Oh, man.
What a week.
What a WEEK.
WHAT A WEEK.
(Non?)

If ever there was a week that called for . . . sanctuary . . . it’s this one. Y’know? (And my apologies. I think I say this every week.)

For me personally, ART (viewing it, making it, reading about it) always provides an escape, a source of solace, true . . . sanctuary. So come along into the Sanctuary this week to experience the power of art.

Art Can Make a Statement.

This week, I learned that artist Phil Buehler has created a public mural he calls the Wall of Shame. This public installation, launched on July 4th in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York, is a giant red, white and blue mural that aims to document and highlight the stories and alleged crimes of more than 1,575 people involved in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol who were pardoned by Donald Trump.

Buehler’s Wall of Shame is a 50-foot long, 10-foot tall outdoor mural featuring the pardoned Trump supporters, color-coded to distinguish their actions: violent rioters appear in red, those who damaged property are shown in blue, and the remaining individuals are depicted in white. The combined effect resembles a Star and Stripes that has . . .  imploded.

Read more about it here . . . And if you happen to be in Brooklyn before July 31, you can visit this installation for yourself.

“Artists can have more power than Fox News to turn this around. Boy, would Magaland hate it if culture, music and art [pushed back]. You’ve got to double down the other way and start flooding this zone with art as Trump tries to erase it.”

— Paul Buehler in an interview The Guardian-US  from his Brooklyn studio, reflecting on the struggle for truth in the Trump era

Art Can Offer Escape.

I have lots of “favorite artists,” but without a doubt, my favorite American painter is John Singer Sargent. JSS was a master of portraiture, but his oeuvre included . . . so much more. Known for his rendering of facial expression and luxurious fabrics (seriously . . . if you are interested in textiles, the work of JSS will astound you; when I visited the JSS exhibit at the Art Institute in Chicago a few years ago, seeing his actual brush strokes . . .  made me teary), he was also involved in one of the biggest painting scandals of the Belle Époque.

For a little respite from the day-to-day . . . stuff . . .  consider spending some time with John Singer Sargent. You can look at many of his most famous paintings online here . . . which might inspire you to head to the library to look at some of the retrospectives (art books) of his work. And while you’re there, you can read about his life – and the big scandal involving his painting of “Madame X” – in the book Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X by Deborah Davis (a “beach read” that’s actually art history). And if you happen to be in New York City, you can pop into The Met and see Madame X for yourself!

(The JSS painting here is one of my favorites — The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, oil on canvas, 1882, held by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.)

Sometimes, delving into art – or any new subject –  is a perfect escape and a wonderful bit of sanctuary.

Art Can Heal.

This week, I stumbled upon the work of Japanese artist Motoi Yamamoto, who creates intricate, large-scale salt installations by hand, using simple tools to draw delicate lines and labyrinths directly onto the floor over the course of days or weeks. His process is slow, meditative, and deeply personal—rooted in grief after the loss of his sister and inspired by the symbolic role of salt in Japanese funerary traditions. Because salt is fragile and impermanent, his works are meant to be temporary; at the end of each exhibition, he invites the public to help return the salt to the sea, completing a poetic cycle of memory, mourning, and renewal.

Art . . . as sanctuary.

Art Can Move Us.

I’ve heard this poem read many times over the last few years . . . and I’ve always found it moving and poignant. This week, I heard it again and decided to share it with you all this week. Here is the poem Joy Chose You by Donna Ashworth read by @stage_door_johnny on Instagram.

Enjoy . . . and find sanctuary in these words.

====

And that’ll do it for this week, my friends.
I hope you found some . . . sanctuary . . . here today.
At least for a few minutes.

Enjoy the weekend!
Find some joy.
Protect your peace.

Breathe deeply.
And let art inspire you!