Recently, while most folks were gearing up for winter weather, I ducked into one of my favorite thrift stores to see if there were any inspiring cast-offs. I sometimes seek out random objects to inspire some new artwork or to use in a project that is underway. In addition to some good costume jewelry and trinkets, a rare rudimentary black violin with its case was an unexpected find. For the past few months, I’ve been obsessed with adorning old, worn out and retired violins into something beautiful. Their lyrical form and beauty inspires me, and breathing new life into them is a fun journey!

Here are a few of those pieces:

Then and Now- Rhapsody of a Pure Heart.jpg

As I was standing in line ready to purchase my haul, the woman behind me seemed intrigued and confused to hear me ask if they would keep the violin case as I didn’t really need it. When she couldn’t contain herself any longer, I murmured something about making art with it, as the sales lady continued ringing up my jewelry findings. Just as the clerk shared my total, the lady behind me said, “Well you can’t eat artwork!” Any response to her would take more time than a thrift store line would afford. None-the-less, her words bounced around in my head for several hours afterwards.

I know she was trying to contribute to my well-being from her perspective. Those words “You can’t eat artwork,” could certainly deter and likely have discouraged many folks from pursuing their important creative dreams. But my truth is that artwork really is feeding me these days. . . in so many ways. First, it feeds my heart and soul, but more recently it is providing my sole income too. How could I possibly let this well-meaning woman know that I’d been working diligently for years plotting my eventual departure from my conventional job as a forensic nurse. As a forensic nurse, for over 20-years, I’ve received the stories of hundreds if not thousands of survivors. How could I also tell her that caring for my 95-yo precious mother for the past six years has limited my ability to work, and actually helped to thrust me into making artwork? In fact, just a couple months ago I stepped away from my most recent [and possibly last] nursing job.

The truth is that art in general and public art in particular, should not be placed on the same rung as “basic needs.” Years ago, Abraham Maslow proposed a pattern of motivations through which most of us establish our priorities. Needs such as food, clothing and shelter being at the bottom of the pyramid and considered basic needs. While near the top of the hierarchy is self-actualization followed by the experience of Transcendence. Maslow says, in order for us to engage in the next level of growth, it is necessary to feel a sense of achieving some satisfaction with the previous level’s goals. So, I’m feeling very fortunate that life has pushed me in this direction to create art! And in that sense, it is essential that public art feeds the community and its presence be made essential for everyone’s consumption.

Here I am with the “bones” of Vigilance, a giant 13-foot tall candle influenced by Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb.” The central candle and the three surrounding benches bear excerpts from that poem! The installation will be happening mid-April in the historic East Market Street and Murrow Blvd. area of downtown Greensboro.