Friday, September 11, 2015

MARKING YOUR UNIQUE SELF: Make Art, Join Women's Caucus for the Arts Georgia, Exbhibit, Enjoy

WHAT IS YOUR MARK? Hallelujah for the personal nature of each of our marks! My dear Chiboogamoo took this photo of me, Hallelujah Truth, at the opening reception of "MARK" at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens Georgia, September 10, 2015, where I had one of my wonderful images exhibited.
Hallelujah for each and everyone of us and the unique MARKS we make on this beautiful Earth! Hallelujah for husbands like my Chiboogamoo, who supports my artistic endeavors by driving on the interstate between cities to deliver me to art openings, whose winning personality is a delight to all who encounter him at these engagements, and who ecstatically documents my life's journey with exquisite photographs! Thank you!
ECSTATIC SUPPORTER CHIBOOGAMOO. Here we are! Ta dah! My work, entitled, "We are Not Alone," one of many in the series of the "Cosmos of Hallelujah," celebrating my life's story in a symbolic array of characters.(photo by another ecstatic husband of WCAGA Member)

On September 10, 2015, The Womens Caucus for Arts Georgia (WCAGA) opened an exhibit of their work--"MARK"--at Lyndon House Arts Center as part of its 40th year celebration. We WCAGA members were all surprised by the beauty of this exhibit hosting one "MARK" work of close to forty different women artists. How could so many diverse images come together in a coherent and inspirational show? 

There are many people to thank for the success of this exhibit, beginning with WCAGA board member, Barbara A. Rehg. For several years now, she has been committed to her vision vision women getting together to make their "MARKS." Many "drawing marathons" and other exhibits later, is this large one at the Lyndon House! Thank you Barb!

Also responsible for the success of this Lyndon House exhibit are Nancy Lukasiewicz, Didi Dumphey and Stacy Koffman, whose work made the "MARK" exhibit come to reality, as well as Georgia Strange, who juried the exhibit.Yay!

As a visionary artist, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to exhibit my work in such an elegant and welcoming environment. Each person makes individual "MARKS," and that is respected in this show! Yay for us all! Yay for creativity!
WE ARE NOT ALONE. I completed this piece in April as a part of the work I was doing with "Embody the Mother." The female figure in the center represents the unknown mother embodied in me. The other symbols in this image represent part of my psyche, including the boogey man, the unknown, the comforter, the growth, and creativity. (Art by Hallelujah Truth and photo by Chiboogamoo)
HURRAY FOR OTHER LIKE-MINDED ARTISTS. I love it that Jes Gordon's "MARK" was next to mine. To learn more about Jes, check out my interview with her here, and her website here. (photo by Chiboogamoo)
ALTARS AND PHOTOGRAPHER. I love Lisa Alexander Streib, photographer extraordinaire) and her work! Here she stands with her photograph of me (Yes, I was the model). Titled "Altars," this piece is significant in many ways. First, it is a part of a series that is a tribute to her father, who was an architect, and combines an architectural structure with a portrait. It is a tribute to me as we were collaborating on images documenting my hair after I got diagnosed with alopecia totalis. I was told I would be bald by May 2015. In this image, there is a bald spot, but you can't quite see it.  She took rubberbands and created this "hairdoo" for me to exalt my hair! An altar? Yes! An altar to hair! I felt loved and cherished, especially since this was a hairdoo she did for her daughter when she was a child. The hairstyle also expresses a structure similar to the cathedral ceiling she merged it with. Hallelujah for hair, hairdoos, and cathedrals. Hallelujah for having hair and friends that document hair! Love! (photo by me, Hallelujah Truth)
ME WITH HAIR, SEPTEMBER 2015. I have been on a health journey since my diagnosis of this auto-immune disease in February of 2013. For more than a year, I was actively balding. Then!!! At some point in mid-2015, my hair started growing back, filling multiple bald spots. I understand that this alopecia is in my genes and that I must focus on good health practices to maintain being a person with hair. I am so thankful for ART and fellow ARTIST Lisa Streib. I feel that her support in photographing me was one of the good health practices I engaged in to improve my health. (photo by Chiboogamoo)
CHEERS TO ART and OUR UNIQUITIES!
HURRAY TO FELLOW ARTISTS ALL! How fun to play in Athens, Georgia, with Lisa Streib before her first of many exhibits to come. I love my life!  (photo by Chiboogamoo)
That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me! I want to know what MARKS you make! I also appreciate hallelujahs and praise of my work! Love supports me and moves me forward. I'm sure you know what I mean! 

6 comments:

  1. Hallelujah for women making their Marks and for being supported by the men in their lives! Hallelujah for friends who encourage and inspire! Hallelujah for hair and architecture! Ruth, I believe that through your art, your blogs, and through your instigating and continued support of everyone in the Daily Creative Practice, you have left an indelible mark on all of us.

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    1. Dear Special Needs Cat! You too have left that indelible MARK on me through your intense creativity that is vast and various and humorous and literary and engaging! Love you!

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  2. I have misty eyes reading about your hair and the art to honor it, you, and
    healing. Hallelujah Ruth!

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    1. Thanks so much for reading my blog post Sabra and writing this comment. I feel so fortunate that I'm managing this auto-immune disease. Alopecia is mysterious and doctors don't know what to do about it. Let's all focus on living our lives in deep and meaningful ways with joy, love, and forgiveness.

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