The Morgan Book Project and Scholastic Writing Awards!

I'm playing catch-up here - 

Following last year's Book Project Awards that was cancelled due to the pandemic, The Morgan Library and Museum found a way to make it happen this year. The award ceremony was virtual, and judges had an opportunity to speak with the kids about their projects. I loved hearing their thoughts on the book project program experience, what inspired their projects, and how they made decisions about design layout and story. Themes included public safety Covid guidelines as a reflection of the times, and stories of cooperation and kindness toward others, an appeal to everyone to work together. Their dedication to their work was an inspiration to all of us. And a special thank you to the schools and teachers for helping to pull this off! All of the projects submitted were wonderful and full of heart. Congratulations to every participant for their extraordinary accomplishment. View the winning projects HERE click on the cover to expand the book. 

As a bonus to the kids for their tremendous effort during such a challenging time, all finalists have their books on display in the gallery through August 15th. 

The Scholastic Writing Awards were a great success. Another wonderful program I feel privileged to be a part of. The students surmounted the tragic uncertainty of living through a pandemic by channeling their creativity through the art of writing, and produced a record of our time. There were of course works influenced by personal experience of the pandemic represented in the submissions. But all of the work, all of the themes they embraced, proved that expressing ourselves creatively is important and should be nurtured through programs like this. Whatever the genre, these young writers showed they had something to say. Read the winning works HERE by genre. Regional awards list. Congratulations to all the participants and to the winners. Thank you for sharing your art, and thank you to the partnering organizations that helped to create a space where their work can flourish. Keep writing with Writopia Lab.

Look for more information about the programs and how young people can participate through the links.

Earth Day - 2021

Want an easy way you can help the environment? 

Gather all your unused prescription drugs and drop them off at a participating location for DRUG TAKE BACK DAY, April 24th. Find the nearest location to you HERE. 

Drugs will be disposed of properly instead of throwing them in the garbage, toilet or down the drain where they come in contact with animals. This is an annual event around Earth Day. If you miss Take Back Day, there is also a separate list on the site for year round locations. 

For more Earth Day content, visit my website blog.

EXHIBIT NEWS

BLOOM & GROW: brilliant botanicals
Nature feels more important than ever during these uncertain times. It's wonderful to be a part of an exhibit that reminds us of the beauty of nature.
Ann Marie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center
13470 Dowell Road
Solomons, MD 20688
The show runs through August 30, 2020 in person and online 

BOOK READINGS ONLINE - kids of all ages

Chapter readings by the creative community of some beloved books. Tune in regularly for the next chapter, or catch up at the link site. Click on the title.

Filmmaker, Taika Waititi is joined by celebrity friends to read James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
to raise money for Partners in Health. The Roald Dahl Story Company and their partners will be matching donations.
On the Wizarding World website: Harry Potter Book I - scroll down for Chapter 1 read by Daniel Radcliffe.
Other J.K. Rowling news, she's releasing chapters of a previously unpublished manuscript, The Ickabog.  to read, and there's an art contest for kids. 

COVID-19 AID AND INFO FOR ARTISTS

Arts organizations all over the country are coming together to help artists who have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a teaching artist, I see firsthand how vital the arts are to the wellbeing of a community. Please support these efforts with your voice to increase legislative protection for freelancers, and donate if you are able. 
For freelancers: https://www.freelancersunion.org

Artist Relief Project - Anyone pursuing the arts as a career (any discipline, any level of experience) can request financial support from the Artist Relief Project, which will provide applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis with a one-time emergency stipend of $200 and free resources and support to pursue alternative economic opportunities.

Any artist in any discipline who has been impacted by COVID19-related cancellations and closures may apply for assistance. Stipends and support will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the only limitation being how much money we are able to raise.

The only requirements are (1) you demonstrate you’re an artist by sharing your resume and website, where applicable, and (2) you share this fundraiser with your own networks and provide a screenshot of that activity.

Initiative by Artly World, a registered 501c3 nonprofit based in Austin, TX. Artly World provides free arts and music programs to underserved communities and beneficial resources and opportunities to artists, musicians, and performers to share their work with a broader audience.

After seeing the devastating impact of COVID19-related cancellations and closures on people working in the arts industry, Artly World set up a fundraiser to collect funds that would directly benefit affected artists, musicians, and performers.  donations are tax deductible you can reach out to us at artistrelief@artlyworld.org with questions or concerns.

At Home

egret eating fish

Hope everyone is well. I watched an egret devouring his catch. He/she repositioned the fish to swallow it. I could see the outline of the fish as it went down. It was amazing!

And here are some links to things I've enjoyed during this “stay at home” period.

