I am most honored to be invited to participate in an exhibit celebrating the opening of the Aver-Phillips Art Gallery on the CC Young Campus. A gallery dedication event and reception will be held Thursday July 21 from 3:30-4:30, the public is invited to attend.
My thanks to Director Brian Parman, and one of my persistent supporters, Lisa Kudros.
If you are unable to make the event, I hope you visit sometime during this exhibit and enjoy the art presented by a collection of local artists.
EXHIBIT DATES
Monday, July 18, 2022 – Monday, September 26, 2022
GALLERY DEDICATION EVENT & RECEPTION – VISTA BISTRO LOBBY
Thursday, July 21, 2022 from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: 4847 West Lawther Drive – The Point Building, Dallas, Texas 75214
Suddenly, in the night, I awake, sit up in the bed and contemplate the vision. Not entirely recalling the dream I still feel the imprint of the night’s mystery. All is fine. Conflict will be resolved. The image painted in my memory is filled with conflict surrounded by peace. It is disturbing yet calming. From time to time I find myself conflicted.
Each of us have had to find our path through this Covid outbreak. Some say it is behind us, others say the worst is yet to come. Each of us have had to journey through our heartbreaks, fears, losses, inconveniences, financial setbacks, and isolation.
For many of us who practice art, our journey is reflected there. I decided to share my journey, through my art.
As we watched the Covid spread through Europe, cancel our travel plans and begin covering New York City, it felt like a storm of indeterminable size was on the horizon.
The Approaching Storm
We had plans to spend three months in Europe, leaving April 1. As the date approached, I scrambled first to reschedule, then to reclaim what costs I could.
Hanging On To My Dreams
Soon it was clear that everything had changed. We wanted to run away. Find a place where things would be normal, where we could play and have fun. But it wasn’t to be. It was just the two of us in a small apartment and a balcony shared with a family of House Finches and eventually some Hummingbirds.
The Troupe
Eventually life goes on, it became necessary to leave the safety of our isolation and continue a few normal activities, such as getting groceries and checking on the parents. It was time to slowly emerge from our shelter and face the unknown, while hoping better days would emerge from the ashes of our previous life.
Emerging
We have since found a respectful peace with this virus. We remain cautious, wear a mask to protect ourselves and others, and seek opportunities to encourage those we encounter. So many have lost so much. If feels as if time has warped and placed a kink in the linear path our world was travelling. Our futures will all hold something different as a result of this experience shared worldwide. Somehow, we must find our peace.
Finding Peace
I am grateful for my partner that has made this time tolerable, I have gained a better appreciation for the freedoms we so carelessly shared. My heart is open to those who have lost so much, and I give thanks for each new day.
Though it is small, I am also grateful that my art has stood beside me, coaxing me to find my peace.
We have all been there. Those times when our life is dark and we aren’t sure how to find our way out. It is during those times that we find our determination, locate those keys to change our lives, rediscover hope, and begin to sew a new fabric. Here is to the struggle and to the character it builds within us.
This has been hanging around in my head so long it is starting to feel like an old friend. I finally coaxed it out of my head and on to my computer. What is it about old buildings that is so intriguing?
What is it about starting a new year that causes us to reminisce and to plan forward? New Year’s is just another day, and shouldn’t we be doing this throughout the year? Whatever the reason, this is the time of year to reflect on where we have been and where we are going.
Do you have a list of top 2018 moments? What are you planning for 2019?
As I walked along the beach at dawn, barefoot with the tide pulling at my toes, the sun rose through a misty haze. The fishers were the first to arrive, followed by morning runners and the seagulls. Wishing you were here.
Darkness surrounded me. Fear, loneliness, the weight of a life wasted. I sat in darkness as a hand reached for me. The touch comforts me. I feel its lift. A touch of kindness. Knowing there is hope. The darkness fades. Light radiates to through the darkness around me. Spreading the light.
JamMcKay 