I had a fabulous afternoon at the Ruth Asawa exhibit at SFMOMA. I’ve always been fascinated with her globular, woven metal hangings, and this exhibit had dozens of them. But I also got to check out some of her clay life masks, her drawings and print work, and the doors that she carved for their house in San Francisco. I learned how integrated her work was with her family life. She raised six kids while making a tremendous amount of incredible art of all different types and sizes, including huge commissioned public works, and much of the time her children were with her as she worked. There was a sketchbook that had a drawing that she did on one side and a drawing by one of her children on the facing page. She was quoted saying how she wanted her kids to see what she did for work and also be available if they needed her or needed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She was an amazing woman.
Speaking of amazing women, on my bus trip back home I had a delightful conversation with an 80-year-old woman named Tracy who lives on Mt Tam. I learned she was a flight attendant, loves doing any kind of word puzzles, often meets friends at museums, grew up in an orphanage, survived tongue and throat cancer and nursed her husband through his own bout of cancer before he passed away a few years ago. She was beautifully dressed, wearing a hat that she had made herself, gloves, and layers of clothing in beautiful, coordinating prints. I was so glad that I decided to get to know her instead of just staring at my phone.
I also saw some wonderful colorful art, one was an exhibit by Yayoi Kusama at MOMA. The exhibit is a mirrored room with colored circles on the walls that created an amazing optical illusion, like being inside of a kaleidoscope. The other were huge sculptures of all kinds of mythical Mexican creatures in Yerba Buena Gardens.
The other day I randomly opened up to this text from a friend from three years ago:
Elder’s Meditation of the Day – May 17
“If the Great Spirit wanted men to stay in one place He would make the world stand still; but He made it to always change…”
— Chief Flying Hawk, OGLALA SIOUX
The Elders tell us change occurs in two directions. They say, “That which is built is constantly being destroyed; that which is loose is being used to build the new.” In other words, change is constantly going on. Many times we hear people say, “I hate change.” Does it make sense that the Great Spirit would design people to hate it? The Great Spirit designed people with change abilities such as visioning, imagery and imagination. Maybe we need to learn to use these tools and then we’ll look forward to change.
Great Spirit, today, let me see the harmony of Your truly changing world.