Song Mural at Art Place

Art Place is an arts residency organized by Ottawa Arts East Art Council. Alicia Borisonik and I were selected to deliver the program Song Mural at Alexander Community Centre in Ottawa. Starting in November 2015 until February 2016 we had weekly sessions of music and visual arts for a group of teens, 13 to 15 year olds. During the first sessions we collected stories that eventually became a rap song. The music composition took shape in a mural on canvas that is currently displayed at the Community Centre.

Thanks to AOE Arts Council, thanks to the staff at Alexander Community Centre, and many thanks to the youth that participated in this project. We loved it and we would to do it again!

Initial prep for the Blink Show

The Public Library of Ottawa has a new room called Imagine Space where residents can learn how to use and have access to two laser cutters and a 3D printer, for free. I started going last year and this year I am becoming a regular. For my show in September I have been cutting shapes of organs and I have been using the cut-outs as a matrix for printmaking. It is a work in progress and I am very exited to see where this takes me. The show will be called "Where is your Heart?"

Experimental stages

There's Room in Gallery 101

Tomorrow Saturday January 23rd is the opening of the show There's Room at Gallery 101 in Ottawa, where I have an installation called "Connections". I will do a performance during the opening, in which I will be reacting to the interactions with people who approach me. The performance Connections will result in a finished installation that will remain in the gallery during one month. I will post more images and a short video in the weeks to come.

Here is what I wrote for the show:

As a new comer in Canada I am continuously decoding social behaviours, which are natural and unnoticed by local people. Learning how to use these clues is essential for survival, as means to become part of a community. I have been fascinated by different shapes and motifs of interaction between people. In this performance I will have an opportunity to observe and document how people interact with me, or not. As people connect with me I will connect strings from the panel "YOU" to the panel "ME".  If visitors don’t interact with me nothing will happen.

Petra Halkes, the curator of the show, wrote about the name There's Room,

I really like the title of the exhibition that I am curating at Gallery 101, There's Room, inspired as it is by a Cree word for “welcome” that translates to mean There’s Room: “Tawaw” Curator, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, shared this word with us at the We Are Cities roundtable discussion group at Gallery 101, November 28 2015, where we spoke about indigenizing the English language. Check out the event on Facebook.

YOU

Failure and Rejection

This year has been a time to learn about rejection. I made a list of all the achievements and the rejections. Curiously enough, 7 successes over 11 rejections does't feel so bad after all: it is 60% success. However, if I had to depend solely on the art made this year I would have made $2,000 total. 

Obtained

Artshow at The General Fine Craft and Design Gallery

Artshow at Chinatown Remixed

A residency program at ArtPlace AOE

A place as part of Blink, an Artists Collective

Successful fundraiser and bursary for Couple Enrichment Leader Training 

Art Auction to fund the Couple Enrichment Retreat Weekend in January, 2016

Art Show at 101 Gallery for January 2016

Denied

Forest School job

Carp Outdoor Program job

Parkdale Montessori School job

Residency EBA project

Carleton Art Gallery Director Assistant job

Canada Council Visual Art officer job

Algonquin College teaching job

Ontario Art Council - Chalmers Fellowship grant

Community Gallery Exhibit 2016 exhibition

Teaching at NVAC (not enough participants)

Teaching at Wallack's (not enough participants)

Ottawa University Art Residency for Faculty of Medicine, job teaching

Failure and Rejection

Failure and Rejection are two different things. Artists have to deal with both, sometimes at the same time, sometimes not. Artists take many blows and are constantly picking themselves up and starting again, when lack of resources, scarcity of support, isolation and loneliness hit hard. The pain of failure and rejection sit inside stubbornly and are difficult emotions to work through.

Failure comes to an artist in the shape of not achieving imagined financial goals; or not being able to accomplish a project as planned; or not finding echo in others for ideas and visions. One way to survive failure is changing direction and aiming again at the same target from a different point of view, or choosing a different target. Taking a look at the scene and learning what we can, picking up the pieces like small trophies, and humbly setting course again in the new chosen direction.