Theater  https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/nt-at-home

Literature No waiting to read or hear the audio of book 1 in the Harry Potter series through your local library with your card. or here stories.audible.com. OR OverDrive’s Libby app available through the end of April

For activities related to Harry Potter Harry Potter At Home hub here 

Nature African Tembe live stream watering hole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twVMjl_wPrc

Bird cams from around the world https://birdcams.live/ just watched this owl cam from the Netherlands https://nestkastlive.nl/steenuil3/

Art and Performance videos of lectures and performances from the Metropolitan Museum in NY https://www.metmuseum.org/metmedia. . archives

museums around the world are offering virtual tours

#anthonybourdainday

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain had been on my To Read pile for ages despite being a fan of his food/travel TV series. I don’t know what took me so long. I finally read it last month and it is now one of my favorite books – for writing. A raw, probing, honest, classic account of the restaurant business culture, the book is about people. A character study of those in the business, and a personal story of Bourdain’s struggles as he built his career. The writing is direct and brilliantly crafted, engaging from the first line. He had what publishers seek and writers aspire for, a voice unmistakably his own. Warning, there is foul language, instances of objectification of women, locker room antics and debauchery. He wrote it as shop talk for those in the business and was later surprised the book found a wider audience. 

Today is Anthony Bourdain Day. Gather your friends, put down your smartphones and have a conversation over a good meal. Then curl up with Kitchen Confidential and allow yourself to be drawn in by a consummate observer who was curious and thoughtful. Bourdain was, no is, a raconteur in the best of storytelling tradition. I urge you to read it.

Work In Progress

New series - seed pods. Finished work is on my website.

(Bark TBD, Catalpa sp., Paulownia tomantosa, Echinosystis lobata)

Family Arts Bash and ArtsMobile

Loads of fun drawing and painting animals at my station!

Seniors try their hand at painting flowers and fruit at New Rochelle Senior Center with Arts Westchester's Mobile Arts Van, bringing art to everyone.

 

Arts Westchester Family Arts Bash

Saturday, May 18th Family Arts Bash event for kids. Art activities based on the theme of FAMILY. A social unit or a tribe with a common ancestor is called a CLAN. All over the world, you'll see clan symbols, often associated with animals.  Think totems, crests, and flags, or perhaps it's a sports team mascot. Stop by and design your family symbol and visit the gallery to see  MODERN FAMILIES, a contemporary interpretation photo exhibit.

The Morgan Book Project

Over the years that I have participated as a judge for the Morgan Book Project, I've watched it develop and grow. The Morgan Library & Museum fully supports this educational program for children by looking for new ways to reach more kids. They've expanded the age range, included special needs and English language learners, and increased the number of participating schools. The students have the opportunity to visit the museum and experience the collection firsthand, fostering a connection to museums in general, and encouraging a lifelong interest in the arts.  Using original illuminated manuscripts from the collection as inspiration for their illustrations, the kids make the paint, write, and put the books together. They learn to appreciate books as an art form. The books are aligned with core curriculum studies: English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Visual Arts. Topics range from biographies of noted individuals, history, world culture, poetry, and nature, to sometimes heart wrenching personal stories. The winning entries are viewed as representing the students' schools, and the kids are celebrated with an awards ceremony at the museum. The books are displayed on the Morgan Library's website, and 12 books will be on display in an exhibition at the museum, Inspiring and Illuminating the Classroom. The Morgan Library & Museum truly goes all out for this program. The exhibition will be on view from May 14 through June 16th.

Earth Day

©DonnaMiskend, Coney Island beachgrass planting

Volunteers stepped up this past Sunday to plant beachgrass in Coney Island with the NYC Parks Department. Once the beachgrass takes root, it will form sand dunes that will act as a natural buffer against windblown sand and help with area flooding. It was a great way to spend a few hours at the beach making a difference to help the environment. 

Earth Day celebrations are happening throughout the month of April, but there are nature related volunteer opportunities all year round.

Read more on my website.

Scholastic Writing Awards and Irish Arts Center Book Day

In January, I happily read scores of work by 7-12th graders who compete annually in The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The competition starts regionally and then moves to the national competition. When the winners are announced I scan the list of titles to see if the work I loved received an award. As I am one of the judges and the entries I read are anonymous, this is when I learn the names of the writers. I'm jumping up and down as if I know them personally, and make a mental note to keep an eye out for them as they hopefully embark on a career as a writer. I imagine one day standing in line at their book signing and telling them that I loved the story/play/essay/poem they wrote when they were in school. 

This year, Yuzhen Zou, and Isabel Stronski (both 11th graders), received gold awards in the memoir/personal essay category. Award winning work from this year will be available to read HERE after April 15th. 

Congratulations to all the entrants. It was a privilege to read your work. For information about how to enter click HERE.  

IRISH ARTS CENTER BOOK DAY is an annual event around St. Patrick's Day. They partner with other cultural organizations to give away free books to the public at various locations throughout NYC. This year they partnered with the Asian Alliance to offer asian authors in addition to Irish and Irish American authors. There are different genres available: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, adult and children's books. It's great fun to help passers-by to find a new book to read. Cristian Verdugo picked up books for members of his family too, including a book by an Irish author translated into Spanish.

