A R T
New Mexico’s Influence on Artists
I found the article, Why So Many Artists Have Been Drawn to New Mexico, just in time for my road trip. According to the artists who found purpose there, remoteness leads to freedom, and vastness lends introspection. I’m looking forward to what the landscape presents me.
L O C A L
Placemaking in South Dallas
The Better Block Foundation organized the MLK pop-up food park in South Dallas from April 9th - May 2nd, located in the Forest District. The event was an exploration of ways to activate the neighborhood with resources for the community and city. I was pleased to read that community members were involved in making decisions on what the project entails, resulting in the food park occupied by South Dallas entrepreneurs. Perhaps this is a way to sustain communities instead of gentrifying them. The Better Block Foundation is a Dallas-based non-profit that describes its ethos as placemaking, a public planning approach coined in the sixties that focuses on highlighting and fostering assists of a neighborhood.
I’m looking forward to the evolution of South Dallas if done correctly. As such, I’m excited to follow the reclaiming of The Forest Theater. On a drive a couple of years ago, I stopped and read some of the text written in chalk on the theater’s exterior, not fully understanding what it was. It turned out to be an open invitation for neighbors of the theater to express their desires for its revived purpose.
More about The Forest Theater’s History here.
M O R E
Earth Day
It’s not something to celebrate once every year. The intentions of Earth Day require life style changes and the date is just a time to highlight resources. This is a reminder to ask yourself, when and if you’re doing the work. There’s a massive archive on the education resource library of earthday.org. Here are some of my favorite simple ways to make an impact on a individual level; plant pollinator friendly plants, keep your garden chemical free, invest in reusable materials and sustainable clothes.
P E O P L E
Joan Mirό
Joan Mirό Maquette pour la page 52 de À toute épreuve de Paul Éluard, en vue de la publication aux Éditions Gérald Cramer 1949 33,1 x 25 cm Fundació Joan Mirό, Barcelone. Image Source: Foundation Jan Michalski
Mirό was my first favorite artist because of his work’s vibrancy and symbolism. He was born on April 20th, 1893. His family was Spanish goldsmiths which, makes sense when noticing the mechanical aspects of his work. He eventually situated himself within the realm of automatism, a surrealist process of accessing the subconscious to make art. Often sourcing from the repressed parts of one’s mind, Mirό used art to confront viewers with a representation of transcendence in times of turmoil. It feels particularly relevant to celebrate his work these days.
Joan Mitchell
This month I came across opportunities listed on the Joan Mitchell Foundation. If you’re also an artist, there are a lot of great resources to save on the site. Mitchell was born in Chicago on February 12th, 1925, and quickly established herself as a leading young Abstract Expressionist painter. In her biography, she's quoted stating, "I paint from remembered landscapes that I carry with me—and remembered feelings of them, which of course become transformed. I could certainly never mirror nature. I would like more to paint what it leaves me with."
One of the Artist Programs include the Professional Development and Resources for Artists. This section is filled with helpful documents for artists in all stages of their careers. The Time Management for Creatives article is a good content example.
My intent for Sub Rosa is to provide access to curated information centered on art and activism. Valuing my time as an artist, I’ve been thinking of a way to offer readers the choice to pay for my chronicles. Below is an option to support my project for as little as $1 one time or however you’re comfortable.