Seen at Martin's Point Health Center this morning. Thank you, thank you, thank you to whoever created this and deep gratitude to health care workers worldwide.
The dedication of the crew at Bates Mill, friends and volunteers of Amy's, was stunning as they work preparing the 100 foot cape for Amy Stacey Curtis.
The dedication of the crew at Bates Mill, friends and volunteers of Amy's, was stunning as they work preparing the 100 foot cape for Amy Stacey Curtis. Their commitment to be of assistance and be supportive and to help create a vision was an education for me regarding the power of collaboration and...community. They are such stars.
Amy had requested that the cape's attachment at the shoulder resemble or infer the form of hands. Like hands holding her shoulders...to symbolize how held she felt by community throughout her illness and recovery. © Joanne Arnold
Please see Amy's full blog post at www.theartistplan.com
http://www.theartistplan.com/colossal-cape-collaboration
An artist who doesn't create things so much as experiences for her viewers...
“Since completing an 18-year art project in Maine’s mills, Amy Stacey Curtis has been tackling a new ambitious project, battling a severe neurological illness and disability possibly caused by untreated Lyme Disease. When another neurologist tried to determine if she’s schizophrenic, he asked if she thinks she’s a super hero, three times. She didn’t tell him about the cape she wears to give her strength. He wouldn’t get it. It flows behind her, long and purple, with a gold and red butterfly, sequins and rhinestones…” - Amy Stacey Curtis
This is the bio Amy offered as her introduction before she presented at a PechaKucha Portland Event last year. And as the emcee I was flustered and honored, with my heart pounding, to introduce her. Here is an artist I have exceedingly high respect for. An artist who doesn't create things so much as experiences for her viewers. She creates for us opportunities for discovery, insight, perspective....sometimes exalted, insightful, occasionally painful and often humorous. Anyone here ever try and erase those un-erasable letter outlines in her MEMORY show? As a participant I was offered an embodied experience that some things, like memories, never erase completely away no matter how hard I rub with one of those gum erasers she provided us?
She offers with her blocks and balls and outlines and graduated cylinders a powerful platform for startling metaphor. Her work offers the extraordinary gift of our experience as a living, breathing aspect to her work.
Always moved by her articulate, keen, mathematical precision she has also showed a level of heart that is equal to her talent as she has wrestled with illness. Many talents may be crushed by less dire medical/health circumstances than what Amy has faced. Her journey of the last few years, for those at all familiar, has been a journey of deep penetrating terror and bewildering debilitation. And for someone to emerge from that cocoon spun of suicidal prompts into the light of day into her beloved mill, expressing gratitude for all that have supported her on her way ( and there have been many) ARE her wings.
Showing up at the mill I was moved not only by Amy's devotion to that space but by the level of attention,bordering on devotion as well, of her friends and volunteers. They dearly love Amy as an artist. As a person. And it is mutual.
Amy Stacey Curtis, my superhero, who offers the 100' yardage of her cape as a garment to provide each one of us with the same comfort now.
http://www.theartistplan.com/colossal-cape-collaboration
It was like introducing the Pope. Or Lady Gaga. Or both...
I was the emcee at a recent PechaKucha Portland and I was honored to introduce a personal hero, the art world icon Amy Stacey Curtis. It was like introducing the Pope. Or Lady Gaga. Or both.
She had forwarded the following bio and I was crushed exquisitely with its personal truth, it's implied devastating pain and it's winged humor. Didn't think I could love her anymore but after reading that bio I in fact did.
Her bio for that evening:
“Since completing an 18-year art project in Maine’s mills, Amy Stacey Curtis has been tackling a new ambitious project, battling a severe neurological illness and disability possibly caused by untreated Lyme Disease. When another neurologist tried to determine if she’s schizophrenic, he asked if she thinks she’s a super hero, three times. She didn’t tell him about the cape she wears to give her strength. He wouldn’t get it. It flows behind her, long and purple, with a gold and red butterfly, sequins and rhinestones…”
This image is of Amy and her devoted team prepping for a photoshoot at Bates Mill last month. And I was honored to photograph my super hero in her cape....which she wore to symbolize the abundance of support and assistance she has recieved throughout her illness.
More about this soon.
Deep gratitude to Amy Stacey Curtis for her trust.
http://www.theartistplan.com/colossal-cape-collaboration/
and the phrase comes up in my pre-coffee brain...
and the phrase comes up in my pre-coffee brain: Give someone enough rope to hang themselves.
