How Surrounding Myself with Art Helped Me Survive the Dumpster Fire of 2020
A year ago when I decided to uproot the life that I had built for myself in Haiti and plant it in a new place back in the US, I had no idea that I would be planting it in an environment that would immediately become defined by a deadly pandemic. I made the official move from Mizak, Haiti, to Hill City, South Dakota, in mid-February of this year. The first cases of community spread of Covid-19 in the United States were reported February 26th. It wasn’t long before stay-at-home orders and mask mandates and social distancing guidelines became the parameters of our new normal.
It was a new normal that everyone had to find their own ways to adapt to. For me though, it was a new normal on top of a new normal. I was already moving from a society that prioritized community to a society that prioritized individualism, from a place that values social wellness to a place that values independent success, from a culture of interconnectedness to a culture of gotta-stand-on-your-own-two-feet. Adjusting to living in a new location and trying to create a new sense of community around yourself is hard enough after any move, but trying to do so when even leaving your house is considered unsafe, is extra challenging.
As we all know, though, the pandemic isn’t the only terrible thing that 2020 brought us all. I don’t need to list the others because none of need to relive the trauma. This year is almost behind us now and that is exactly where most of us are happy to leave it, behind. For me it wasn’t all terrible, though. I got not one, but two new jobs, and moved to two different new communities within the span of the year. I have now landed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, having realized that Hill City, South Dakota, was not the place for me. The time that I spent there did bring many positive things including new friendships, time with family, and new experiences that made me grow professionally, intellectually, and creatively. Now I am looking forward to creating such experiences here in Fort Wayne and am happy to call this my new home.
At a time and during a year when so many have lost jobs, or seen their businesses struggle, if not succumb, to the challenging times, and so many others are unable to pay their rent or put food on the table, I have to count myself very fortunate to now be comfortably employed and safely housed. Having a sense of financial stability such as this is certainly something that I’m not used to. The desire to find such stability is, in fact, what led me to move from Haiti in the first place.
Moving to a new place always means having to buy a lot of new stuff. This includes the obvious things like furniture and a different wardrobe for a new climate and lifestyle, but also things that you don’t expect to get obsessed with, like throw pillows (so many throw pillows) and house plants (so many house plants). The one thing, or category of things, that I was looking forward to buying for myself more than anything else, was art. I have always been someone who has been deeply immersed in communities of artists and have allowed my life to be guided by the direction art leads, but I have never been someone with the financial means to invest in art for myself. I have always been an arts advocate, an enthusiast, a promoter, and ultimately a creator, myself, but I have never really been able to claim the title of collector. This year, that has begun to change. In my home in Haiti, I do have a few really special, really beautiful pieces, that I am very proud to own, but they are all more the result of my living in proximity to artists rather than an intentional effort to build a collection of art based on finding pieces in the world that I appreciate and want to have in my presence.
One of the first things that I did once I got settled in the US and started getting a couple of paychecks, was send a message to my dear friend, and artist that I respect profoundly, Siaka Togola, in Mali, and ask about purchasing a couple of his works for myself. Not long after, I had two beautiful paintings arrive on my front porch in Hill City, in a DHL tube shipped from Bamako, and with that my journey as a collector began. Since then I have been able to build my collection with works by Haitian artists that I’ve always admired but have never been part of my immediate network, like Frantz Zepherin, Levoy Exil, and Prefete Duffaut. I’ve also had the privilege of acquiring several works by Indigenous artists that I had the chance to learn about and in many cases, work directly with, while in South Dakota. These include Robert Martinez, Mikayla Patton, Lyle Miller, and Tracy Harrison. I’ve also had the opportunity to add works to my collection by other artists that I’ve long admired including Alan Aine, Nathalie Jolivert, Warren Harvey, and Samuel Penaloza, while also finding joy in discovering new artists whose work immediately convinces me that I can’t live without it. These include Hill Ggin and Shelby Alexander.
I include all of those names here, not to brag about how incredible my collection is quickly becoming, although I have every right to, but in case you who is reading this need some suggestions of artists to buy from for your own collection. My wishlist remains long, and will continue to grow as long as I live because I have discovered the immense joy that comes from surrounding myself with beautiful art. It’s a joy that I want to sustain throughout life because it has helped me make it through a very challenging year.
When life is in transition, art can serve as an anchor, grounding you within yourself while also connecting you to the world outside of yourself. When you feel stuck or isolated, art can be your passport to travel to new and wonderful places, taking your mind and spirit on journeys that your body may not be able to embark upon. When you feel lonely or disconnected, art can keep you company. As I sit among my different art pieces, there is always a conversation going on around me between the works themselves. I am always joined by the voices of the artists who created the work and the emotions and stories of the subjects within the art, so I can never feel alone as long as there is art around. When the world seems to be falling apart and hope seems impossible to find, art provides meaning and helps us interpret whatever is going on around us with a sense of optimism. When death seems inevitable, art always represents life. The creative process itself, something new being introduced into the world, always reminds us of the vitality of our existence. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with so much destruction in the world, creation really is, always, the best antidote.
My ever growing wishlist of art that I would like to buy always gives me something to look forward to, a roadmap of how the future will continue to be beautiful by virtue of the art that enters my life. The art that currently hangs on the walls around me provides an environment that I know I will always feel at ease in, inspired by, and empowered through. That’s exactly the kind of environment that we each need to survive whatever life throws at us, whether it be a pandemic, political and social trauma, changes in jobs or relationships, or whatever it may be. Good art will heal us, protect us, and energize us.
I know that in such troubling economic and social times, I can’t suggest that everyone go spend money on art. I am in a privileged position right now that allows me to invest in building an art collection, but what I am saying is, that if you are able, you will see that investing in art is actually investing in your health and well-being. Spending a little money on some art that brings you joy will build resiliency against all of the garbage that this world throws at you. Maybe you don’t need all of the upcoming stimulus to buy groceries? Well spending some of it on art is spending it on your health. Buying art isn’t a luxury, it should be seen as a necessity for healthy and productive living. You can find really incredible, original art out there, that will make a huge difference in your life, for less than $100. And I’m not talking about that Hobby Lobby, “Live, Laugh, Love” crap. I’m talking about real, original, art purchased directly from artists or the galleries that represent them. Sure, if you have the means, you can easily spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on original art, but you don’t have to. You need to stop believing that collecting original art is out of your reach. You need to stop believing that art is only for decoration or only if you have space for it. We each need to create space for art. We need to create space in our homes, in our budgets, and in our lives for art because that means creating space for necessary healing, growth, and joy to take root.
I listed some names above that I’ve collected, but I can easily provide lists of hundreds of more names and places to get art that would fit your vibe, fit your needs, and fit your budget. So if you need help, reach out. Pablo Picasso famously said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” 2020 has piled plenty of dust upon our souls. Let’s get up and wash it off with art. As we finally move into this new year, let’s all agree to make more art part of our path forward.