Cristian Verdugo

That's what's great about this program. From one person, several more can be exposed to new books as well. The books I added to my To Read pile:

 

The Irish Arts Center offers performances and classes in writing, music, dance and Irish language.

EYE ON NATURE, Artists Explore the World of Plants and Animals

My drawing of the female kestrel is on view, as is this wonderful Diamondback Terrapin turtle shell, a  new work, in the Eye on Nature show. The markings remind me of Arabic calligraphy.

Female Kestrel (Falco sparverius), graphite and Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), watercolor ©DonnaMiskend

Kestrels are in the Falcon family and are one of the smallest birds of prey. They can be found in cities, and their diet includes insects and small rodents. Eliminating the use of pesticides makes sense as they become part of these bird's food source. It's also far more cost effective to use nature's food chain.
The Diamondback Terrapin is found in the eastern U.S. coastal habitats in waters that contain some salt such as salt marshes, tidal creeks, estuaries, bays and coves. They come ashore to lay their eggs. Not surprisingly, they are threatened by development, cars as they cross roads to find nesting sites, and pollutants. Rising sea waters are also a factor making the brackish mix of salt + freshwater habitats over saturated with salt. Their diet includes crabs, and are often caught in  crab box nets where they drown.

Also included - more mushrooms! Some creature started to make a meal of this one.

Yellow Bolete (Boletus, sp.), watercolor ©DonnaMiskend

The exhibit, EYE ON NATURE, Artists Explore the World of Plants and Animals closes on October 27th.
venue: Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY
hours: Tues. - Fri. 9 - 5   Sat. 8 - 4     tel: 718.365.5516
accessible by subway: D and 4 to Kingsbridge station or Metro North Fordham station

Hop over to my Conversations blog to read interviews with the participants and check back in October as I add more related to the exhibit.

Exhibit News

Multicolor Gill Polyspore on Yellow Birch
(Lenzites betulina on Betula alleghaniensis) ©DonnaMiskend2018

I'm fascinated by mushrooms! This piece is on view at the Trail Conference Headquarters from August 29 - October 27, 2018

VENUE: New York New Jersey Trail Conference Headquarters:
 600 Ramapo Valley Rd
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1199
  Open M - F from 9AM to 5PM  Saturdays April-November 9AM to 5PM
(201) 512-9348 
https://www.nynjtc.org/content/darlington-schoolhouse
Learn about all the trails available in NY and NJ website

"WALK WITH US" - Participating artists from TRI-STATE BOTANICAL ARTISTS:
Mary Christiansen, Gaye Grossman, Donna Miskend, Elizabeth White-Putz, Tammy McEntee, Louise Cecio, Sarah Wry, Jeanne Reiner, Rose Marie James, Jean Galle, Amy Silberkleit, Nicola Johnson, Anastasia Traina, Katy Lyness, Susan Sapanara, Dick Rauh,  Monica Ray, Monika DeVries Gohlke, Dixon Rohr, Kathie Miranda

Rose Elementals (Detaail)
(Rosa sp.) ©DonnaMiskend2016

  EYE ON NATURE, artists explore the world of plants and animals, on view September 1 - October 27, 2018

VENUE: Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10458.   https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/poe-park-visitor-center
Tues - Fri 9-5, Sat 8-4  

Opening reception Saturday, Sept 8 at 12:45 with an artist panel discussion and guest speaker, Stephen P. DeVillo author of The Bronx River in History & Folklore

Common Fig, Calmyra
(Ficus Carica) ©DonnaMiskend2018

 National Heirloom Expo, Santa Rosa, CA
Art of the Heirloom

On view September 11, 12, 13

And finally, Strindberg Repertory Theatre's production of Creditors, as part of the Dream Up Festival.
August 27, 28, 29 September 1, 4
Theater For The New City
155 First Avenue, NYC
smarttix.com

Gustav (Robert Homeyer), professor of antiquities and ex-husband of writer Tekla (Natalie Menna), pours poison in the ear of her current husband, the painter Adolph (David Kubicka*). 
Tekla returns from a book tour and flaunts her polyamorous ways to Adolph with fatal results - but fatal to whom? - in Creditors, August  Strindberg's scandalous successor to Miss Julie !
Read my 2014 interview with the Artistic Director, Robert Greer 

Prints are available of all my work. Subscribe to this blog (see sidebar) and Conversations... blog with interviews of people in the arts.

EYE ON NATURE

On view September 1 - October 27, 2018 

Julia Ruth, Jennifer Deutscher, Maria Giuliani, Donna Miskend

I've curated a new exhibit, EYE ON NATURE, ARTISTS EXPLORE THE WORLD OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. Along with my own work, on display will be illustrations by Jennifer Deutscher, Maria Giuliani and Julia Ruth. 

