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Art as Antibodies

A New Mexico Pandemic Creations Contest

Here are the entries to our Art as Antibodies contest. They are listed in (more or less) the order received; the oldest entries appear at the bottom of this page. We'll be announcing Top 10 winners (by popular vote) and AMP Staff/Friends picks throughout the day and updating the web site accordingly.  So keep checking back!  

AMP is covering all the costs and prize money for this competition, while simultaneously having no revenue from events.  If you would like to support AMP on this project:

DONATE

Top 10 Picks by Voting
(over 1,000 votes received!)

1. The Identity Project with Taos Academy Charter School

After we transitioned to online classes, we created this video as our culminating project, which had originally been planned as a live performance.

 

2. Marina Hartzell Gallegos

These are two pieces I've made since being isolated. They are the same scene at two different times of day. During this time, since going outside hasn't really been much of an option, I have been looking out my window a lot and just noticing how the light changes all of the colors. I wanted to try and capture the feeling you get when you look outside and notice the changing light and the time of day and are reminded of the passing of time. You are reminded that everything is temporary, and although times are hard now, this too shall pass and tomorrow will bring a new day.

Marina donated her prize money back to AMP.  Thanks so much for the support!

 

3. Nosotros

"Mama Tierra, Paz y Amor"
Recorded in NM in our homes while social distancing

  

4. Moira Garcia

"Yao Xochitl 2020" 
Acrylic on canvas 36 in. x 36 in.
The painting is based on the Mexica concept of Yao Xochitl (flower war) and the new Mexica year of Tecpatl (flint/obsidian knife) which began in March 2020. Tecpatl is the double-edged sword that brings death or truth, depending on how it is used. Yao Xochitl is the concept that beauty and truth can coexist with war and struggle. How are you flowering during this time of struggle?

 

5. IAIA Dance Department

"May We Flow Like Water"
Here is a submission on behalf of the students of the IAIA Dance Department, taught by Jonah Winn-Lenetsky and Esmé Olivia. We were inspired by the Exquisite Corps (42 choreographers, 1 dance) video directed by Mitchell Rose.

We began formulating ideas for this piece a few weeks ago and just finished video-ing this in response to the pandemic.

 

6. Busy McCarroll

"Hope and Toilet Paper"
Written by Busy McCarroll 3/36/20
Guitar, Vocals, Synth Bass: Busy
Drums: Baird
Recorded at Kludgit Sound, Cerrillos, NM
Engineered and mixed by Baird Baird Banner 

This song puts a big thing like Hope and a small thing like Toilet Paper together. 
I thought I had the virus. I was scared. I got my lungs X-rayed then got the ‘test’. During my wait for results, I turned off the news, meditated, stretched and focused on Hope. The test was negative. I was relieved and even more hopeful, then I realized that we needed toilet paper, but EVERYONE was out.  Hope got me thru a scary time and toilet paper.....well, you know. 
~This is the first, and probably the last, time that Toilet Paper will be in one of my songs. :-)

 

7. William Leeman

"Songs That Touched My Life"
The motivation was to recall more pleasant times after days of watching/hearing all the dismal news related to the pandemic.

 

8. Ambrose B. Begay

Thoreau, NM
4-17-20. Here's one for our Native American Communities.
15 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches, Pyrography Art finished with Acrylics.

 

9. Adrian Wall

Here’s a song I wrote while on lockdown in Jemez. Hope it gives you a chuckle. Stay safe everyone.

 

10.  Tom Brejcha

Creating a painting in honor of our health care heroes.

Card playing during the pandemic

"The Pandemic Kiss"

"Pandemic Response"

 

 

 

AMP Staff/Friends Picks 

Marcy Gentry

"Art for Seniors"

Selected by Chris McGlumphy (AMP Albuquerque Staff) on Marcy Gentry's "Art for Seniors"

- I was affected by the double-meaning that comes from the title. I read the title first before viewing the artwork. In the news coverage I had been watching, the focus was on how the pandemic is most dangerous towards senior citizens. So when I read the title my mind was thinking it had something to do with senior citizens. But when I saw the artwork, it is actually about graduating seniors (high-school, college perhaps). That made me think more deeply about how the pandemic is affecting all segments of the population, particularly our next up-and-coming adult generation. The artwork seems quite sad, frightening, and emotional to me. Most of all, memorable.

Marcy will receive a big bundle of Independent Comics from New Mexico created by members of 7000 BC · independent comics from new mexico.  7000 BC is a Northern New Mexico-based organization providing opportunities for comics writers and artists to develop their personal styles and storytelling "voices," while promoting an understanding of the cultural significance of comic art through seminars and workshops.

 

 

Laurianne Fiorentino

Keeping in touch with my music-making peers like Consuelo Luz brings up topics of keeping the creative juices flowing. The OK Corral was never OK....and we're corralled in a not so ok situation...or is it?

The Not So OK Corral was written a few days ago and featured in a live streaming concert hosted by Santa.com in the #bantogethersantafe series to benefit The Food Depot. TheCelloPlayer remained outdoors about 20 feet away through the screen door. The entire concert was viewed by about 200 people and raised almost $400 for the Food Depot. Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen sponsored the event by donating 10% of the day's proceeds to the cause.

Enjoy this world premier of THE NOT SO OK CORRAL!


Selected by 
Jeff Hanson (who has been on the AMP Board since it was founded in 2007, and hosted our house concerts before that!)

I’ll pick Laurianne Fiorentino. I think she was clever to have her cellist sitting outside to maintain social distance and she not only created a new song, but also raised money for the food bank in Santa Fe Via her streamed concert.

 

Dan Friedman, MD

"C-19"

Selected by Tim Franke (AMP Santa Fe Staff)

i just liked that it was a doc and the song was cool

Daniel B Friedman will receive a gift certificate to Natural Grocers

 

Rachael Rodgers

"Music is NOT cancelled", colored pencil on 18"x24" Strathmore drawing paper.

My submission is inspired by how the music world has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When entire countries, states and cities began to be locked down, and people isolated and quarantined all over the world because of the virus, everything rapidly changed—including concerts, festivals and gigs. They were—and currently continue to be—cancelled. Musicians have been hit very hard, their livelihoods gone in a flash.

But then something happened—musicians began having virtual concerts. While it doesn't replace actual concerts, festivals and gigs, if they can't play right now for an audience in-person, they can play for an audience virtually, online, from their individual homes.

People are watching these virtual shows, from their individual homes; some of them buying virtual tickets, putting much-needed money into tip jars, and buying CDs and merch online. Some musicians have even morphed what started as a one-off online concert into regularly scheduled online shows.

So as I thought about what art I might create for this contest, my mind went straight to musicians, how they have been sharing their music and how people are experiencing it. I thought of how so many of these new online shows are being billed as some variation of "physically apart, musically together" and "stay at home festival" and with other new pandemic-related words and expressions too, such as "quarantunes", "social distancing" and "music is NOT cancelled".

So I imagined a band, on stage together playing for an audience in a theatre together--except that because of social distancing, lockdowns and isolation, each member of the band is playing virtually, individually, from their home; and each member of the audience is also viewing the concert virtually, individually, from their homes. And the theatre isn't one physical location, it's many locations simultaneously.

Currently, music and live concerts are being shared and received via screens--whether it's a person's computer or smart phone. To represent this idea, I made each person's "head" a screen--an old-fashioned tv screen. The stage is the planet, to represent how these concerts are being streamed live around the world.

I've imagined that a radio station, "KCVD 19.4" (obviously to represent COVID-19, and "K" for the the first call letter of a radio station, and that this is April, the 4th month) is sponsoring this band, The Quarantunes.

The band is broadcasting solace (something we all really need right now; and isn't music always solace?) around the globe, in the Splendid Isolation Theatre, for the Stay at Home Virtual Festival. The theatre is loosely based on The Lensic in Santa Fe.

And the band is playing a real Irish tune called Splendid Isolation (the title of which seemed very apropos to me).

