Visual artist Ana Esteve Llorens, who is originally from Spain but now resides in Austin, TX, shares how COVID has impacted her. The pandemic has both changed and not changed her life: she has had to reinvent how she relates to her family, friends, and students, but as an artist working alone in her studio, she believes that the loneliness many are feeling is not new to her. Ana's passion for creating art has been a primary motivation, as well as her network of friends. She says that we must keep hope alive, and talks about how she has come to appreciate the things she had taken for granted before, such as "the rhythms dictated by nature". Ana ends by saying that she's positive we'll make it out of this crisis. This video is part of the Humanities Truck's From Me To You: A Covid-19 Oral History Project. https://humanitiestruck.com/frommetoyou/
Artist Antonious Bui, a fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA discusses the impact of COVID-19. Antonious shares how, as a cultural worker, there have been a number of postponements and cancellations that have impacted the ability of fellows at the Fine Arts Work Center to work collaboratively in person. Antonious discusses how the pandemic presented an opportunity to critique institutions and demand a more equitable future, thanking the Fine Arts Work Center for responding to demands for stipend and stay increases. Antonious talks about how family, loved ones, and other artists have provided invaluable support, and also shares how it's been inspiring to see how the pandemic can provide a model for collective movement on other issues like the climate crisis. Antonious ends by hoping that we see how our "normal" is unsustainable, as it only serves the richest and most privileged. We need to recognize that we are not all equal, and that we all need to continue to pay attention to understand that collective movement -- and art -- is more important than ever. This video is part of the Humanities Truck's From Me To You: A Covid-19 Oral History Project. https://humanitiestruck.com/frommetoyou/
Conversation with Naoko Wowsugi's Artist's Perspective: Digital Photography class about meanings of groups on October 2, 2019. Conversation took place at American University.
Event plan for photoshoot and exhibit presentation with members of the Lincoln Temple (1701 11th St NW, DC) on December 7, 2019. Includes event description, equipment, preparation, and schedule.
Event plan for exhibit presentation and photo shoot at the Visart Gallery (155 Gibbs St, Rockville, MD) on November 6, 2019. Includes event description, equipment, preparation, and schedule.
Artist Jaimie Warren shares how COVID has impacted her life and work. She discusses how two of the largest-scale projects she's ever done have been interrupted by the virus, and reflects on how she and her team are adapting to do one (an exhibition and community musical) virtually with students. She hopes that she can take the hurdles COVID has posed and turn them into different creative outcomes. Jaimie talks about how she left Brooklyn for her family home in Wisconsin at the start of the outbreak, and discusses the struggles she's faced living at home with a conservative family, especially as the state opens back up. Jaimie shares that work, going outside, and therapy have all kept her going, and warns against the dangers of fake news. She hopes that in these scary times, we can learn to find reliable sources of information and counsels people to hold their communities tightly and take this virus seriously. This video is part of the Humanities Truck's From Me To You: A Covid-19 Oral History Project. https://humanitiestruck.com/frommetoyou/
Artist Althea Rao reflects upon the impact of COVID in her life, especially in relation to immigration issues she has been experiencing since August 2019. Althea is from China, and shares that COVID has not had too much of an impact on her because she's been experiencing many of the issues (unemployment, lack of healthcare, etc.) since the beginning of her problems with immigration. While on a day-to-day level her life has changed with new social distancing measures, she believes that her life has been in limbo for a long time, and she feels full of sympathy for those who are now feeling frustrated with their current situation. Because of her immigration issues, Althea shares that she has not felt the need to find something new to sustain her, but points to her long-term art project with local communities as a positive force. Althea discusses how COVID has impacted the relationship between China and the US, and has shaped the perception and experiences of Asian Americans. She ends by reflecting on how COVID has brought death closer to her and people throughout the world. This video is part of the Humanities Truck's From Me To You: A Covid-19 Oral History Project. https://humanitiestruck.com/frommetoyou/
Naoko Wowsugi, a Humanities Truck fellow and studio art professor at American University, discusses how COVID has impacted her as an immigrant, an artist, and an educator. She shares how she experienced COVID a bit earlier than those in the US, since she was in Japan with family during the initial outbreak in Wuhan. She was worried the virus would impact her travel plans, but ultimately made it back to the US before travel bans went into place. Naoko talks about how COVID has cancelled or postponed the projects she was working on as an artist, including her project with the Humanities Truck as a fellow. She shares how she took in-person meetings with people for granted, and has had to adjust to replicating those interactions online. Naoko finds hope in the number of people who have come forward to help their communities and put their lives at risk to save others. She hopes we will reflect on issues of gentrification and displacement as a result of the virus, and learn about what is really essential to our lives and how those essential things should be shared equally. This video is part of the Humanities Truck's From Me To You: A Covid-19 Oral History Project. https://humanitiestruck.com/frommetoyou/