The definition: to allow someone to accomplish his or her own downfall by his or her own foolish acts.
Comforted that it was coiled up and being stored at the moment.
Yesterday's light. Enough to sustain today's spirit.
Yesterday's light. Enough to sustain today's spirit.
Commercial Street. Sunday morning...
Commercial Street. Sunday morning. I know nothing about this or how it may have happened but it sure provided the metaphor.
None of us. Bulletproof.
The Extraordinary Amy Stacey Curtis standing in her beloved Bates Mill...
The Extraordinary Amy Stacey Curtis standing in her beloved Bates Mill with a 100 foot super hero cape trailing behind her woven of the love and support she has received while battling and recovering from recent illness.
Honored to bear witness to her beauty.
Love scallops FRESH from the boat? Here's your go-to guy...
Love scallops FRESH from the boat?
Here's your go-to guy delivering incredibly sweet scallops fresh from the water, direct from his boat. I've never had better...and yes, this is unsolicited.
Here's the man, Rusty Parmenter, a year or so ago after hauling in a tuna and being met at the dock by his wife and baby. His boat? The Patricia Ann.
Buy direct. You'll never know fresher. You'll meet the harvesters...and in this case I even got to meet his family and I won't forget that. And every time I see his boat I think this is some sort of wonderful world. From the sea to us, direct.
Here's the opportunity to buy direct from the boat. You will know who harvested them. You will know his boat.
A message from Stu Jones:
I have lobsters if anyone is interested.
Message me 776-0034.
Here's the opportunity to buy direct from the boat. You will know who harvested them. You will know his boat. You'll never feel the same the next time you look out in the harbor and recognize the Ann Elizabeth.
Portland, Maine.
Keep going, Margo. Keep going.
Margo Walsh. Remember this moment? 2016 when we could not have imagined social distancing? I believe this is Alden Andrews hugging someone who has just arrived to the circle. Someone he has recognized from either detox or rehab or another life and they connect. And here you are holding that space saying something to all of us like 'See? See? THIS is how this works.'
Keep going, Margo. Keep going.
NOTE: Margo is currently collecting all the N95 masks she can locate to donate to MMC or other health providers.
Cornered and Reflective.
Cornered and Reflective.
Last week he tells me from across the street that he'd like more anti-microbial wipes if I have any. I did because of you Dear Anonymous.
Last week he tells me from across the street that he'd like more anti-microbial wipes if I have any. I did because of you Dear Anonymous. He was using them on the bus even though the bus driver was also wiping surfaces down.
'I wipe down what I can before I sit down. I wipe down everywhere I touch before I leave... The bus driver thanked me.'
On another day at another time I would have hugged him, or maybe just put my hand on his arm to acknowledge that I heard that last part.
'The bus driver thanked me.'
That held such tenderness. I remember wilting.
Instead I left the wipes, and a coffee card and clean socks
( which he recycles where he shelters, so that they can be washed and used again ) on the granite step where he will walk and pick them up.
I will remain wondering if he knows how buoyed I was by his response.
For all appearances they were doing rather well, I think.
For all appearances they were doing rather well, I think.
And from a distant star all our isolation and distancing still appeared like a gathering.
And from a distant star all our isolation and distancing still appeared like a gathering.
As if one thing did not affect the other.
As if one thing did not affect the other.
Emily's Oysters. Fresh from the sea. To your doorstep. At a social distance.
This is Emily Selinger. She sterns for the lobster boat the Haley G. But she's also a kickass oyster farmer. Emily will deliver fresh oysters to your door step. Honest. Fresh from the sea. To your doorstep. At a social distance.
www.emilysoysters.com or follow her beautiful Instagram account at #emilysoysters.
Fresh oysters a few hours from the sea. Maybe we can all help support local folks at this crazy time and stay healthy too. You might not ever have fresher product. Thanks Emily Selinger!
You were leaving messages, dropped like crumbs...
You were leaving messages, dropped like crumbs, most of which had been scooped up in the beaks of gulls. Whether I would eventually arrive at that gingerbread house or not was uncertain.
Even what appeared disconnected revealed its infinite correlation.
Even what appeared disconnected revealed its infinite correlation.
At dawn today my neighbors at Skillin's Greenhouse were already at work.
At dawn today my neighbors at Skillin's Greenhouse were already at work.