The quote, "We Are the Music Makers, We Are the Dreamers of Dreams" is from a poem, "Ode", by Arthur O'Shaughnessy.

Selected by Debbie L'Insalata (Merch seller extraordinaire)

Rachael’s piece really nails it on the head for what we are experiencing musically on a global level. It captures the true iconic image of what AMP Concerts and The Lensic Performing Arts Center bring to us locally, with the use of the world as a stage and music as a universal language. Her piece is playful, original and speaks to the will and tenacity of musicians and music lovers coming together from all over the world to support each other during this time. Rachael’s description of her piece and what inspired her can stand alone as a literary piece speaking to The Power of Music During Covid 19 through virtual means. 

Rachael will receive a gift certificate from New Mexico Tea Company

 

Camille Cunningham

These are part of a series of art postcards that I'm mailing to friends and family. They're painted and collaged. They're a wonderful way to stay in contact with friends and family during the pandemic. Plus a few paintings too.

I'm a mental health therapist doing teletherapy for the first time. I'm finding kindness and community connection are very important now, and thinking a lot about compassion and empathy.

We asked AMP Albuquerque staffer Chris McGlumphy to check in with his family for an AMP STAFF PICK, and his wife Rachel picked the exceptional postcard art of Camille Cunningham.

Rachel liked Camille’s pieces because they are real things that could be shared and sent to many people or kept and cherished. Rachel used to be in a pie-of-the-month club many years ago that was run by an artist friend of hers, and the club was more about the artist making really interesting postcards with pie recipes on the back and mailing them to the members than it was about the pies. They have a bunch of them framed. Anyway, Camille's postcards reminded her of those and she liked that memory that it brought up and the thought that she could actually have one of these if the artist chose to send them out.

Camille will receive a gift certificate to Natural Grocers

 

 

Margaret Levin Oster, aka FERRARO

I’m an artist from Rio Rancho, New Mexico and here is my art submission. It is Acrylic paint on Canvas.
And is titled: HOPE not FEAR.

Selected by Deborah Lee (regular march/hospitality staffer):
As a mom, this submission immediately grabbed my attention. The depth of fear captured in the young girl's eyes made my heart drop. I want to wrap this precious child in my arms and assure her all will be okay. The use of butterflies, which traditionally represents a new beginning, is very meaningful. With hope outside of her range of sight, I envision the butterfly resting on her hand, will lead her down the path, which hints at endless possibilities. The artists palette is vibrant and the detail is absolutely incredible.
Margaret Levin Oster (AKA Ferraro) will receive a gift certificate to Natural Grocers

Laura Wacha

Selected by AMP Director Neal Copperman:
I posted all the submissions on Facebook (many twice), so I got to spend a lot of time with them. I particularly loved the madcap whimsy of Laura Wacha Art's pieces. They seemed a perfect representation of our surreal times. And the latch hook rug is the most endearing coronavirus I've ever encountered. Plus, it's a latch hook rug!
Laura will receive a gift certificate to Natural Grocers.

"Covid in a Box"
24”x25”, latch hook rug.
I took advantage of the extra time at home to dig through some materials that I have neglected. My first latch hook rug, a cute virus in containment.

Shop Till Drop. Acrylic on canvas, 12”x16”.
Grocery shopping is an adventure these days, and not in a good way.

 

Roxanna Mesco

Coronavirus cross-stitch 2020
Approximately 4” diameter

Selected by Sue Trowbridge, (our web designer of 20 years!)
Sue worked super hard on this project. She posted all 190 entries on our web site gallery, updating entries in her usual remarkably speedy fashion. She stopped tracking her hours and ended up doing most of this work for us for free in support of the spirit of the contest, and really got wrapped up in all the work.
She says: I choose Roxanna Mesco (the cross-stitcher) -- I found her Instagram and her work is very clever and funny!
Roxanna will receive a gift certificate to New Mexico Tea Company.

 

Carley Sorensen

"Loneliness"

Selected by Scott Darsee (One time art history devotee and visual artist who now performs medieval music):

"In choosing my favorite visual artwork, l looked at every single piece. I was especially impressed by Carley Sorenson’s submission. It was powerful, original, and expressed something both emotional and intangible - much like our present situation. Overall, for my vote, I considered originality, mastery of medium and visual impact. Carley's covid-rabbit captured all three!

"I don't know Carley but l hope that she continues to produce engaging and original works. I loved it!"

Carley will receive a collection of New Mexico comics from 7000 BC.

  

Tom Hill

My entries, all felt pen/colored pencil drawings done in the last few weeks.

Selected by Jamie Lenfestey (Director of Santa Fe Operations)

Tom Hill's "The Brain During The Pandemic”  cracked me up while at the same time the quality of the work, the detail, I thought was very impressive. We are all losing our minds in this thing. I’m still just trying to do it with a sense of humor…

Tom will receive a gift certificate to Natural Grocers

 

Eddie Ramirez

Los Lunas, NM
"Spread the Light of Hope"
Acrylic, 24" x 48"

AMP Volunteer Coordinator James Wolken studied al the submissions carefully and picked Eddie Ramirez' "Spread the Light of Hope" as his favorite.

Jim says " I picked this one because I liked the symbolism. Lady Liberty is one of our national treasures and symbols of Hope if there ever was one. I thought of what the people of New York City have gone through these past few months and how they have weathered the worst of the storm."

Eddie will receive a gift certificate to Natural Grocers

 

Submissions 

Woven Talon

"Singawala"
When we meet again, we will dance and sing.

 

Strangers From Afar

"Vamos a Ver"

 

P.J. Karpius

Submitted by Mort Bassman: I am posting this on behalf of my friend PJ. This is a character from his new sci-fi novel named Jette. Jette does not normally fight viruses but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

 

David Burling

 

Matthew Redington

"Inner Wastelands" 
Gouache on paper

 

Tasha Curtis

“Sugar House”
Written shortly after the stay-at-home directive, it was inspired by a friend’s Instagram post from her recent trip to Texas, where they had visited “La Casa de Azucar/The Sugar House." Seeing the photo brought a desire to provide sweetness and safety to someone we’re intimately close with, to let them know they are so loved and not alone, in the midst of the unknown.

 

Nedra DiFilippo

 

 

Pati Terrazas

Never in my lifetime, did I ever think
That I couldn't go fishing because of Covid-19
Ever since I was young, its been my favorite thing to do
With a fishing rod in my hand, how could I ever feel blue
Then a virus abruptly turned my world upside down
We weren't even allowed to leave our small town
I look at my reflection in the lake and see myself young
Oh how I loathe Covid-19, for it cost me my lung

 

Max Cohen

 

Bridgit Lujan 

Albuquerque 
Praise of unforgotten remarkable lives  
&
de aquí no sales
Choreography & Dance by Bridgit Luján, CNM & SFCC Dance Faculty

 

Eliana Maes 

I lettered at Del Norte and Sandia High School in sports and academics. I feel as though this picture portrays the affect that COVID-19 has had on my senior year. COVID can’t dim our light, we seniors are in this together. 

 

Margaret Martinez

This is my husband Peter planting green chili etc... Looking forward to the hot weather and fresh vegetables.

 

John Bumkens

I have been so inspired by so many others these days.  So many people in different jobs being recognized for what they do. It seems like  we are more connected and not just by this event but by our similar situations. I was inspired by others to create more pieces of art. I am a recycled artist and already have a feel of connection by all the elements I use in my art. Even though most is discarded by others I feel their presence. I make my version of "day of the dead" art to celebrate those who art not with us anymore. I really like the idea of setting aside a day in the year to remember and respect our former family members and friends. It is a good thing to acknowledge and honor the past. My art is bitter-sweet in that this situation is hard to swallow but look at those sweet little plastic pigs that make up the nose, or a manly tool for a mouth.

