The Art Center

This looks fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC4qAUDP4U0&feature=youtu.be

'A Japanese artist known as Lito Leaf-Art brings leaf art to a whole new level with his unbe-leaf-ably intricate designs. He meticulously carves out entire scen...es onto the delicate, green surfaces. The talented artistwho has ADHDmakes one piece of leaf art per day, as a way to focus and calm down. Each leaf showcases his incredible patience and artistic ability' See more

"Covid is the Grinch that stole Christmas" that's what my daughter Casey said about everything being closed. Especially the art exhibitions and plays that we wo...uld go see together. This editorial I wrote with Felicia Shaw Lee Ann Kim was to bring attention to how artists have been affected by the pandemic and to encourage people to donate to help them. #SDArtistRelief Full text here in case you can't access the link. Six months into a pandemic our country can’t seem to shake, COVID-19 has us missing a world we took for granted. Live music spilling onto streets from clubs and bars, actors performing Shakespeare in the park, poetry slams, dance festivals, and muralists transforming ordinary walls into extraordinary works of art. These are just a few of the gifts we receive from our independent artist sector that make our region vibrant and envied. San Diego’s light shines brighter because of their creative work, which even during a health crisis has barely dimmed. But, with no clear timeline for recovery, and no financial safety net to keep them from falling, artists of all types are at risk of losing their livelihoods. As we galvanized around the needs of other essential workers, it’s time that we step up for artists whose tireless commitment to their craft and community makes all our lives better. Nothing compares to seeing the work of a visual artist in person a painting’s scale, textures and pigments are paler versions of themselves on screen. A theatrical performance deserving of a standing ovation is somehow less powerful when applauding alone. The real-time exchange of thoughts and ideas between artist and patron fuels the creative cycle. But the pandemic and accompanying recession are thieves that steal from us the very things that artists do best give us joy and bring us together. As one of our daughters said: COVID is the Grinch who stole Christmas. San Diego creatives are not standing still. The urge to create is strong. They have mobilized in our living rooms performing free live concerts on social media; they are sewing masks almost too beautiful to wear, and providing workshops online to keep us sane and occupied while we wait out the storm. They write to document the crisis, so we remember who and what we lost during our darkest hours, and what we stand to gain when recovery comes. They have always been here for us, but are we here for them, now? Leaders of the Great Depression of the 1930s were there for artists. The New Deal’s landmark Works Progress Administration (WPA) offered employment to thousands of otherwise destitute culture workers. Artists were hired to paint murals in public buildings designed by out-of-work architects; photographers and writers documented social conditions and revealed hidden histories in return for pay; and public theater nurtured a famed generation of actors and playwrights thanks to government subsidies. Out of hardship grew a creative revolution and a more inclusive national culture. While we organize to demand local, state and national action in support of cultural work, there are actions we can take today to sustain our artist communities through the crisis. Try an online art class. Selling art is just one way artists support themselves. Many artists teach people of all ages, and now they do it online. Dust off that guitar or pick up that paint brush and allow an artist to help you discover a more creative you. Attend exhibits and performances online. Art and cultural venues may be closed, but programming continues online. Embrace the accessibility of exhibits and openings and attend virtually. Donate to free events to show you care Donate to artists. If you are able, consider donating the money that you would have spent on tickets directly to artists. Many social funding platforms, such as GoFundMe or Patreon, enable people-to-people financial support for hundreds of causes. Make a difference in an artist’s life in an instant, with as little as $10, helping to cover food or gas. Follow artists, amplify their reach and purchase artwork. Follow your favorite artists on social media or go to their websites where they post work for sale. Add to your collection or help by sharing their work with your contacts and connections. Support relief funds for artists. Donate money that can be matched and distributed where it is most needed. Several private and public organizations are trying to provide financial assistance through emergency grants. Advocate for change. Write letters or send comments to your elected officials to let them know that art matters and should be supported. Send the message that our existing support systems for artists, particularly artists of color, are inequitable and need to change. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an opportunity to rebuild and reimagine a vibrant cultural sector, with artists at the center. They together are key to our recovery and our return to a time when our light will once again shine bright. Kim is the founder of the Pacific Arts Movement and a member of The San Diego Union Tribune’s community advisory board. She lives in Sorrento Valley. Moctezuma is a professor of fine arts and museum studies as well as the gallery director at San Diego Mesa College and lives in Golden Hill.

https://www.nytimes.com//nicole-tersigni-men-to-avoid-in-a

Open Classes at Palomar College Art Dept.