May 1, 2007       

Introducing Our New Artist-in-Residence...

Today we are adding a new visual feature to our site: a daily artwork by Natasha Mayers.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce our readers to Natasha Mayers, Common Dreams’ new artist-in-residence. She has been called Maine’s most committed activist-artist.

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We couldn’t resist Natasha’s offer to create a daily piece of art for Common Dreams.

Our intent for this new collaboration is based on the following proposal from Natasha to Common Dreams:

The art will be about a current issue. Like a political cartoonist “commenting” on the news, I will create, in a photo collage or painting, a playful and/or deadly serious response each day, a thought-provoking, open-for-interpretation visual image. I will want it to be a surprise for your readers, something fresh and unexpected to look forward to seeing.

Since I often work in series, expect to see the same issue dealt with in various ways for a few days, with a touch of irony, humor, pattern, exuberant color, and eccentric configurations.

Art can play an important role in helping us see, ask hard questions, and in moving us to act. It can sometimes touch us and make us feel, not just know, the important issues. Art can help us feel our feelings when things are scary, and help us reflect on who we are and what we are doing as a nation. It can help us get more in touch with our unease about what’s going on, and help us sense the emergency and the madness of it. Grief can open the heart to courage and compassion, and outrage can move us to an active and moral response.

Natasha would also like to find and present images about current events by other artists. We hope to expand the collaboration in the coming months.

To see a comprehensive list of shows she has been in, publications, collections, etc. - check out her site at http://natashamayers.wordpress.com/

Check out her artwork stored at http://www.flickr.com/photos/natashamayers/

Click here for her bio.

E-mail Natasha: mayersnatasha@gmail.com