  

Dr. Michael Pridham

I am a chiropractic physician in Albuquerque. Art has always been a great outlet for me to deal with emotional turmoil. 
Skiing is a huge part of my life and I volunteer as an Adaptive Sports instructor. My students have disabilities that range from autism spectrum disorder to quadriplegia. 
I am on Ski Patrol at Sandia Peak Ski Resort. I am a volunteer facility member of the Pain Department at the University of New Mexico and I work on a lot of policy work in the National and State legislature to bring about Integrative Medicine options to help reduce the opioid epidemic in the state and throughout the country. 

 

Yanez 2319

 

Marcella Velasquez

 

Lia Moldovan

Albuquerque
"Silent Concert, Indoor Spring"
Digital Photography

 

Jessi Cross

Santa Fe
"Death In Spring"
Gouache on paper

"Anticipation"
Gouache on paper

 

Pamela Hong

April 2020: beauty in isolation

 

David Tietmeyer

"Where we once sat, Together"
A series of photographs depicting the 2020 COVID-19 virus shut down in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was driven to "be in the moment" and create these images for us, for our town and a reminder that a city is just concrete, it's our wonderful and resilient residents that make it a place to live. An empty chair, invites us back to sit and listen to the stranger who will become our friend.
(These images are an example of the complete collection)

 

Alexandra Grajeda

"Ixcacao"
The Mayan Goddess of Cacao. A highly respected, yet widely misunderstood and misused superfood, which helps aid the body and protect it against life threatening diseases.
14” x 16” acrylic on canvas.

 

Ness Beauchemin

Southeast Albuquerque
Before the coronavirus hit New Mexico, I was someone who couldn’t stand staying at home, but right now that is exactly what we are being called upon to do if we can. I knew in the beginning that instrumental to keeping my head during this time would be learning to appreciate and find beauty in that neglected space. To that end, I have finalized a digital photo taken inside my Albuquerque apartment each day of sheltering, since mid March. My photos are often, but not always, still lifes with a focus on texture and highlighted details. Here are the five I am most happy with so far. 

 

Adrian Martin

"Writhing Ball of Worms," aka How my insides have felt for two+ months now. Polymer clay and acrylics.

 

Martin Montoya

"Isolation"

 

Guinivere Mayse

Dreaming of when I can travel again. Painting of Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. 9x12 acrylic painting on canvas.

 

Robert Behrendt

Corona virus is cumin for us
Cuz we been bad.
We voted for Trump, an we been had.
Listen to Fauci, our shadow Perez
Think twice before boarding plane, he sez.
Theres no place we're going free of that bug.
Stay put wipin everything good.
Keep your gun handy and give it a hug
Wait this thing out knowing Putin would help his boy if he could.
Don't be praying for a Red Dawn
Better to be dead and gone!

 

Amanda Sweeney

Santa Fe
I began making art as part of my work in therapy and have been making quite a few pieces to get my feelings out during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Both are self portraits created in April 2020 and both are acrylic on canvas.

"Mixed Emotions"

 

"Disillusionment" 

 

Skye West 

Here is a jewelry piece I made from metal, photoshopped with parts of a magazine collage that I made. It’s called “reflecting on your inner antibodies”. All of us are being forced to spend a lot of time with ourselves during this pandemic and with all the bad and crazy things going on in the world right now, I believe that people will discover more about themselves and the hidden talents they possess. I’m 16, I go to Albuquerque High School, and I’m in 11th grade. 

 

Olivia Rodriguez

15 years old

 

Alane Foug

Albuquerque
"Lungs"
Acrylic on canvas, 18”x24”

 

George Toya

Jemez Pueblo, NM
"Avanyu Busting Covid 19"
Acrylic on Canvas 20"x6"
Horned Serpent protecting our Communities from Covid 19

 

Lynn Mazur

"Coronavirus Blues"

Goin' outside today, breaking all the rules.
Everything's all locked up. They've even closed the schools.
All my plans've been canceled. My life's all messed up.
And I'm tryin' to keep my sanity, along with the rest of humanity.
Got coronavirus cornteen blues.

Goin' to the grocery store. I really want an orange.
Everybody's lookin' at me. They think I look kinda strorange.
With my paper mask and plastic gloves. Man, what's that about.
And I'm lookin' for some toilet paper, and don't you know they're out.
Got coronavirus cornteen blues.

Goin' back home again. The streets're pretty clear.
Think I'll make another stop and get some some good craft beer.
Hope the liquor stores're open. Man, that's essential.
And I really need some sympathy. I'm startin' to atrophy.
Got the coronavirus cornteen blues.

Dirty hair, don't care. Sittin' around in my underwear.
Got no fashion. Got no style.
I think this is gonna last awhile.
Tired of hearin' all the news. Hope I don't blow a fuse.
Got coronavirus cornteen blues.

(At the end, I say, "What? It's quarantine? Oh....)

March 29, 2020, 1:30 a.m.

(written mostly in one sitting while I was sick with suspected food poisoning)

 

Amy Christian

I started making these small drawings in a sketchbook at the start of the pandemic with a sharpie and a kids color marker set. I found the act of coloring the bright rainbow colors calming within the context of the overwhelming rush of news flooding in from every angle. Spacious Solidarity and Shelter in Place came first, during the first week of the stay at home order in NM—the rest have been flowing steadily since, with my favorite being Less Apocalypse More Revolution! The texts are inspired by article, quotes, and experiences shared from a myriad of people ranging from Arundhati Roy's article recognizing the virus a portal, to The People's Bailout Movement, international DIY mask making movement and the group of 20 women I am coordinating with locally to sew masks for frontline workers and indigenous communities. Deep inspiration for the linocut image printed on cloth—Radical Love—came from Allied Media Project, the Santa Fe Mutual Aid Network, and the youth leadership of YUCCA who immediately took up the call to bring our community together in connection and support of those most harshly impacted.

"Less Apocalypse More Revolution"

 "If Not Now... RISE!"

"I Protect You" in honor of the Santa Fe Craftivists and Mutual Aid Network

"Pattern Interrupt (normal is killing us)"

"Six Feet for Our Elders" in honor of indigenous elders and the crucial wisdom they carry

"In the Same Boat"

 "Shelter in Place"

 "Spacious Solidarity"

"Radical Love"

 

Deborah Klezmer

After saying this phrase to a friend who was sick with Covid-19, I started thinking of it in broader terms as a way to honor our interconnectedness in this crisis. We have each other. Sterling silver with peridot.

A short video about the making of this piece:

 

Joan Grabel

As a photographer and painter, words do not come easy. The Haiku poetry form, wedding of senses and feelings is serving me during this unsettling time. I paired Haikus written the past few weeks with Calligraphy I painted.

 

Josie Mohr

 

 

Theater Grottesco

Losing live performance so quickly showed us how very special it was and will be again one day.  Theater Grottesco began taping short solo pieces that could be produced safely and would give audiences a reminiscent taste of what we had and what we'll see when its safe to pack into a dark theater again.

Artistic Director, John Flax, has developed a modern Commedia dell'arte character over many years, who is an expert and can speak about current events with a wink and a nod. 

 

Robin Anderson

Here's a painting I did of my yoga teacher, Mataji. She's helped me maintain a semblance of calm.

 

On The Way Down

"Good Vibes"

 

Celia Ameline

"Nice neighborhood"

"Shelter in place"

 

Margot Leverett & Jordan Wax

Master klezmer clarinetist Margot Leverett and student Jordan Wax have been working together for the past year through a New Mexico FolkArts Apprenticeship, which supports the transmission of traditional arts in New Mexico.  In Margot's case, that means the rich idiom of American Ashkenazi Jewish klezmer dance music as inherited from mid-century American immigrant masters.  The stay-at-home orders interrupted their in-person lessons, but they've continued via Skype and recently came together (but 6 feet apart) to try a tune Margot taught Jordan remotely.  This set of melodies is traditionally called "פֿופֿזען יאָר פֿון דער הײם אַװעק",  but Margot re-cast it here as "6 Feet Away from Sanity". 

