, we made a TikTok together about how our mom makes us take a walk around the block for fun---a sign of the times when literally all we could do was walk “around the block.” In a time of uncertainty, it felt good to do something lighthearted. I have noticed that there are many different takes on this app. People love it, and people hate it. I may have started out seeing TikTok as just another social media app, or even a waste of time, but due to the pandemic, I now see it in a new light. In some ways, it is a way for people to express their creativity, to try new things, and inspire others when personal interaction is limited. It is a reminder that you are not alone in this time of hurt and crisis—what better way to relax over the pandemic than making these fun videos and seeing so many other people doing the same. In addition, emotions are high during the pandemic as it sometimes seems it will never end, that everything is out of your control, and there is a lot of repetition. It almost seems like we are in the movie “Groundhog Day.” TikTok is the perfect way to funnel those emotions everyone has been feeling and at minimum provides a lighthearted break from the world. As I open the app, I am instantly engulfed in uplifting and positive videos, comedy videos that truly make me laugh, and a feeling of empathy towards others that reassures me that I am not the only one living through this event that is changing history. Furthermore, one of the most important parts of being socially distanced and quarantined is communication. It is easy to lose communication with friends and distant family members during a pandemic, yet one of the things TikTok offers about this pandemic is ironically connection, just not in person. This app provides a means of communication that no other app possesses and a sense of community, even if it is an odd one. This article and Tiktok itself are important to me because they show that TikTok and other social media platforms can truly bring people of all ages together in ways that surprised me. This includes not just young kids, but all generations of people as well as whole families. Social media has always been around and growing, and every generation has its phase, whether it’s MySpace, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, or Tiktok. However, what truly makes this app important to me is its ability to show a lighthearted and fun side of a world facing not-so-lighthearted issues for all generations. I don’t know what will happen to it in the days or weeks ahead, but TikTok has definitely left its mark on society during this time. -
2020-07-29
Paint The Void: Health Care Workers & Art
Health Care workers partnered with the Paint the Void project to bring community, life, hope, art and culture to the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal of this partnership was to create a project to say "thank you for sheltering in place" and "thank you for supporting us" to the community on behalf of San Francisco's essential workers. Paint the Void has created over 91 murals across San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. This specific mural tells the story of how interconnected people are and how an act of kindness has the ability to improve life conditions for the entire community. The title of the mural is "How we care shapes who we are." The spirit of community is represented through this specific mural and the Paint the Void initiative. -
2020-07-08
Social Distancing BFFs
My 7-year-old daughter and one of her best friends since the toddler room were signed up for their first year of softball and first team sport together. Then the Stay at Home order happened. The organizers kept asking us to hang on and wait and see if we could play this year. In June, they got the go ahead from the state for practices. I was on the fence, but they had good safety protocols in place and my daughter is high energy and very athletic, so I decided she could go ahead and play. So did her friend’s family. The girls have been good about wearing masks and kind of good at keeping 6 feet apart through the 2 weeks of practices. This week, which would have been the end of their regular season, they had their first game. At the end as we were leaving, they came up with this way to be together and connected while being safe and apart. -
2020-05-18
Pandemic Boredom Killer: Squirrels star in Ontario couple's elaborate backyard photo shoots
"As people across Canada find creative ways to pass the extra hours at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an Ontario couple has found a new hobby that has both humans and critters going nuts. "Daryl Granger and his wife Karen are both photographers who own and operate RoseLe Studio in Simcoe, Ont. "'We spend a lot of time in the backyard and we noticed, "gosh there's a lot of squirrels" so we thought "why not set up a photo shoot,"' Granger told CBC News on Monday."