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.
The nights are starting to have that feel to them that signals the coming of fall and the fading of summer. I think I will miss my summer friends as they migrate south to warmer climates. Through the winter I will look forward to their return.
Sometimes an image comes out of nowhere – not planned or deeply contemplated, it just emerges. That is exactly the case with this one. So much so I couldn’t even put a title to it. It always puzzles me when this happens and I begin searching for its origins – it usually has to do with my own emotions.
This year I have faced a series of difficulties, none of them disastrous, but each setting me back. At times it seems like I am running through darkness, maybe a tunnel or an alley. My legs are tired and it is difficult to make progress, like running through water.
I believe this image is my own artistic encouragement to myself. Though the situation may feel dark with narrow walls, and my feet may feel heavy, make the best of the situation, and play in the water.
I’ve been thinking about those people in my life that lift me up when I need it most. I recently had a knee replacement, and while it is a common surgery, recovery is painful and lengthy. I needed people in my life that would lift me when I felt down, encourage me when I wanted to give up, and tell me something funny when I cried. This is a tribute to those people.
I have learned something from this. Sometimes I know someone who is down, but I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing. I don’t want to seem intrusive so I avoid. I realize now how important it is to hear a friendly voice, receive a kindly worded note, or just to hear the voice of someone who cares.
JamMcKay 