 

Lone Pinon 

Entregas (or 'entriegas') are ritual songs sung in Northern New Mexico for a variety of community occasions, but especially for weddings, in the form of 'La Entrega de los Novios.'  Each entrega is different, but the entregador generally starts by asking permission to deliver his or her song, sings some verses explaining the significance of the event going on, some that offer advice to the couple for a good marriage, and then a long section of verses that honor the individuals present;  sometimes entregas can last 40 minutes to an hour.  According to New Mexican pueta and folklorist Cipriano Vigil, in some periods in the Norte when priests were scarce the entrega was enough to wed a couple in the eyes of the community, and their bond wasn’t official until the entrega was sung. 

This melody was played by Adelaido and Adolfo Chavez of Cerro, NM and recorded by Juan B Rael in 1940, and the recording became part of an archive that is now available online through the Library of Congress.  Tunes in this mode and rhythm fell out of popularity for Entregas by the 1960s.  Several French musicians who have heard us perform this tune have recognized it as the melody and rhythm of a medieval French 'bourée'.

Performed in isolation in April 2020 by Karina Wilson (violin - Santa Fe), Tanya Nunez (upright bass - Albuquerque), and Jordan Wax (violin - Lone Butte). 

 

Tammy Marrujo

"Isolation"

"COVIDparticle19"

"Collage"

 

"Mask making" 

 

Lois Fernandez

"Corona Madre de las Lagrimas de Oro"
Medium: Egg tempura and Gold leaf
For all the mothers who are shedding tears during this pandemic. Eight golden tears fall from her eyes as she continues to nurse her child.

 

Allyson Holmes

Italian bananas wearing Plague Dr mask

 

Asjann Hentsh

I'm 19 and I am a fine art student at UNM.

 

Gabrielle Romero

"Quarantini"—Ink on Paper 

3 oz - Self Quarantine
1/2 oz - Consideration for others
When I first heard of the Coronavirus, I thought it was going to be another flu, another vaccination, just another disease. What it actually turned out to be was a test of our humanity. Would we fist fight over toilet paper? Would we panic and rob houses to steal food? With the world changing in a matter of days, the dark void of the unknown was terrifying. I believe we surprised even ourselves. We started shopping for our elders, so they wouldn’t have to. We donated food to the families who lost their jobs. We banded together. Because the sooner we recognize we’re stronger together, the sooner we can all enjoy a real quarantini and move toward a new normal.

  

Lisa Zawadzki

I am by nature a believer that whatever we might get ourselves into humans are able to overcome with intelligent communication, humor, and love.  I painted 'Chasm', a 20 by 30 inch acrylic painting, in the early days of self distancing.  I remember telling someone I painted a chasm with some 'things' falling into it.  I said, " I don't know what those things are but it's going to be alright."  Hope, wishful thinking, artistic license: it just made me feel so much better. 

 

Robert Trowbridge

Alamogordo
I have been cartooning for a number of years.  I produced these cartoons, using humor to lighten a serious situation, and to get a message across at the same time.  To date I have done a dozen, and have an additional ten in mind. 

 

 

Alice Webb

Albuquerque
"Quarantine"
12" x 12", oil on canvas

 

Darla VanWinkle

“Too Close”
8 x 8, mixed media collage on panel board
“Too Close” began with the photo transfer background, which is an aerial photograph of the Albuquerque airfield as it appeared in the 1950’s. 
The images are from numerous vintage books, with the masked children sitting on an illustration of the Pacific Ocean floor. The children are ‘too close’ together, this virus is "too close" to to home, and everything is being pushed "too close" to the edge. 
Darla VanWinkle is a collage artist from Alamogordo. She has a degree in Mixed Media Art from the College of Santa Fe and resides in Albuquerque. 

 

Mary Oishi    

it's Easter Eve but

if tomorrow were Christmas,
the only thing I'd want
is to see your face,
to hold you to my chest
so you could feel the comfort of 
where you always belong

if tomorrow were Christmas
it wouldn't matter that
I had no time for shopping
(much as I love to give
the humblest of presents 
sought out with love)
if all I can give you
is a shaft of light 
brought back from a hole
found near the end of the tunnel 
then I give it with hope
that this is the long dark
underground passage
to the bright world we dreamed of
where humans come together
as one family, connected,
revering our Mother,
protecting our siblings
in their feathers, scales, and fur
where we value what has value:
loved ones, art, community,
where the rush is not to grab it,
but to cherish what we have
and to
honor who we are

 

Bonnie Maldonado

I live in Pie Town, NM. I was born and raised in Albuquerque. I have been painting rocks during our stay at home orders. This rock is titled "First Responder-Smothered" it is my interpretation of how a first responder must feel dealing with this Pandemic.

 

Christine Moran

Window Wedding

 

Krystyna Oravec

I am 30 years old. I have a beautiful family and we live in Rio Rancho. I started really focussing on my artwork about 3 years ago, and started taking it really seriously about a year and a half ago. I have found out a lot about myself during my creative journey and it helped me through personal struggles. I love to share my work, and inspirations with the people in my life and the people in my community.

I submitted 2 peices:

My first was a very large, very heavy sign, it sits in our Windows to give hope during this; a collaged New Mexico state with different representations of culture and businesses, events and significance is behind the plexiglass... And the front is Acrylic, we are RESILIENT in these difficult times. We continue to rise and grow and press forward despite the desperation for normalcy, and our personal struggles for socialization and connection.

The second entry is pure expression. It's spring, and some of us are forced to have introspection. We've grown, and bloomed as individuals. We are a bright color and a bright light to the people who need our support. We are colorful, in maybe our personalities or our humor. We are a beautiful expression in our communities and families. 

 

Chris Newbill

3am Pandemic Time

With the illusion of the world asleep,
Annie and I curl up in our chair.

In the purest darkness, we hear violins,
streams and brooks singing,
music so old.

We smell the incense
and the wax from the votives
lit to lift silent prayers for health and survival.

In this time of fear and death
we turn
to the violins, the cello and the harpsichord
asking the gods to save us
but the Gods are gone,
having grown bored.

What is left for us?

Listen to the sweet strains of the birds,
the trickling stream,
the breeze through the leaves.
and be healed. Amen

 

In the Year of our Lord

It was the year of our lord, 2020,
the year of pandemic
and in a time machine we were
and catapulted
back to the Middle Ages.

Our little heads pounding
we’re done with that lord nonsense
when a hug or a handshake could kill you.

That was probably a bad idea,
as we had been talking a lot about religion
and seeing those who would be lord.

Great bloated Lear
tumbling over snakes writhing at his feet
and so much death
the children sang the ashes songs.

The virgin of Guadalupe
always our personal favorite
singing in a toothpaste commercial
look at my skin shine

the soundtrack winds down
and we miss the inning.

 

Jacquelyn Brousseau

Submitted by Annette Marquez
This is a piece my daughter Jacquelyn Brousseau did in honor of all the healthcare workers who are putting their lives at risk to save others during this pandemic. It is called "The World's Masked Heroes." It is painted on a wood round using acrylic paint. She also did this collaboration piece of different characters as a gift titled "We're all in this Together" which is acrylic on canvas.  She is 22 years old from Belen, NM and is an Art Student at UNM and is also majoring in Art Education so she can be an Art teacher. She will be a Senior in the Fall and she loves creating Art and being quarantined has helped her be able do more of it. 

 

Julie Bricker-Quintana

Albuquerque
Refinished an old table I call it HOPE BLOOMS. Because we all hope to bloom again after the virus as gone. I’m Julie Bricker-Quintana and I live in Albuquerque.

This is my quilt top I call DISCOMBOBULATED, the way we are all feeling during this time.

 

Marc Forlenza

 

Scott Wiggerman

Just finished this 14" x 14" cut-paper collage last week, first of my series of coronavirus pieces. This one is called “Self-Quarantine.” I am a poet/artist on the far West side of Albuquerque.

 

Angelo L. Romero

Taos
"Corona de Sangre de Cristo"
Parisma on paper

"The look out"
Parisma on wood board

 

Corina & Savonne Henley

This is a collaboration of two sisters for school project on WWI. It has many inspirations to create the piece including CovidGirl meme.

