Tragic times, including this COVID-19 era of death, illness, fear, misconception, and bigotry — can bring out the worst in us — and the best. The shadowed and the illuminated, the ugly and the beautiful, the narrow-minded and the caring…
The devastation of COVID-19 inspired artist Connie D.K. Lane to create an installation where viewers are coaxed to feel and think. Amid the sad emptiness of the quarantined Glendale Central Library, she invited volunteers to help her fill the space with color and movement to honor Los Angeles County residents who’ve passed away from the virus.
The project was funded by the City of Glendale Arts & Culture Commission’s Art Happens Anywhere COVID-19 relief initiative, an organization which also funds an impressive urban art program. They call it, “…both a beautiful and poignant reminder that while numbers of new cases are currently on the decline, daily case counts are still three times higher than they were in October 2020, and County reports have identified new strains of the virus in the community.” The project was unveiled by Supervisor Kathryn Barger and included the help of Glendale Mayor Vrej Agajanian, Arts & Culture Commission Chairperson Caroline Tufenkian, and Director of Library Arts and Culture, Dr. Gary Shaffer.
Connie’s “15,000 and More: A Plethora of Light and Darkness” employs over 15,000 Chinese joss paper ingots. Hanging from the ceiling, the ingots form a constellation evoking the overwhelming number of Angelenos who’ve passed away from COVID-19. Watch multi-media journalist Aziza Shuler report on it for Spectrum News1…
Does Connie look familiar? I featured one of her art shows here and a sneak preview to another here that I took part in, and that show here with a video, and a video of another I also participated in here.
Has Covid-19 inspired you in a surprising way?
Happiness Between Tails by da-AL 
[…] My friend, artist Connie DK Lane, is having another show (here’s an installation she did to honor lives lost to COVID-19 here, this was an earlier show — and this is another I performed in). Please join us. Below are […]
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[…] Sitting Cat” at a far better clip. (I elaborated on some COVID silver linings here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here, as did author Alice Renaud […]
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Good
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[…] and here and here. However, silver linings exist such as those I wrote of here and here and here and here and here and here and here and […]
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This is a lovely idea and well executive, da-AL. Lovely to learn about Connie’s undertaking. I have been writing twisted nursery rhymes and making a series of cakes about important issues relating to C-19. Unfortunately, my workload increased significantly when Covid started and hasn’t slowed down which has left me with less time than usual for artwork and writing.
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Most of my recent writing includes references to the pandemic. It is the overwhelming circumstance we cannot avoid dealing with.
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true. will be interesting to see in retrospect…
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Thank you for sharing!!… the virus is one more reason why I live every day to the fullest of my ability!… “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” (Mahatma Gandhi)… 🙂
Until we meet again..
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
May green be the grass you walk on
May blue be the skies above you
May pure be the joys that surround you
May true be the hearts that love you.
(Irish Saying)
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love your positive outlook!
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This is so amazing!
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[…] The devastation of COVID-19 inspired artist Connie D.K. Lane to create an installation where viewers are coaxed to feel and think. Amid the sad emptiness of the quarantined Glendale Central Library, she invited volunteers to help her fill the space with color and movement to honor Los Angeles County residents who’ve passed away from the virus.Source: COVID-19 Art: Connie D.K. Lane’s Light + Darkness | Happiness Between Tails by da-AL […]
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Nice post!
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