For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating fires made 2020 a year to forget. But artists, asked by the City of Capitola to share their reflections, offer important perspectives.
The winners in three categories were chosen by judges Melissa Kreiser, artist and owner of Curated by the Sea contemporary art gallery, Linda Cover, an Open Studios artist who teaches art to children in the Spectra program, artist Roy Segura, who currently teaches at New Brighton Middle School, and artist Shelon Bennett who shares her work at www.instagram.com/shelon121.
The top entries will move forward to the “Public’s Choice” showing where they will compete for top prize in each division. The event date will be announced when the COVID-19 pandemic situation improves.
For info see www.cityofcapitola.org/recreation/page/reflections-2020-digital-gallery-winners
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Professional
First
Covid Diaries #7 Vote: Make A Plan
Artist: Myra Eastman
Media: Acrylic on linen
Covid Diaries
What a time this is.
In the blink of an eye our lives turned.
What used to be no longer is.
To see more of Myra’s work, visit www.myraeastman.com
Second
Essential Workers
Artist: Jared Gamboa Leake
Media: Graphite on paper
In the middle of March 2020 everything seemed to come to a halt. Shops were closing and as the fears of Covid grew, essential workers were still out providing resources for us all.
On March 25, one of my best friends sent me a photograph of him at work. Joey is one of the managers at the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, NY.
At the time New York City was one of the epicenters of Covid and the fear was real. He and his colleagues still showed up to work to help provide for others.
I wanted to honor Joey, his colleagues and all the essential workers who were celebrated for months but now many people have moved on from their appreciation. All essential workers are important.
To see more of Jared’s work, visit jaredleake.com
Third
No Refuge
Artist: Celine Grenier
Media: Oil on linen
2020 has become a year of isolation and stress. Even though we live in a near Paradise, my work has been reflecting this.
I started 2020 painting a serene, nearby forest scene and have ended it painting a lone, defenseless skyscraper in a barren, windstorm-threatened desert. There is, however, light in the sky.
To view more of Celine’s work, visit www.celineart.com
Novice
First
Be Of Good Courage
Artist: Teri Goldner Robbins
Media: Acrylic on canvas board 14W x 18H
The toilet paper and hand sanitizer represent the panic and fear in the initial days of the COVID-19 outbreak. The calla lilies in the vase, which are often used at funerals, are also representative of springtime and life.
The bloom time also correlates to when the piece was created in March 2020, as the state shutdown first occurred. The dead calla lilies in the foreground are representative of those who had passed as a result of the pandemic. The Scottish Cross represents faith and hope.
As a novice artist, this piece was created during my first painting class at our local Cabrillo community college. This piece and the remainder of the semester had to be conducted virtually. Unbeknownst to all at that time, that by the end of the year the United States alone would have close to 20 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 335 thousand deaths nationwide.
At present, California leads the nation with over 2 million confirmed cases, the highest number of any state this year. Many thanks go out to all the frontline and essential workers. May we all do our part to conduct ourselves responsibly and practice safe behaviors. May we all Be of Good Courage.
Second
Guided
Artist: Polly Herhold
My hands have always fascinated me. Their fluidity, lines, angles and shapes make them an interesting and “handy” model to draw.
Although we cannot control the ocean, the fluid movements and lines remind me of my hands and the numerous movements can we make.
Third
Kiss, Kiss
Artist: Charina Cabanayan
Media: Watercolor, pressed flowers on baltic birch panel.
2020 has been a year full of changes and challenges on an individual and global scale. No one has not been affected somehow by the impact of the pandemic.
For many, isolation feels like a loss in human connection and community. Amidst the losses, there’s also a sense of hope. 2020 has in some ways also revealed what is essential.
For me this is love. Cultivating more love is essential to me as I move forward into the next decade. Love is the opposite of fear — which has been certainly been rampant this year. In the moment when one takes their last breath, thoughts go back to the ones they love. Love for our planet will help us preserve our natural resources and care for the earth.
Love for our family and community allows us to make difficult decisions in how we choose to social distance and interact within our family “pods.” Love is complex, yet also so simple.
Love is what remains when all else is stripped away. It is, at the core, the root to all healing. This piece is titled “Kiss, kiss.” It is a portrait of my two daughters. I hope it lightens your heart.
Charina is a mother, yoga teacher, and self-taught artist who lives in Aptos. She was a fashion designer in her previous life and had forgotten how much she enjoyed creating.
During the beginning of the pandemic, Charina rediscovered her love for drawing. She has been teaching herself how to paint in water color while on a break from teaching in-person yoga.
To learn more about Charina visit www.yogalyfe.com and see work in progress at www.instagram.com/charina.aquarella
Youth
First
The Mask
Artist: Ila Bonney
Media: Ink
This art piece is a representation of how masks feel, and how many of us perceive them.
Second
California Wildfires
Artist: Vaitea Siu
Media: Watercolor
In 2020 California suffered to many wildfires. One of my family members has lost their because of it.
Third
Things Need to Change
Artist: Tessa Jefferies
Media: Pencil, ink, watercolor
Things need to change. Protesting for equality for all people is the only thing I would keep from 2020.