 

Laura Bush

"Resilience"
I am by profession a Family Nurse Practitioner at First Nations Community Health source. When I have spare time I paint for the joy and peace it brings. I have been inspired by my patients and my colleagues in so many ways during this challenging time. I feel this painting represents the resilience and strength of New Mexico.

 

 

Robyn Mackenzie

Santa Fe
"My Neighbor’s Flowers Are Blooming"
I wrote it as a reminder to myself that, despite the pandemic and the horror gripping the country, the flowers and trees were beginning to bloom after a long, difficult winter.

 

Thomas Studer

"Quarantine"
Featuring Jo Bertini as The Running Girl.

 

Eliza A. Garduno

"Survival Mode Sickness"

Depression sneaks and creeps and the teeth it sinks cut so deep I can hardly think, try to blink it away like the tears I don’t want to drown in. Each one representing a different fear I push down when I look in the mirror.

I see a woman who sometimes looks a little sullen as she’s mullin’ over her issues, tryin’ hard not misuse her moments. She doesn’t want a lifetime of atonement in the future, no that won’t suit her she’s gotta rebuke her inner demons. She’s gotta try to maintain composure and right now she may be riskin’ a little over-exposure but that’s just how it goes, sure it’s gotta be done. The battle can only be won if she stops the marathon of running away from problems. She’s gotta find ways to solve them, because if she can’t find the peace of mind that she needs to define for her little girl then her child won’t have the right tools to face the world.

I go out and wave hello to the sun and try to have a little fun while it’s there because the despair comes back in the night with new fights and a heaviness in the air. Unfortunately these feelings aren’t rare, sometimes it seems they’re always there.. lurkin’ just beneath the surface and some days can seem worthless but I tell my self it’s just my attitude, gotta have a little more gratitude. That’s my assignment like an overdue paper I have to write in confinement because time went and did a little number on my head, it’s been filled with dread for too long but I’ll be damned if I plan to rest.

I crammed for this test of isolation back when I had no sense of a destination. I’ve always had a little thread of desensitization running through my veins in times of desperation. The problem is it’s such a desolate lack of sensation. It disrupts every relation and connection I could be making.

My heart is aching and I hate to admit this but I’ll take another hit of “dismiss” like a junky whose vice is emotional ambiguity to combat the nature of emotional acuity and I don’t want to do this to me but how can I breathe when the measure of pressure is getting the better of my senses? I feel fucking defenseless against the endless onslaught. My nerves are taught. I’m distraught. I try to perfect an image of a better self within but I’m flowing over the brim with flaws. It causes my limbs to pause when I hear claws rapping on my door. Now I sit on the floor with legs curled into chest, my head resting in the nest of crossed arms over knees as I weep and with hot breath I whisper “please, god… please.”

But even at my worst I still have words to soothe my soul. Smooth more plaster over that hole. I know the toll but for now I have to roll with it until I can make a transition to put myself in a better position. That’s the mission.

 

Lauren Deyo

Mail art revival. Part of a series of post cards, some mailed to friends, some went into post card art books.

 

Joey R. Sanchez

Los Ojos
"Protected"
Depicts a corona cross with n96 mask and US and NM flags.
Medium: Metallic gel pens.
Psalm 56:3, When I am afraid, I trust in You.

 

Jennifer Robinson

Farmington
"Love Conquers All"
6”x6”
Mixed Media—glass beads, stained glass, millefiori, rhinestones

 

Sherry Maples

Albuquerque
This is a poem I wrote as I tried to control my anxiety.

"When This Pandemic Finally Ends"

What will our World be like when this virus pandemic is over and life returns to something normal?
When we don’t have to social distance from each other, standing miles from others, feeling so formal?
What will our World be like; will we learn from this experience; or go back to what it was like before?
I hope we learn to appreciate our friends and family and kindness from strangers and so much more.
When we once more feel safe and secure, can hug and touch someone, appreciate the time on our own.
When we can once again travel; escape from our confines; do things together and not so much alone.
Can we learn from our mistakes and practice kindness, hope and love to those who have lost so much?
Can we lift each other up; extend a helping hand; get back to work and keep in touch?

What will our World be like when this virus pandemic is over and we must deal with those we lost?
Will we be able to pick up our lives: to move forward and carry on; how do we count the cost?
How do we thank those people that sacrificed to take care of us; met our medical needs relentlessly?
The neighbors who brought groceries; the clerks that stocked the shelves; the truckers’ humanity?
How long will it take for each of us to recover from this pandemic; to pick up and go on once more?
To learn from this experience; to appreciate what we have; show compassion deep within our core?
I hope we can be kinder to each other, more forgiving and patient and we can heal ourselves again.
Open up your heart and reach out; share what you can to help; plant kindness and be a friend.

 

Gail Murray

La Cienega
These are two of four post cards I made and sent to some friends of mine in the Santa Fe area.
I wrote the haiku and illustrated the cards with sumi-e ink on 140# water color paper, approx. 4”x6".

Corona Virus.
Isolate! Don’t Congregate!
And don’t hoard TP!

 

Annabelle Silva

My name is Annabelle Silva and I'm 15. I call it, "Overwhelming Sickness," to represent that everyone is affected by this in one way, or another.

 

Stephanie Galloway

"I Kept Dancing!"

 

Betsy Scarinzi

"Soon We'll Be Together"

Here is a song I wrote for the kids at the beginning of our stay at home instructions during this Covid-19 pandemic. I as an adult have been afraid, overwhelmed and vey anxious and I could only imagine what this might all be like for the kids. It's possible I wrote it with a dual intention of bringing some sort of comfort to myself as well and have received feedback that it has had a calming effect on adults as well.

Watch the video on Facebook

 

Holly Grimm

I don't usually step into the spectacle, but I felt compelled to create this piece. It's wrong to force the poor and vulnerable to work in non-essential businesses without adequate testing or PPE—just to avoid paying unemployment.

I was inspired by a work I saw ten years ago in White Rock, BC. It was pasted on a sign where you cross the train tracks to get to the beach. I hope the unknown artist appreciates my version!

 

Pam Colton

"COVID-19"
4/6/20

We're paying close attention to you
We watch your every move
We're learning the lessons you teach
Distance creates closeness Slowing down, listening and loving each other
Finding light and joy in the smallness of things
In having less

Time
On our hands
What to do with it
wash it off
play the game
clean the house clean the house
again
Watch it go by
slip through our fingers
Be still in it
Stop
Create
Imagine

Sharing
The beauty of friendship
Cherishing those we love
And letting go
of what we cannot control
Seeing through small windows
into the bigness of life
Quiet clear skies

Blue
Always blue
We have learned
how loss hits the heart
in between beats
The efforts
The big feats
the tiny steps
The many scars we suffer

You may leave now. . .out the back door
Watching you fade into the distance
Taking much more than you gave
A glimmer now
We will not miss you
We don't think we will ever need to see you again
Will we...

 

Julianna Kirwin

Here’s my submission—my hand printed linocut made into a mask. I have several designs but this is one example.

 

 

Jenna Maes

Albuquerque
These are my sons Elias and Estevan Maes. 

 

Jerry Montoya

Couldn’t find one so I made my own, SantaFe Style!

 

Betsy James

"Slot Canyon and Raven"
Have you ever been in a slot canyon? Climbing out again into the light is like a rebirth.
BTW, if you look past the foreground here you’ll also see a rattlesnake. I like rattlesnakes, so that’s not a comment on the virus, just a rattlesnake being a rattlesnake.

 

Jennifer Marie Bell

Santa Fe
"Forked Tongues"
"Surrender"

 

Chris Rodriguez

"Let's Dance"

 

Andy Ritch

Santa Fe
Please find an image of a painting in oil with palette knife. Subject represents how I feel during the rules of the coronavirus. Kinda trapped in my own house.

