Pandemic

EMERGENCE – E

EMERGENCE – E

…how relatively empty the streets were in Chicago, as they have been in many cities and communities.

When we returned to the northwest, we saw the pandemic numbers rising again with the newer Delta variant emerging. Like most people, we wanted to put our masks away and return to the life we knew before the pandemic. We know the world has changed, changed in so many ways. We remain cautious and optimistic and know that we can’t just abandon all the effort we have put into being sensible, cautious, and responsible or let these efforts of the past year go to waste. We bought a new series of masks and continue to exercise caution and care when around others.

We spent the summer in the Pacific Northwest; unlike the previous eighteen months, we could be outside even more and visit with vaccinated friends indoors.

We began planning a return to Chicago for September where I have been writing and editing several photos in these posts. We’ve seen new shows in spaces awakening from the past year and the beginning of a new season. Visits to some galleries take more planning with advance appointments necessary. Major institutions are open except for refreshments.

I’m including another gallery of selected photos from the past 18 months; some may be familiar to you if you look at my Flickr or Instagram accounts. Some of the photos document the changes of season and others mark my experiences specific to the pandemic.  With my next post I’ll share some new Chicago photos and images from exhibitions we’re seeing.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our activities and thoughts about this past year. We are blessed to have close friends and family who care about each other, and about the common good. Stay safe and stay tuned.

 

Posted by Thomas Alix Johnston in Blog, 1 comment

EMERGENCE – Notes from Life during the Pandemic

With this first post after many months, I want to report that we are well. For the past 18 months we have self-isolated and paid attention to recommended guidelines for staying safe and healthy. We are so fortunate and thankful that we have not lost any family or close friends because of the pandemic.

Many of my posts on this website are about art, exhibitions, and art and architectural travels. This series of 5 posts (Emergence A – E) is more diaristic and shares some of what we did and how we participated in cultural events during this time of “stay-at-home.”

On the eve of the pandemic, we were visiting family east of Seattle on the day the first cases were announced in Kirkland and broadcast on the evening and national news. On our way home, as we were waiting at the stoplight to enter the freeway, we looked up and saw that we were at the very hospital where the first Covid-19 patients were being cared for.

The following week, on March 6, 2020, I went to what would become the last public event I would attend for the next 15 months. Even as the news of the pandemic was becoming widespread with some public events being cancelled, the Portland Art Museum was still open. I went to the opening of  APEX  – Ed Bereal comprised of selected works from his recent retrospective at The Whatcom Museum in Bellingham. The exhibition featured a selection of earlier and more recent works for context, which built up to the powerful mixed media installation “Exxon-Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse” which dominated the main gallery. It is a major work, beautiful in execution (exquisite drawing and mark making) and complex in fabrication (mixed-media sculptural components and installation). As beautiful as his work is, one thing Ed has always said is that it is not so much about the artworks as objects, but that he hopes they create a dialog amongst the audience. In my opinion, Ed’s art has always worked in both ways, stimulating dialog via ambitious, beautiful artworks. Hyperallergic published an in depth article about Ed and his work.

Ed was introduced by the curator and gave a talk about the work and the trajectory of his development as an artist. It was great to see Ed and his wife, painter Barbara Sternberger. It was also good to see other old friends, artist Susan Bennerstrom from Bellingham, and musicians Margot Hanson and Chuck Israels, now living in Portland.

That was my last public outing…

 

Posted by Thomas Alix Johnston in Blog, 0 comments

Today’s Post is Brought to You by the Letter P

We Need PPE, Not Federal Tyranny! Olympia Indivisible Rally Stand with Portland, BLM, Wall of Moms

A non-violent protest to Stand with Portland in support of Black Lives Matter, Wall of Moms Portland, Wall of Vets, Wall of Dads, organized by Olympia Indivisible on Saturday July 25, 2020. This was one of the dozens of rallies organized by other Indivisible chapters throughout the Pacific Northwest.

PPE, Parking, Palpable, Pandemic, Peace, Persist, Portland, Pragmatic, Protest, Power to the People

Photos from this event can be viewed in my Flickr folder: Indivisible – MoveOn – Women’s+ 

Posted by Thomas Alix Johnston in Blog, 0 comments