ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Archives • Arts Consortium of Carver County

ArtMatters Newsletter June 2020

in ArtMatters Newsletters 2020, News

ArtMatters Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 4 | June 2020

Greetings

The ACCC Arts Center Gallery and Gift Shop located here in beautiful downtown Victoria is going to reopen it’s doors on Wednesday June 3rd on an appointment basis. Connect with us. We can arrange for a pick-up or we invite you to come in person to our Gift Shop. Our volunteer base is currently limited due to CoVid-19 so we will accommodate opening as much as possible during this time with pre-planning. If you would like to shop our store, please schedule an appointment, and as always, if our doors are open, we welcome you to come in. Send your request to giftshop@artsofcarvercounty.org.

We will be following the State of Minnesota’s Guidelines to Reopening Business. We will have masks, gloves, sanitizers and visuals to help keep you safe.

During the break we have created the ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal, a place for you to share images of your works of visual art, short stories, poems, music and more. Please go to our website and submit your entries online. We welcome young to young at heart to take part in this year long expression of life as we feel it, see it and know it, in the new norm. We invite you to become part of the story. Join us.

Create on and Stay Safe,

Cynthia Anderson
President

Email your Gift Shop questions to GiftShop@artsofcarvercounty.org.

Promoting You on Social +

The growing consumption of information and the increased screen time many are experiencing has led us into bringing more visuals of the artwork available for sale at our gallery and gift shop to the public platforms. We continue to promote our Artists and their artwork via Facebook and Instagram. We have space to accept in new work which enables us to promote new and exciting finds for our followers. If you would like to add to the interest and have your work featured in our posts, please let us know about your new creations and how we can work together. Each month we will also showcase artist members through articles in the local newspapers. Contact us at giftshop@artsofcarvercounty.org.

ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal

Have you been writing, creating music or visual art during the pandemic? Would you like to share your work with a larger audience? We’d love to have you submit what you have created for the ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal, an interdisciplinary collection of Music, Literature, and Visual Art. We are accepting submissions in written, photo, song or video form. Take a look at the wonderful contributions we have already published on our website and send us your inspiration today. The guidelines for submission are on our website.

#Haikus4Healing

For those of you who are “sometimes writers,” we’d love to have you submit a haiku for our ACCC Facebook page, use #haikus4healing on your post. Have some fun with this one. Write a haiku on your sidewalk, take a picture, and post it on https://www.facebook.com/Artsincarvercounty.

Submit a Nomination or Application for the ACCC Board of Directors

The ACCC is seeking a writer to serve as Literary Liaison on the Board. If you are interested, please complete a board application on our website, link below. If you have questions, please contact Susan Coultrap-McQuin, literary@artsofcarvercounty.org.

Treasurer: Are you good with numbers and want to volunteer your time? We are seeking an ideal energetic candidate for Treasurer on our Board of Directors. This is a great way to get to do something you love, be immersed in art and are able to stay home while still being effective. If you feel you are a good fit, please apply online, link below. For questions, please contact Cynthia Anderson, info@artsofcarvercounty.org

Member at Large: Seeking artists and artists at heart interested in being on the Board of Directors to help navigate the new norms that challenge our organization and to bring focus on the arts. If you feel you are a good person to help create that change, we welcome you to apply today or nominate someone you know who might be interested.

ACCC Membership

Not an ACCC Member? Consider joining! Our Membership page lists all the benefits and opportunities we offer our Members.

If you are a Member, please take a minute to log into your ACCC account and review your Membership. You can see when you joined and when your Membership is up for renewal. We automatically send you reminder emails before your due date. Membership questions can be directed to our Membership Coordinator, Beth Billstrom at membership@artsofcarvercounty.org.

Go to our Account page to access your Membership info as well as your Directory Listing. Keep it up-to-date. Be sure to include your social media accounts as we have been promoting our Member artists on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Volunteer Opportunities with the ACCC

The Arts Consortium of Carver County Volunteers are working diligently behind the scenes on some exciting new opportunities for 2020. Volunteer and work to bring the arts to the people of your community. We seek a wide range of strengths and talents, art experience not required. We are actively looking for additional Members for our Board of Directors to fill several positions and for people to serve on a committee, special project or participate in new initiatives. Volunteer Form.

Waiting For Growth by Kristen Obarsky

in Pandemic Arts Journal

ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Submission

Submitted by: Kristen Obarsky

Title: “Waiting For Growth”

#ACCCPandemicArtsJournal

View all of the ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Entries.

A chorus of enchanting and eager bird songs invite me outside. As I emerge onto the back porch the spring weather blasts my face, delivering a stiff and slicing cold wind. Not yet, and I retreat back inside.

Once upon a time inside was my domain. As an introvert, I would say, “I’m a homebody, it’s my thing.” It’s not “my thing” anymore. I long for the pleasures of the outside world. I crave that closeness to my friends and their supportive and comforting warmth. That warmth, like a slowly chewed caramel candy and how its sweetness coats your mouth and lingers and leaves a prolonged satisfaction.

