"makings" released

 

Jesse Olsen Bay's CD, "makings",  was recently released.  It is a collection of twenty songs that he created from unpublished writings of his grandmother, Tillie Olsen,  known for her books, short stories, and essays about lives of women and working class people. She called her unpublished writings, "Blueys",  since she used blue sheets of paper for  jotting down ideas, notes, bits of poetry and prose,  and an occasional comment.

Last Fall, Jesse approached me to create  art for the CD cover.  The image above is the result.  However, during the process I presented  several options from which he could choose.

A Eureka Fellowship Nominee and Applicant

Lots happening this fall:

Recently I received a letter from the Fleishhacker Foundation inviting me to apply for the 2014-2016 Eureka Fellowship for the Visual Arts.  I was one of 118 Bay Area artists nominated from which twelve will be awarded the fellowship, a $25,000 unrestricted grant.  The twelve will be selected in the fall by a panel of noted visual arts experts from outside the Bay Area and awards will be announced in December.   I am honored to have been nominated!

By the time you read this, the exhibit 'Cuttings'  will have closed.  As with most of my shows, I  love  the interesting discussions and interactions I have with those who come and look. I'm  often left with more to ponder.  Thanks to all who attended!  Look for more postings on sections of this exhibit.  And I will be looking for other venues to exhibit this work.  If any of you have any suggestions or leads, please let me know.

And now that the exhibit has closed, I can start work on a project/ collaboration with musician, Jesse Olsen Bay.  In August I met with him about his project, "Makings"; he set music to his grandmother's,  Tillie Olsen's  journals  that she called the 'blueys'.  He has commissioned me to make artwork for the CD cover.