 

Claire Lissance

Locked Down, I Cannot Escape The News
This is either a little installation or 4-sided sculpture made in response to where we are in our collective history.
5"x 5" x 19"
Materials: Wood, glass, metal, found objects, glue, acrylic paint

 

Krrrl

 

Becky Reardon

I am a singer/songwriter from Taos, who’s currently leading Zoom singing sessions with other colleagues. Here is a song (a round) I wrote a week ago, inspired by a friend who’s sewing masks to give away during the pandemic.

 

Alicia J. Ultan

One Minute at a Time
Music and Lyrics by Alicia J. Ultan, © April 2020

One day, one hour, one minute at a time
The rhythm of our lives
Has turned on a dime
We’re watching, we’re waiting
We’re planting our seeds
We’re walking for miles
Who should we believe?
Can we go back to the age of innocence?
When we played those cowboy games
We would play outside for hours
‘Til our mothers called us in
This day, this hour, this minute
Is all we know
There’s hope inside this evil foe
What is this new world we find ourselves in?
Wearing masks and gloves and fear
Losing our jobs, social distancing
Closing doors and steering clear
One day, one hour, one minute at a time
There’s comfort in knowing
We’re all on the line
Can we go back to the age of innocence?
Dancing circles, holding hands
Spraying crazy foam and laughing
Like the world would never end
One day, one hour, one minute at a time…

 

Karen Smart

My submission is titled "King of Kings/Great High Priest." It is the only icon I am aware of which bears 2 inscriptions. It depicts Christ and the 4 evangelists. For me, no matter what is going on in the world, no matter how bad things appear to be, He is still on the throne and His love and promises are unchanging. I live in the world but am not of it. 

Egg tempera and gold leaf 
13" x 17"

 

Isabel Somma

Age 15
"Pulmonía"

 

Janny Pezaro

I am entering A Pandemic Triptych: three 20 x 16 collage and acrylic imaged individually framed.
"U Say Tomato. I say Tomorrow"
"Face It Tomorrow is Today"   
"This Day. That Day. Tomorrow"

  

Lisa De St. Croix

I was feeling overwhelmed by the Pandemic and decided to process it through visual journaling. Painting my anxiety and the virus itself was cathartic. I used Gauche paint in a large journal (12" x 20").

 

Xena

I did this painting on April 6 because I felt I am thankful for my talent that even if I am staying home I can fly wherever I want and no vireos can stop me. This painting called I am Free.

 

Andrew Furse

I live near El Rito, NM in Los Terrones.
"Oh No" has a depiction of a person being sneezed on.  gross.
The other cup has carvings of the corona virus, floating around.  They are both small and I made them last week. 

 

Teresa Gutierrez

"Holy Corona"

 

Genevieve Barrett

“Found My Marble”
Wood, jewels, marble
8.5”x 2.5”x 1.5”

 

 

"TimeLine [1:20,2:20,3:20,4:20,?,*]"
Old Wood, Old Watches, Chains, Nails, Light
15.5" x 3.5" x 1.5"

Moving through time with a glimmer of hope.

 

Monica Di Bisceglie

"Love in the Time of Corona"
Acrylic

 

Jada Griffin

"Art helps us to know there is beauty in a commodity-driven existence, to touch the freedom of a geography without borders, and a landscape without maps. It is a way of life."
—Jada Griffin

"Blue Gloves," 2020
Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16 x 2.5”

 

Michael Dreger

 

Greta Young

The virus is coming!  Mixed media on canvas. 63x36 inches.

 

Jack Davidson

Untitled
Completed April 21, 2020
Acrylic on linen

 

Patricia Reyes

“Searching For Hope”

After listening to the continuous coverage on this 2020 Pandemic, and becoming overwhelmed with mixed emotions, I decided to paint this image.  My best ideas come from the most intense connection with an event. Art has always been a part of who I am whether in songwriting, singing, or visual art.

9 x 12 Acrylic

 

Ilene Weiss

"Plenty? Enough!"

11x14 Acrylic paint Mixed Media on Paper

This is part of a small group of works based on my pantry and in response to hoarding.
We were down to our last roll of toilet paper, with none in the stores and my neighbor was giving away 100s of daffodils....
Plenty and enough seem to be what you make of them.

 

io

The injured elm’s bark pulls back in a “corona” shape, revealing Our Lady of Guadalupe's radiant healing presence in these times. 

 

Elene Gusch 

What Are Viruses? In a Way They Are Us (blog post)

Actually I have more compassion than this for people who are scared and doing their best to make sense of the world, but I've been pushed a bit over the edge by the Q-Anoners and the it's-all-a-hoaxers in the past couple days. So:

COVIDIOCY

If you still believe in the reptilian Queen
And Icke is your favorite source,
You’re hopelessly lost in the tinfoil-hat scene,
In the misinformation force.

Five million views of your YouTube film
Do not a conspiracy prove.
You live in a poisonous fantasy realm.
The Kool-Aid was brewed just for you.

While journalists, banished to prison or dead
Have sacrificed all that they could,
Alternative facts fill your sad red-pilled head
And no news can ever be good.

I’ve had it with typing my fingers to shreds
To counter your ignorant spew.
You’ve no frontal lobes and there’s bilge in their stead.
I’ve had all I can handle of you!

 

Lloyd Brown

EM (ANTI) BODIED, 16" x 13", Acrylic + MM, 04/17/20

  

Sandi Ludescher

Life had been so serious, I needed to let loose and just let paint fly. This was started with very little planning...and was just intended as a release. The crows made me do it. It was very spontaneous. It’s called “Caws for Peace.” It’s oil on canvas and 24x62”. I guess you could say “ Corvus for Covid.” It makes me smile.

 

Nick DePascal

Below is a poem written on April 2 in light of COVID-19. In particular it is interested in the sacrifices required of the most vulnerable populations and workers, and hope for a mass movement against typical corporatist, accumulatory responses.

Don’t Die for Wall Street

Snow pelts us like songs
From the distant past, a dirty
Gauze covering old wounds.

When will we lift our eyes
And our voices in a great static
Murmur of humanity.

One by one they call us into
Boardrooms to confirm their existence
And necessity, to convince us

Of the efficacy of their cures
And theorems, tried and tested
On the unreal bodies of the masses.

When will we lift our eyes
And weapons towards the necessary
Blue of reality. Winter of tombs,

Spring of struggle. A brass key
In the pocket of the people. A raw
Row of incandescent lovers, workers,

Mothers, children advancing
In the breath of purple morning. Cry
Out in anger, in pain, in the fading

Numbness, the nerves exposed
By the struggle, the fluid movement
Of limbs and garments, in the finality

Of forever, goodwill floating like
Pollen in the stilled air of eternal
Human bodies, embraces.

 

Joan Schweighardt

Albuquerque

"Charle's Brushes"

I began working on a series of still life paintings back in January. By the time I began the most recent one, I’d painted all the appealing objects left in the house. With no opportunity to borrow a vase or a plant from friends, I painted the tools I use when I paint.

Oil on canvas, 12x16

 

Gaby Henner

I, probably like everyone else, constantly seem to flux between feeling okay and panicking over the coronavirus. To make myself feel slightly more at ease during these strange times, I've put a different face on the virus.

This will belong to an upcoming series of monsters and their accompanying diseases. Stay safe everyone, and know you're not alone in this!

 

Sally Condon

Albuquerque

This is one in a series I am now working on around the theme, Gratitude.

Every day I look around and easily find one thing I am grateful for. Today it is the smell of Lilacs coming through my bedroom window as I wake.

8” x 8”, oil with cold wax, ink on paper.

 

David Behrens

"Nocturne Ascent"

A lone wolf walks under the cover of darkness. As the trail crests and descends he finds himself in a luminescent alcove of blooming moonflowers. The full moon tips its pitcher and lunar light spills upon the night path. The wolf pauses lifting his head, senses something stirring in the wind, sniffs and peers intently. Then continues deeper into the night.