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 8th at 12:45pm, an artist panel discussion followed by a talk about flora and fauna of the Bronx River by Stephen Paul DeVillo, author of The Bronx River in History and Folklore who also conducts ramblings throughout the year along it's banks. (Read our interview ) 

And read my interview with one of the artists in the exhibit Jenn along with other botanical art students that appeared in the Botanical Artist Journal in 2016 (click here to read). For the latest about her work, hop over to my Conversations blog for a short Q & A update. 

I'll be including new print etchings, along with graphite and watercolors.

venue: Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY
hours: Tues. - Fri. 9 - 5   Sat. 8 - 4     tel: 718.365.5516
accessible by subway: D and 4 to Kingsbridge station or Metro North Fordham station

ASBA - article

This is an interview I did with students across the country learning the art of botanical illustration. (Article originally appeared in The Botanical Artist quarterly journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists, used with permission of ASBA)
Jenn's work will be on view September 1 - October 27, 2018 at my newest exhibit, EYE ON NATURE, artists explore the world of plants and animals at Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY. 

Article originally appeared in The Botanical Artist quarterly journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists, used with permission of ASBA, written by Donna Miskend.

Artists: Jennifer Deutscher  http://www.alithographica.com

Alex Harrison https://www.instagram.com/alex.usnea/

Holly D'Oench  https://www.watercolornaturalist.com/blog

Charlotte Ricker https://www.rickerstudio.com

American Society of Botanical Artists http://www.asba-art.org

Click to See some of Jenn's work that will be on display at the exhibit and read about her process. 

EDGAR ALLAN POE FESTIVAL

Catching up and finally posting some photos taken by Beata Szpura (curator) from the exhibit at the German Society of Pennsylvania that ran during and after the fall Poe Festival.

©2016/17 individual artists (right: part of my series from Silence and The Tell Tale Heart, linocuts)

©2016/17 individual artists, Dave Kopka (see my interview under Edgar Allan Poe Illustrated exhibit)

©2016/17 individual artists, (right: Nancy Doniger, The Tell Tale Heart, mono prints)

Curated by Beata Szpura, the contributing artists: Anna Rich, Janusz Skowron, Valerie Sokolova, Madeline Sorel, Beata Szpura, Judith Wilde,  and including selected pieces from my Edgar Allan Poe Illustrated exhibit: works by (Carol (Klio) Burrell, David Kopka, Nancy Doniger and myself.
Exhibit information

Next exhibit: Eye On Nature, more info soon.

Environment - EARTH DAY

Plastic is everywhere. It sits in our landfills, fills our oceans, and threatens wildlife and plant species. It can be overwhelming to think about. Here is ONE simple thing we can all do - ditch polyester clothing and switch to natural fibers.

This isn't to say that growing and manufacturing natural fibers isn't fraught with its own environmental issues such as increased water usage with for example, cotton plants. Changes in theses industries does need to be more widespread to safeguard the environment. And as you can see with this example alone, there will be ecologically responsible and irresponsible companies. Everything is connected.

But for the moment, let's focus on PLASTICS. As a consumer, we have a powerful voice. Asking for, and supporting the natural fiber industry, and more specifically eco responsible farmers, manufacturers, designers and retailers, will help to reduce the use of polyester, a plastic fiber. Plastic material we know takes years to break down and, as it does, presents even more of a threat to plants, animals and us as it enters our food chain. And, with even smaller pieces of plastic entering our environment, it becomes more difficult to clean up. Switching to natural fibers for our clothing, bedding and other home textile goods is a great start. Examples of natural fibers include: cotton, hemp (yes, from the cannibus family, but with a chemical makeup different from marijuana cannibus), linen (made from flax plant fibers), and bamboo. These fabrics are available, and will become more so if you as a consumer opt to buy products made with natural fibers.

Morgan Book Project

This year the Morgan Book Project has expanded! Students from grades 3-12 participate, there are more schools, more books to judge and more judges.

As always, the books are quite wonderful. Subjects align with common core curriculum.

The books are judged on art, writing and technical skill.

Some of the subject matter can be quite moving such as in this example where the student was writing about coming to this country as a new immigrant.

This year the final 12 books plus the Director's Choice award will be on exhibit for one month (previously 2 weeks). The special awards will be announced at the award ceremony on May 11 and will be posted online.

Congratulations to ALL the participants. Your extraordinary work made it enormously difficult to decide on only 12.

Thank you to everyone at the Museum for making this possible and especially to Jennifer for hosting us and keeping us on track.

To see the books on exhibit, visit The Morgan Library and Museum.

You can view previous posts about this program by searching my blog.

UPDATE: Link to the Special Awards on view at the library in May