Rejection comes to an artist in the shape of criticism from peers, critics, or institutions. It also comes when not getting positive results with applications for grants, working positions, residencies and exhibitions. Rejection feels like one’s work is unnecessary, unwanted, undervalued, misunderstood, or unimportant. Recovering from rejection takes a huge amount of self-love and self-respect, which is not the same thing as having a big ego. It means seeing your gift to create as unique and valued, and allowing it to speak and develop despite the difficulties. It means separating your need to be loved as a human, from your need to find your voice. They do not go together. They are two different needs. The first one pertains to your family and friends, which we need it to survive and remain sane. The second one would be nice to have, but if not available, the artist needs to be convinced that the work has merit, and it will eventually find echo, a place to live, and an audience that wants it.

No time creating is wasted, despite what some people tell you. Art is not a financial burden on society, on families, on communities. It is the deepest voice of the soul, especially in a world where churches are empty, psychotherapy is expensive, and people are burying their imagination behind pixelated screens. Art is where the needs of our subconscious are met. Human beings are bone and flesh, but also imagination, spirit, dreams, fears, hopes, and ideals. Art is singing with our unique voice, hungry to be heard.

Art Auction for Couple Enrichment

This is an initiative to help us finance a Couple Enrichment Retreat. We want to go to San Jose, CA in January 2016 for a Couple Enrichment Retreat weekend. During the event we would meet with some of the couples that trained with us this summer, and we would see our wonderful mentors, Merry and Peter. To help pay for our trip we put in place the silent auction with some of my art work, during the month of November. On Monday November 30th the auction will be closed. The following week we will deliver the goods to the happy owners.

If you are interested in any of the following items, each one has a detailed description under. Please send me an email letting me know which painting interests you. You may also go to my website and bid: www.mariagomezumana.com

BID AWAY and thank you for your support!

1

"Pre p-Mex1", Mixed Media, 10"x10", 2014,  $100

2

"Prep-Mex 2", Mixed Media, 10"x10", 2014, $100

3

"Prep-Mex 3", Mixed Media, 10"x10", 2014, $100

4

"Open Air 1", Mixed Media, 12"x12", 2013, $100

5

"Open Air 2", Mixed Media, 12"x12", 2013, $100

6

"ROTO", Mixed Media, 12"x12", 2015, $200

7

"OPQR", Mixed Media, 12"x12", 2015, $200

8

"Triptych 1", Mixed Media, 12"x10", 2013, $150

9

"Triptych 2", Mixed Media, 12"x10'', 2013, $150

10

"Triptych 3", Mixed Media, 12"x10", 2013,  $150

11

"Fall Grass", Encaustic on Panel, 12"x14", 2013, $200

RIA Salon on Mexico

Last night I talked at RIA Salon about my trip to Mexico last year. I showed photos of the workshops I offered in four art venues, and displayed prints I made during the trip. I also showed the Kitchen Art based on Mexican foods, a collection of objects I built on cut-out wood, using stencils, wax pastels and drawing. I will do a demo on how to travel light with a printmaking studio on your backpack at Petra Halke's soon.

With some of the photos and videos of the visit I finished a short video (2.55 minutes long) on my main impressions of Mexico during the visit. Here it is.

Fall Art Workshops

Three Events in September!

September has three main events for me. First, as guest at RIA Salon (Research in Art) organized by Petra Halkes and René Price at their house. On Monday 15th I will presented images on the printmaking workshops I gave in Mexico last year. A group of about 25 artists and friends attended. Thank you for the opportunity!

Second, tropical fruits and veggies at Chinatown Remixed. This year I was assigned Kowloon Market on 716 Somerset. It is a neat supermarket, with lots of fresh and inexpensive food. Fresh (and clean) fish area, with live eels, oyster, clams, live tilapia. Also the best duck ever! See the display below.

And third, we were selected for the artist’s residency Art Place coordinated by Arts Ottawa East Arts Council. Alicia Borisonik and I will be teaching an art class to a youth group at the Alexander Community Centre during fall and winter. The residency pays the two artists a salary and also covers art supplies and rental of music instruments.

Veggie Art at Kowloon Supermarket, Chinatown Remixed, 2015

Dealing with Rejection

I have been applying for several grants, awards, jobs and opportunities and five of my applications have been rejected; two have been successful; and three are still pending. I have to continuously remind myself that it is my applications are being rejected, not ME. It is easy to take it personally and to feel like a failure.

However, I am looking into new opportunities, tangentially related to art, if I remember to see life a stage for creativity. Jose and I will train as Couple Enrichment Leaders for 10 days during the General Friends Conference. It will take place at Western Carolina University of Cullowhee, located in North Carolina.

We hope to exercise and multiply what we learn during the training with other Spanish speaking couples who would be interested in deepening their relationship. We will have a taste session of Couple Enrichment on our return, before the end of the year.

