NEW UPDATE, July 30, 2020
Yes, it has been more than four months since I started with the website/blog page “Social Distance”. At the beginning the idea was simply to open a space of creativity and community building for artist-friends during these challenging times of isolation, grieving and uncertainty.
After four months the website has been featured in the websites of the South Carolina Arts Commission as well as in the site of NALAC (National Association for Latino Arts and Cultures), thus attracting more artists and friends with very interesting initiatives and approaches to the concept of Social Distancing and the pandemic in general.
I am proud to say that some well recognized visual artists and poets have been sending their work and I have been updating the site, making this space more interesting, intricate and at times very personal. If y’all have some free time, (and I know you do, LOL) I encourage all of you to please visit each other’s pages, make comments and continue the dialogue, after all that’s probably the most important goal of this effort.
Also, please feel free to keep sending me more material, some of you have been doing so on a regular basis, and some other artists are still thinking about their entries. Either way is great, the goal is to overcome together -as artists- this very unusual moment in history, as well as helping us maintain our practices moving and our brains busy, at least mine!
As you all know, we are not on the other side of the pandemic, as of today more than 150,000 people have died only in the US and the number just keeps increasing. We are all getting used to the new reality and clearly things have changed for good and most likely will never be the same.
For now, just keep maintaining your Social Distancing and please stay safe!
Alejandro
Muy a tiempo. Me gusta el proyecto y me uno. Cuéntanos más sobre las fechas que proyectas, para cuándo deben estar listos los trabajos, etc.
Dear Diana,
Thanks for your prompt response, I am responding in English so all of us can understand. Your two main questions are:
1: What are the dates?
Dates are from now until, I mean as soon as you have time to create something I will posting it on this website. So, no rush and at the same time it goes with the fluidity of our reality.
2: When should the works be ready:
Anytime as long as we are still practicing social distancing.
Thanks again,
Alejandro
Today is the first day that this proposal goes on-line and we already have more than twelve artists involved, (including me) they are:
Santiago Echeverry, Tampa, Florida
Eliana Pérez, NYC
Betsy Newman, Columbia, SC
Edgar Cano López, Mexico, DC
Bonnie Goldberg, Columbia, SC
Diana Farfán, Greenville, SC
Mariangeles Borghini, Granada, Spain
María Cecilia Galindo Oñate. Bogotá, Colombia
Heidi Darr-Hope, Columbia, SC
Juan Guillermo Pérez, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia
Sammy López, Columbia, SC
Lee Malerich, Neeses, SC
Alejandro García Lemos, Columbia, SC
Please feel free to share this effort with any artist that you think could be interested.
Thanks again to all of you and please stay safe!
https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/corona-virus-cases-tracker-covid-19-tracker-lite/reviews/#new-post
Alejandro
Thank you Alejandro for this space of expression and connection during these difficult times. Un abrazo.
Thanks Mariangeles for your perspective from Spain. We are all bracing for the worst here in the states. In the mean time I will keep posting art in this site.
Big hugs!
Alejandro
We just received three new images from Colombian artist: María Cecilia Galindo based in Bogotá, Colombia. I will post them tomorrow!
Gracias Ma. Ce!
Un abrazo a tod@s!
Alejandro
Juan Guillermo Pérez suggested to add a bio and profile picture; so, if that is something that somebody would like to include as part pf your page on Social Distancing – Our Response, please send me your pic and very short bio. 100 max, thanks.
I hope everyone is stay home and healthy!
Thanks y’all!
Alejandro
Love it!
Thanks
I am glad you like it Marina, are you planning to be part of the project?
Thanks,
Alejandro
Dear participanting artists,
We have been in isolation for more than two months and most of you have now sent your artwork. I just wanted to hear your thoughts about an idea that I had. I was thinking about having a printed book, including all artists and their pieces, as well as all texts included on this page. For that I will need a brief bio, no longer than 100 words. Please let me know your thoughts about it and if you are interested please go ahead and send me your bio and if you wish send me your face pic to include. I am going to start working on this during the Memorial Day long weekend.
If you have any ideas, please let me know.
Thanks,
Alejandro
I’m working my way through these again and seeing new things. Heather Dearmon’s poem hit me hard, Valeria Aranda’s illustrations also moved me. It all moves me. Britt Hunts garden sculptures made me smile. Thank you Betsy Newman for sharing your journal . Are you still writing? I’m about half way through the entries again. I appreciate so much being able to drift through these works and be a part of it.
Thanks Lee Ann for your comments. I am really happy to have included Valerie´s drawings, they are so personal and also remind me of the Retablos from Mexico as well as the Frida Khalo’s approach to being sick. I am glad that you are part of this project and please feel free to send me some more images. Did you read Juan David’s poems. They are really strong!
I will ask Betsy if she is still writing a journal.
Alejandro