It is May 18th, 2020 and the Governor’s orders are slowly and cautiously subsiding. I round up three kids into the dusty car and leave for a morning errand to DMV. It’s been a couple of homebound weeks and on my drive I witness thousands gentle and elegant chartreuse leaves unfolding. I drive past the Arboretum for a glimpse of tulips in their revelry. I steal glances yellow and red colored flowers that stand together in the whipping wind. They show prudence by closing up their petals. Their petals like guarded walls protect their vulnerable insides.

Overall, the atmosphere is subdued, except at the DMV, where cars queue up at the drive thru. A driver gets cut off and out comes a red-faced portly man from his car and lambasts this offending perpetrator, but the perpetrator is Great-Granny and she is hard of hearing. She gingerly opens her car door with a frail and pale hand to hear more intently. Through the cracked door the man’s saliva nearly spews from his screaming jaws. I feel uncomfortable.

Then the man stomps back to his car trunk and fumbles around for something hidden. I only think, “Is he getting a gun?” and my body gets clammy and nervous. To my surprise, seconds later he pulls out a fully loaded caffeinated beverage. I’m left befuddled. After I renew my tabs, I’m too disturbed and I just want to go home. I truly thought he was going to kill her and I feel ashamed, do I no longer have the purity to think good of people?

These oscillating emotions: inside vs outside. Where outside is beautiful, but dangerous, and inside is safe, but lonely. And then I can’t stop ruminating on death. I do a daily check on death counts. I’m scared. It is not that I check on death, but death checks on me.

Vigilant angels perform their record keeping of my actions and inactions and I am terrified, there is no place to hide. No mask, no vaccine, nothing can stop death, my death. This rumination prompts me. It prompts me to make my day meaningful, however I can in the confines of my home. I try leaving small seeds of kindness and pray it is enough and I worry it could never be enough. But seeds grow and bloom and are beautiful. Through this storm I keep praying and I keep planting those seeds.

Most of All Be Safe by Ted Hajnasiewicz

in Pandemic Arts Journal

ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Submission

I wrote this song, after reading a comment a dear friend made to his granddaughter on Facebook – she works at a grocery store, and was commenting on the poor treatment she’d experienced and witnessed. His comment was simply, “Be safe, be brave – but most of all be safe…”. That stuck with me for a couple weeks, then this song came out. It’s dedicated to all our front line workers during this time….

Created by: Ted Hajnasiewicz, songwriter, performer.

Performers on the song: Ted Hajnasiewicz – vocals, acoustic guitar, bass; Steve Kelzer – piano, strings; Katianna Carlon – backing vocal

Title of work: Most of All Be Safe

Read the Lyrics: Most of All Be Safe Ted H

Where to learn more about Ted Hajnasiewicz: https://www.tedhtunes.com https://facebook.com/tedhmusic https://instagram.com/tedhtunes Ted’s ACCC Profile

#ACCCPandemicArtsJournal

Inner Growth by Astrid Menges

in Pandemic Arts Journal

ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Submission

Submitted by Artist: Astrid Menges

Name of the pieces: Inner Growth

These pieces are meant to tie into focusing on self love and care during a dark time for the world. I think it’s important to focus on mental health and self love, since that is one thing we can control while enduring this pandemic.

I am a visual artist at Denver School of the Arts. My art Instagram is here https://www.instagram.com/astridsart_/

View all of the ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Entries.

#ACCCPandemicArtsJournal

Homemade Masks by Janet Brose

in Pandemic Arts Journal

ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Submission

Submitted by Artist: Janet Brose

Name of piece: Homemade Masks

Type: (visual art) acrylic on canvas paper

View all of the ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Entries.

#ACCCPandemicArtsJournal

Floral Photography by Lily Rose Gavin

in Pandemic Arts Journal

ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Submission

Submitted by: Lily Rose Gavin

Title: Floral Photography

Lily Rose Gavin is a 13 year old student from Carver, Minnesota. She enjoys singing, theater and the outdoors. Her love of spring floral blooms inspired her to start taking pictures to commit the beauty to memory. Her name is fitting because of her love of flowers. During this time of Stay at Home Orders and Physical Distancing, Lily has found that she fits right in with nature as it tends to show itself and all its natural beauty to her each and every day.

Lily’s picture is from early March 2020, when she played Jasmine in Aladdin at Cologne Academy.

#ACCCPandemicArtsJournal

View all of the ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Entries.

Your Face My Day by Ted Hajnasiewicz

in Pandemic Arts Journal

ACCC Pandemic Arts Journal Submission

Here is a song I wrote shortly after quarantine started, but long enough in that we’d been missing our kids and grandkids. It’s going to be part of a compilation album fundraiser for a Minneapolis songwriter who began her battle with cancer right around the time quarantine started.

Created by: Ted Hajnasiewicz, songwriter, performer.

Performers on the song: Ted Hajnasiewicz – vocals, acoustic guitar; Sarah Morris – vocals; Mark Ganje – electric guitar; Tim Sunde – bass; Adam Lain – drums

Title of work: Your Face My Day

Read the Lyrics: Your Face My Day by Ted H

Where to learn more about Ted Hajnasiewicz: https://www.tedhtunes.com https://facebook.com/tedtunes https://instagram.com/tedhtunes Ted’s ACCC Profile

#ACCCPandemicArtsJournal