Years ago the seed of this idea began to grow inside of my imagination. Ironically and mysteriously fitting, I completed this painting during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. During these days people are suffering acutely on both physical and psychological levels. There is a collective feeling of liminal space, the sense of being knocked off ones equilibrium. Strangely this theme is the exact framework that my painting is built on. I named this painting “Nocturne Ascent”, which touches on my own interactions over the years with a hauntingly beautiful ancient writing known as “The Dark Night Of The Soul”. Penned by a Spanish mystic named St. John of the Cross somewhere between 1577 and 1579, it is essentially the paradoxical “night journey” of the soul, journeying to the unlikeliness of places to find our truest selves and ultimately mystical union with God. It winds down into dark psychological valleys, through ravines of sadness, around into washes of numbness, ascending dark canyons of fear. It sounds most foreboding but John promises “O guiding night!” O night more kindly than the dawn.” He implies that God, the Divine One, does Gods best work in the shadow of our unknowing. It’s in this vulnerability when all our senses have been stunned or overwhelmed where we have to be led by another type of light, even the light hidden in God’s darkness.

 

Rita Bard

"It's Their New Hoax"

 

Marjo Hébert

Santa Fe, NM
"STILL I'LL RISE," mixed media collage on board, 21.5” X 21.5”

This piece was made completely with scraps left over from the face masks I made & donated to Kitchen Angels last week. I only had four different fabrics on hand to cut up to make those masks; two old dish towels, an old skirt and a pajama bottom, in colors which really didn't work well together. Loving a challenge, I did my best to make them work in this collage. More important to me is the message rather than the medium. The quotation from Maya Angelou starts at the lower left hand corner and continues upward and around.

 

Jes Marquez

Original Handmade Cowboy Boots
10x12x4”
Leather, Thread, African beads, Vintage Concho Belt

  

Juniper Chrisp

(age 12)
Corona vs the Mask 
This piece represents the viral particles of the coronavirus and how they would interact with masks from different time periods. The mask is a tool but it also represent the humans and how the virus or other other plague try to infiltrate the human, but the human tries to stop them.

 

David Culbertson

'Feelin' Safe Yet?'
12" x 9"
Acrylic on watercolor paper

 

Susan Weeks

I have five paintings in a series I call Demitasse Point of Departure paintings that I have painted during the pandemic. Each painting was inspired by a poem, but then departed from that poem. The poems are part of my Hot Chocolate Demitasse Daily Poems. I write about the images I see in the dregs of the rich thick chile infused hot chocolate I drink every morning, then draw those images and paint. Here are three of the poems, followed by the paintings they inspired:

A flying fish soars over a sea
full of frolicking schools of its fellows
while a cruise ship anchored in a crowded inlet
is being overtaken by a biological threat,
an unidentified airborne menace.
A pirate ship sails the dark night
on the lookout for prey.
Little creatures on the shore
attend tea parties,
astonished by all the hullabaloo.
Lush tropical islands fade away
as heavy skies bear down.
Cells divide sluggishly
while the wise one watches.
Mt. Pinatubo slumbers,
dreaming of deep red sunsets.

This is not the Industrial Revolution
where coal dust and fog filled the air.
This is a more sinister seemingly invisible threat
of sometimes deadly particles coughed out
and attaching to any lungs around.
So we close ourselves in our makeshift castles
and cook and clean frenetically.
From our lonely windows we look out
and breathe our solitary inhalations and exhalations,
caring for our anxious bodies and fearful brains,
waiting for the curve to flatten
and the skies to clear.
From a distance we reach out
to comfort those we love
and those whose plights are dire.

In Red Rock Country, where hoodoos tower
and slot canyons tunnel to hidden streams,
the dreaded virus descends
and even the tiny isolated towns
under spacious skies
are exposed.
In concentrated population centers,
faces peer out high rise windows
and grimace.
Deep in the forest
a giant sequoia stands tall
in the spring winds
and the Great Bear shines down
upon mountain peaks
throwing off their blankets of snow.
A mountain lion slakes his thirst
in the icy clear waterfall
and sees the face
of drowned Narcissus
beneath the surface.

 

 

Marilyn L. Pettes Hill

Remember This

I don’t think we will forget what life is like at this moment.
Isolation, quarantines, hospitalizations.
Hundreds of people dying every day;
Standing in long lines, just to get food.

I pray that when this is over – and it will be – God willing,
That we will not take for granted
A hug
A smile
Gathering together with friends and family;
Freedom to "move about the cabin."

I pray that we will
Love each other stronger
Be kind for kindness sake
Remember to say "please" and "thank you."

I pray that we will take care of the land
The precious water
The air we need to breathe
Each other.

4/4/2020

 

Hanley Maggie

TISSUE & FRESH ROLL
2020
8 x 8”
Oil on canvas

 

 

Walter W. Nelson

Abiquiu, NM
"SPRING / COVID-19" oil painting on canvas 15 x 20.5

 

Aukje Spoelstra

I’m a nurse and made this

 

Linda Foy

Watercolor on canvas
Floating

 

Joel Armstrong

One of the first pieces I did was a wire Purell bottle to go with a wire based installation that was installed, but never opened. It is a hands-on exhibit that my first idea was to add Clorox wipes or Purell. Turns out, it was never seen or touched.

 

I've been putting friends' eyes behind masks. All within the same square format.

 

Veronica Deimer

Some colorful creatures/designs I've made since 3/12
all pen/ink and watercolor

 

Guy Grogan

My "Spring from the Window" series was inspired by some photos of cherry blossoms I took many years ago that I had previously used in a collage piece. Consistent with my current "destroy and recreate" mixed-media approach, I repurposed them for this series. The images of the blossoms served as the starting point and I assembled the rest of the elements from there over the past week or so while in lockdown.

 

David Tedford Wheeler

 

Michael Garfield

Here's a podcast, transcript, and digital collage I did exploring the science of networks and evolution, and what they have to say about the creative opportunities of moments like this one, when everything falls apart.

The cover image references Isaac Newton's discovery of the theories of gravity and optics while quarantined at home during the 1665 Plague of London, as well as the fact that we are now "over the rainbow" and in uncharted territory, a time of great uncertainty but also enormous creative potential.

I hope this offers useful perspective.

On Coronavirus, Complex Systems, and Creative Opportunity (Medium.com)

 

Claire Briggs

Handmade crochet (April 2020)
A coping statement for our time

 

Jinkle Seagrave

"Social Distancing" watercolor 

 

Cyndi Korzec

Lamy, NM
Healing Hearts baby quilt...
Wrapped in...
Love, healing, care, kindness, hope, compassion, song, celebration, faith, gratitude, imagination, creativity, joy, spirit, awareness, sharing, giving, perseverance...

 

Karen Gaines

Santa Fe, NM
9 x 12
Mixed media (collage, tissue paper, pastel, gouache, pen/brush & ink), finished 15 April, 2020
New worlds to discover while isolating through the pandemic...

"Reaching Beyond"
11 x 14 mixed media collage

 

Mar Heifner

Silver City, NM
"COVID-19 Madness"
Made with scrap copper soldered together over a copper wire frame, with other assorted beads and wire. I attempted to get the face as manic as possible as a reflection of the current worldwide angst. He measures 20” tall x 14” wide.

 

Crae Hasler-Elliott

 

Thom Andrewz

Drump is not a king!

 

Linda Storm

A few second digital sketch that came out of my thoughts about incubation, metamorphosis and butterflies. Will we emerge with newfound wonder at the world we live in? 

 

Sean Healen

"White Feathers"

I wrote and recorded this song the day I/we found out that John Prine was sick. I wrote this as a prayer that he would survive. As with many, he was one of my large influences and taught me much about the craft of songwriting. He is missed.

 

Sketchi Bill

Never thought that we'd all be concentrating on masks other than for Halloween and Mardi Gras. But, tongue firmly in cheek, perhaps this one deserves a look.

With restaurants and pubs not available folks are remembering other things that make Santa Fe and New Mexico great - like hiking, with a new twist. 

