1. There is a young boy, Moses, who lives at the orphanage in Uganda. Last year he fell in love with and attached himself to Team 3 member Kaley. Kaley discovered pretty quickly that Moses had a severe hearing impairment. She spent lots of time playing with him, and she also taught him how to sign the letters of the alphabet. At our CTT talent show, the two of them stood side by side before the audience, and in the sweet silence that engulfed the room, they slowly made the hand signs for each letter. It was truly moving. At the suggestion of Melissa (our on-the-ground social worker who is now living at the orphanage) I sent an email to the members of Team 4 asking if anyone knew any sign language. Melissa understands that learning some could open up the world in many ways for young Moses. About fifteen minutes after I sent the email, I got a response from Avis that simply read, “I am fluent in sign language.” I know now Avis was meant to be going on this trip for more reasons than any of us could have imagined!
2. I have work showing in two places in the Kansas City area right now. If you live in this neck of the woods and are interested, please check out the handsome installation curated by Marcus Cain on view at the Epsten Gallery at Village Shalom in Overland Park. The exhibition is entitled “Familiar: Portraits of Proximity” and includes the work of several artists. (You have got to see the pieces by Miki Baird.) Marcus selected five images from my identical twins series for the show. (Seeing these older gelatin silver prints hanging on the wall made me long for my wet darkroom days.) The show is up through January 9th and definitely deserves a look. The other place my work is on view is Matney Floral in Fairway. Scott Heidmann assembled images from different bodies of work for this intimate installation at the classy and beautiful Chuck Matney flower store. There are a couple pieces from New Orleans (just post-Kartrina) as well as a piece from my “424 Adair” project and several from the “Sea Series.” This installation will be up through the holidays.
3. My friend Lynne recently gave me a book that I’d like to recommend. If you have any grandmothers or grandmothers-to-be on your holiday shopping list, please get them a copy of “Eye of My Heart” edited by Barbara Graham. It is a collection of unsentimental, funny and poignant stories by 27 writers, each revealing the “hidden pleasures and perils of being a grandmother.” I have really enjoyed it, and have even read aloud some of the tales as bedtime stories to the grandfather who sleeps beside me.
4. Our dear friend, Richard E. Loftis, passed away this morning. He was a determined man until the very end. Just as determined as he's always been.
1 comment:
Thank you for the beautiful words in your blog. We have read through them many times. The pictures are heart-wrenching to look at, but show the reality of what he was going through in a dignified and touching way. Thank you.
L & A
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