I use food and art as two of my favorite Jumpstart My Heart activities. Today about noon I realized I had about 3 hours free until the girls returned from school and we would begin a 5 day weekend because of school conferences. When I weighed lounging in the house and watching TV or heading out, heading out seemed to feel stronger. Then came the question, where to? I have a list of things that I love to do, that I look at when I have time but I'm kind of lost. My go-to is good food and art. Bainbridge Art Museum opened this summer and its bistro just this month. It's about a 20 minute drive. So that got my vote and I was off!
After a delicious and relaxing soup and salad, and, of course, a coffee, followed by a quick Instagram post, I was off to explore. I checked in at the Admissions desk, free thanks to generous donors and members. I shared it was my first visit and the very friendly lady gave me a quick once over. Two floors and a pamphlet about the current exhibits. I always like to start at the gift shop. I usually pick up some postcards of art on exhibit and then look for those specific pieces, but there weren't any. I found some local artist cards that were unique. So I bought 11. Yes, 11. Paper crafts are my love and my weakness. Melisa Lunt, at www.speakyourmindgreetings.com. One I couldn't pass up had a hand drawn ferry with two balloons with Wishing you a ferry happy birthday. Chuckles. Another with a crab holding a flower with Please forgive me.
The gift shop assistant was friendly, too. She shared the November calendar and told me about an author book signing on November 16. And the author is a featured artist. I happened to walk through his exhibit first. A picture of a small girl with brown hair and light brown skin tones feeding birds. Exquisite. The girl could be either of my girls. Richard Jesse Watson!! Wow. I was an instant fan. As I walked through his whimsical art, it was all captivating. In the first few paintings with children, the children were a rainbow so shades. Something that means a lot to me. I decided I was buying a book for the girls and we were coming back during the 5 day weekend.
When visiting a new museum, I like to walk through the whole museum and then come back to my favorites. Well, today was a short window, so I only had time to walk through quickly. Always challenged to take some pictures I looked for interesting pieces that meant something to me. I loved Daniel Minter's Facing Homeward. A dark skinned older man looks out a window. Art featuring people of color always touches me deeply. We are over exposed to a Hollywood version of European dominated culture of America. So rare are people of color they are all precious to me.
A tall vase has a premium spot framed by seriously floor to ceiling windows, two story windows. Oops forgot to get the name of the artist, but really it was the architecture I was trying to capture. Next a wooden stair case framed with glass. The tall vase again from a view above. And a picture of the intersection that leads to the ferry that takes me to Seattle.
The gallery featuring Gayle Bard is full to the brim. Mostly I take notice that this lady loves clouds. I am passionate about clouds. Alaska has fantastic clouds. So does Suquamish Territory. When I was in some of my darkest times living in Alaska, a single mother far from any family support, I could look up at the sky and find beauty and calm in the clouds. I could reset my gauges from red to green in just a few moments. Mother Nature's power restoring me to peace and contentment, no matter how much insanity seemed to surround me.
The one picture that captured me was an odd one. A painting of a dark window. Very plain and very dark compared to the soul stirring images of nature dwarfed by magnificent clouds. Prayer for Kurdistan is the title. And a mystery to be solved!
My last photos were of two masks, obviously Northern Alaskan. I come from Southeast Alaska so our art looks different. Such strong and bold lines. Full of so much spirit. Our way of life tied so directly to our relationship with Mother Nature and all her creatures. Larry Ulaaq Ahvakana, when googled and found on Etsy says "I am Inupiaq/Northern Western/Alaskan Inuit (Eskimo) from Barrow, AK. My Inupiaq names are Ulaaq and Sveetcharuq. For over 40 years I've used stone, wood, glass, bronze, ivory, & paper to create my work The images are inspired by my ancestors, those around me and the environment." He is listed as living in Suquamish.
I was happy to end my day with a Native artist. Someone whose Ancestors have lived in these parts for thousands of years. Oral traditions in my Tlingit and in the Suquamish tell of raiding canoes coming from far north in Alaska, some capturing women. My brother-in-law says he captured a Tlingit (& Tsimshian Filipina). Our Ancestors have lived on these shores from time immemorial. From before Western cultures keep record. We are still here. And someday we will have justice and we will be healthy and whole again. We will be prosperous again. It just takes time to recover from colonialism and all it's atrocities, including the present day denial of the post-traumatic symptoms.
Today I feel blessed to be where I am on my journey called life. I am blessed to have been born at this particular stage of our human evolution. We are becoming aware that we are One People. We all, well the majority of us, want peace and prosperity. And it is the insane few who hunger for wealth and power who keep us all imprisoned. But someday soon, we the 99% will awaken from a slumber, maybe a self protecting coma, and realize we outnumber them and we want peace.
How does peace and prosperity fit in with a visit to the Art Museum? Because art stirs the soul, and makes me desire a truly beautiful life full of peace and prosperity for all...
Challenge: Visit a Museum near you! And treat yourself to lunch.
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