Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
2 June 2020 Vol 5 No 11 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2020
From the Editor
Portia Priegert
Have I mentioned how fed up I am with the pandemic? Enough already.
But, of course, no matter how much we complain, it doesn’t change the reality – the experts say we’re in for a long haul, and while we’re in a bit of a lull now, the coronavirus is still among us and could rebound in an even worse second wave, particularly as we resume higher-risk activities.
I came down with what I assume was a flu or cold on March 7, and went into isolation, worried I might catch COVID-19 on top of it. Everything seemed so uncertain then, and the news from elsewhere was alarming.
While my illness was mild, the infection lodged in my lungs and I couldn’t shake it for the better part of a month. I coped by keeping my focus on healing, binge watching old reruns, and figuring out how to get chores done amidst social isolation.
But the novelty of this new reality has worn off, and everything now feels like an endless slog. The last few weeks have been particularly tough. As a longtime member of the work-from-home gig economy, I was dealing with isolation before the pandemic. I’m single, live alone and have no family nearby, so my activities – yoga classes, singing in a choir, going for coffee with friends – helped me cope.
During the lockdown, I was relegated to solitary walks, bike rides and tending my community garden plot. Of course, I'm glad to be working without worries about how to pay my bills. But I’m fed up with spending so much time alone. I want to share meals and hugs, and sit laughing with friends without monitoring risks and distances.
I think public health officials have really underplayed the challenges facing singletons. So much attention has focused on how families can cope. But if you’re in a bubble with your family, you’re already much less isolated than people in a bubble of one. And, demographically, our numbers are growing.
One of my pleasures during these trying times is reading submissions from artists who have shared their pandemic stories for our House Call series. In this issue, for instance, Manitoba artist Eveline Mangin Mauws describes her feelings of isolation. "I have begun to feel caged in," she writes. "My home and studio have become a mental prison."
As part of another series, Sneak Peek, also started during the pandemic, we look at Yukon artist Leslie Leong’s unusual permafrost project and Roy Caussy’s installation at the Art Gallery of Alberta, which reopens to the public on June 11.
Please keep sending me your stories as I hope to continue both series through the summer.
Also in this issue, Calgary's Kris Thoreson reviews a new book about Vancouver artist Sylvia Grace Borda’s community-engaged art practice and Vancouver writer John Thomson explores how mural artists have responded to the pandemic.
Our final article, by Calgary's Richard White, looks at how commercial galleries are embracing creative marketing to stay relevant during the crisis.
Looking ahead, we will have stories from Paul Gessell about Saskatchewan artists Zachari Logan and Zoë Schneider, who both face shifts in their exhibition schedules due to the coronavirus.
In the longer term, we’re working on a story about art schools and how this year’s graduating class is emerging into a deeply uncertain future. If you finished your degree this spring and have a story to share, please help our research by dropping us an email.
Until next time,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: John Thomson, Kristine Thoreson, Richard White