Mexican Heritage

Since my visit to wonderful Mexico I wanted to do a series to honour its food, its culture and its amazing heritage. I finished a group of seven indigenous foods from Central and South America we enjoy around the world: cocoa, tomatoes, beans, corn, squash and chilli peppers. The image of the mighty maguey, a cactus that has served to dress and shelter many, and the plant where Mexicans extract the agave to make sweets, tequila and mezcal. 

maguey

Gut Health

I have been very interested in healthy eating since university, and lately my kitchen is a lab of brewing and fermenting experiments. Here is a photo of the new sauerkraut installation just finished last weekend. It enables me to make 10 mason jars of 450 ml each time. I am using red and white cabbage, apples, cranberries, garlic and salt. It is delicious and so healthy! I have been reading about the benefits of sauerkraut and the different bacteria that it feeds in your gut, I recommend the site on Nourishing Treasures. It has a great explanation of the science behind it.

pink sauerkraut ready to be consumed

Kitchen Art

After my visit to Mexico I needed to make something to honour that amazing culture. I decided to start with food: a lot of very important foods we enjoy today are originally from Central and South America. Some travelled with migrants thousands of years ago, like cocoa. Some travelled with the Europeans that conquered the Americas, like tomatoes. That is why, today  I decided to make samples of important foods I love, to accompany my kitchen, or yours.

Another reason for producing this series is that I think of my work in the kitchen as art. The art of cooking healthy, sustainable, tasty and good looking meals. The art of setting the table with a nice layout, inviting colours, useful utensils. The art of hosting a gathering, the expectation of seeing friends, welcoming music, anticipating some moments during the event when you will call everybody for a highlight such as breaking the piñata. And most important making everyone feel special.

Below you will find images of the process used for the Kitchen Art, and some finished samples.

sketch on paper, wood cutout, paper collage, finished collection of CHILES

squash

tomatoes

beans

Website

One of my goals this year was to learn how to use WordPress to have my own website. In it you will find different samples of my work as a visual artist throughout the decades. There are samples of my illustrations, murals, mixed media objects and paintings, and some of the work I have done as a Forest School practitioner. Please let me know what you think.

www.mariagomezumana.com

Nine Organs

Emotions are hosted in different parts of our body, and accumulate over time. Happiness creates marks on our face and tone up our muscles.  Sadness, fear, rage and envy strain our muscles, and concentrate toxic elements in our organs.  Unfortunately, we only become aware of our internal organs when they are not working properly.

The collection of Nine Organs is a votive healing act.  If intention defines the outcome of our actions, my act of creating Nine Organs is healing.  During the creation process I observe the internal organs and become better at interpreting its signs.  I find a tuning with its performance and its needs.  Each organ is constantly working to maintain balance, working from within to build and preserve life.  The interrelations between organs create systems that enable its function.  Nine Organs echoes my body in the uniqueness of each shape and their interconnections with the body as a whole.

 Brain

 Fallopian

Kidney

Art Show HEAL

From February to March I will have the solo show HEAL, at the General Fine Craft and Design Gallery,  located in Almonte, Ontario (see map).  The opening will be on Sunday March 22, from 1 to 3 pm.  The show consists of two bodies of work: The Healing Alphabet, and The Nine Organs.  The objects were made with mixed media: wood, paper, fabric, embroidery, a sawing machine, a torch, transfers, and drawing supplies.

All healing requires time.  It happens in layers, as coatings of skin, streams of kind words, soothing sounds, and restoring actions.  There are different types of healing: repairing a broken tissue, mending a deep soul wound, curing a polluted river, or restoring a broken community.  However, all healing requires a similar disposition: enormous courage to face fear and to look at pain closely.  

During my healing progress, I found creativity and resiliency compelling to carry on; to overcome sadness, despair, and specially a sense of unfairness and rage.  The reason being that Healing urges me to look at my darkest sides, and into the scary shades of unknown mysteries.  Only then, the wound is identified and the real work begins.

Healing starts to happen when I feel again the burning pain.  As I skulk again through it, I begin to experience transformation.  In time, the treasure is revealed.  It then becomes lush soil, rich hummus, and abundant compost for the soul.  Healing brings a sense of gratitude that makes me eager to disclose the discoveries to honour the process.  

In this body of work, art mirrors my healing path: it embodies the process and gives shape to the task.