Art by Sketchi Bill and written by Matt Quenville

From Matt Quenville and Sketchi Bill - not just a 'City Different' but a different world. Stay safe all and hopefully enjoy a chuckle.

Absolutely Vocabulous
Brought to you by Sketchi Bill and Matt Quenville

Social Distancing ala Coronavirus may be new, but not completely uncharted territory. Stay Safe All.

 

Mike Maung

Another one down few more to go

Easter Ants (Click here to view the video on Facebook)

 

Liz Roberts

"We are all in this together " This image is a "THANK YOU!" to all the superheroes working on the front line. Those that are working in the hospitals, food shops, take-out food, plant stores, post office, pharmacy and those at home making masks, adopting animals, those out and about, taking our trash, delivering food and medication, the list goes on and on.

 

Matthew Ellis (Pump Trolley Atelier)

"Tav"
(Done in Covid-19 Isolation)
April, 2020
Reclaimed wood (pine & plum from Bishop Lamy's garden)
Reclaimed men's office shirts. Shibori dyed.
India ink. Screen ink. Wood Stain. Hardware.
6" x 6" x 23.5"
Signed.

 

Uwe Schroeter

Walks in your neighborhood are allowed, free, beautiful and invigorating. From the Vista del Norte Neighborhood in late March.

  

Kathy Maniscalco

"Santa Fe Angel of Hope"

A painting in watercolor, acrylic and gold leaf, 18x24”, giclee fine art canvas
Reproductions available to those who are called to it. 

This is a personal piece I invented to remind me of the how little I really need and how much I already have.  

 

 

Cameron Johnson (Softground Studio)

This necklace is titled "lion-hearted."

The lion symbolizes the loyalty, dignity, courage and strength that we have all had to show during this pandemic, to ourselves and our loved ones.

It is made from carved bone and 18 gauge silver wire.

The lion is carved on both sides, so it can be worn with it placed on the right or left (over the heart).

Wearing it has helped me to remember that showing strength in the face of adversity is the best way through.

Talk about a power animal!

 

Betsy Nadler

Two weeks ago our 30 something daughter Rebecca, who has been furloughed from her work and locked down in her Baltimore rowhouse, reminded my wife Betsy and I that when she was a teenager and was overwhelmed with the hardships of others, we would play Nanci Griffith's "Trouble in the Fields."  Since her retirement three years ago Betsy has become a player/singer/songwriter.  In the midst of our present darkness and as a voice of reassurance for our daughter and our family, Betsy took the brave step of learning and producing a video recording Nanci's classic message of history and hope. Enjoy, and let's hope this pandemic goes away sooner than later.

 

Weston Keller

"Alone but Together"

It depicts a bottle of hand sanitizer and toilet paper spelling out "Alone Together," because in this time of panic-buying, confusion, and general distress, we need to remember that we are all in this together and we will be okay.

 

Eunice Naranjo

"The Pandemic"

 

Daniel Kathalynas

Join the roaming artist as he chronicles his adventures and paints his way across America. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Daniel finds solitude in the mystical land of enchantment, New Mexico. San Lorenzo Canyon is an amazing spot and ideal place to inspire a painting.

Just finished "Awakening Shores," acrylic, oil, spray paint, tempera, venetian plaster, and twine on canvas 24x48. Completed 4/14/20 at my studio in the Heights, Albuquerque. Many blessings to you all!

"Hope On The Horizon"
Acrylic, Tempera, Fiber & Twine on Canvas, 24x48 Created March 22, 2020.

I am an artist from Albuquerque, NM. I was in Virginia for a solo exhibition when the pandemic reared its ugly head. While temporarily holed up on Chincoteague Island, I made this painting as an offering for hope!

"The fire of fear burns at nightfall and with our last attempt to douse the flames we plunge in unknown waters. Wading the marsh with the landscape ablaze, and six feet between us, we watch the distance unfold with a penetrating beam, a beacon of light...the hope on the horizon."

 Watch this painting being made and see the inspiration:

 

Eli Vigil 

I wrote this song on March 29th. I hope you like it. Please watch it with YouTube's captioning/subtitles turned on since the sound is not as loud as I wanted.

 

Bernie Lieving

Pandemic #5 painted in SF, NM 4/6/20

 

Winsome Charter

"Little Pandemic Ode"

 

Marcia Sednek

Lysol bird in cage

 

Olivia Chavez (Age 12)

My art teacher challenged her students to create artwork about their feelings during the Coronavirus Pandemic. "My art is a piece that shows what we have been going through. People are dying but Hope never should"

 

Lisbeth Fuge

Sometimes Covid19 bypasses flu like symptoms and goes straight to the heart.

 

Vincent Espinoza

A dedication to those friendships that require no effort and are endless...
May we all soon return to meeting up for hot coffee somewhere...

I wrote this as an observation on the struggle between those who want to keep the economy, including the service industry, closed as opposed to those who want to reopen everything and resume life as before. Who is right? Who is wrong?

This is from the perspective of someone watching from afar with appreciation for service workers who wants them to stay healthy but also resume their livelihood.

A poem I wrote inspired by letting go of others’ expectations of us. The backdrop is a photo I took overlooking the ocean from Shangri-La in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

"Sun Falls"

Inspired by the beauty of solitude and self-discovery during isolation.

"Isolation Haiku"

"Where You Are" 

This work is about the uncertainty and loss which have been happening during this pandemic...

 

John Harold

ALONE TOGETHER

From health care workers to law enforcement, from performers to servers, we salute you and patronize you. Keep up the good work!

 

Marc Coan

Just trying add a little springtime to the situation...

 

Geof Knot Geof 

"Keeping You" 1 min music video. Rated G.

 

Marah Moore

Isolette-19

 

Jerry Wellman

We are so fortunate to live in a place with trails and nice weather

 

Ryan M. Stark

Covid Haiku

Can the millions
fit in your hand and seem small
without shock or breath?

 

Gretchen Meyer

Embracing the pandemic.

 

Ian Hucke 

Self Portrait by Ian Hucke, using anything he could find. (Submitted by Debbie Roeshot Hucke)

 

Danielle LoPresti

Isolation/ Wake Up Call

 

Rebecca ODeaghaidh

CORONITA

PANDEMIA

She has forced self isolation which in many instances has forced/inspired reflection and increased creativity.

The Yin to the Yang of international terror, a banding together of spirit, a forging of friendships and a deepened sense of longing can often bring an exquisite "beauty" of sorts.

A struggle to balance the Darkness with the Light.

Savage, knife-edge, this mixed media work on 24x30" paper came violently from me one night....after the news in this sad and beautiful world.

 

Line S. Mckie

Confinement by the sea

 

Eliza Lutz

Trying to keep it light by doing a cartoon a day in response to the pandemic. A little humor goes a long way to ease the stress for me. Here is my favorite so far.

 

Lea Anderson‎

"Guardians(10)" was the last in a series created over the past 6 weeks in response to the pandemic. In these drawings, I envision the fearless microbes of the immune system working together, protecting my body from viruses and illness. They are my heroes, literally, and without them I would not be here. If we get sick, they are fighting for us.

The "Guardians" materialize through a unique hybrid of drawing, painting, and very low-relief sculpture, allowing the illusory nature of drawing a physical tangibility.

"Guardians(10)," graphite and mixed media on polypropylene, 11"x14". 4/3/2020.

 

Jodi M. Brierley

A little time outside makes me miss things even more. 
Ready and waiting...

An Apple A Day... (Photoshop)

I’ve been doing a lot of writing to process my feelings during these times, sometimes fear, sometimes hope. I’ve been pairing up new poems with photos I’ve been taking during these strange times. It’s been helpful to process and to pass the time.

I hope that reading these brings you a small amount of comfort, as it did for me in writing them.

 

Kerry Bergen

“Heart Chakra,” 9”x12” Acrylic on canvas March 2020. Green is the color of growth, life and balanceinterconnectedness of all life.

"Elephant Power," one of a series of mixed media drawing collages 9”x12” in my sketch book journal over the past 2 weeks. Stay Strong!

"Mask"