YEAR: 2021-2022
START DATE: January 6, 2021
END DATE: June 2, 2022

Insurrection, statewide freeze in Texas and grieving the loss of loved ones. The insurrection instigated by the former president at the US Capital on January 6, 2021. The locally disturbing event was the February string of 11 (?) days of below freezing weather in Dallas, and a state wide cold snap. Both events displayed the fragility of all infrastructures - ranging from the political to the fundamental delivery of power, water, heat, internet, mail, medical services, everything. In August of 2021, my close friend and college roommate Lorraine Lienemann died of cancer and in 2022, my 22 year old cats - siblings P. Nut and Sparky - died. Sraight out grief.

The idea for The American LOVE Project developed quickly as a 29 Pieces response to the violence and cruelty of the insurrection and the divisiveness in our country. In strategic terms, this project was also a vehicle for 29 Pieces to take our work beyond Texas and out into the country. The journal goes through the process at that time of: First, planning to do an enormous art installation at the US Capital. We got pretty far down the pike in planning this, but Covid came back in full force, we didn’t want to do a lot of travel back and forth to DC, and the money wasn’t coming together. So we ended up doing a beautiful online gallery of art created by students and educators in 24 states and Washington DC. We had an incredible team of people working with us on this project. I was very happy with the outcome. The website/online gallery - theamericanloveproject.org - is beautiful.

I read the Diary of Anne Frank for the first time and had many takeaways and lessons learned.

Darryl Ratcliff arranged for a few people to come to the studio to see my journals.

January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capital. Another iteration of Covid-19 and continuing high rates of infection and death. The big, damaging freeze in Texas. We lost vast parts of our garden. Many Texas native plants and trees died. Lorraine Lienemann, my good friend and college roommate, died on August 19,2021. Our 22 year old cats P. Nut and Sparky died.

Shock and grief. The utter shock of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capital. Damaging string of freezing days in February 2021 in Texas. Lorraine Lienamann’s death and the deaths of two beloved cats - P. Nut and Sparky.

The year was all about the American LOVE Project. theamericaloveproject.org. Conception of, fundraising for, team building, excution of, the joys, emotions and stresses of doing a national project.