Rainbow Club Mural + Installation
February was FIERCE, wasn’t it? I don’t know about you, but this time of year is especially difficult for my mental health. With the sun hiding behind off-white skies and temps barely above zero in the Midwest, it’s tough for me to keep my spirits high and happy. I often allow my hermit tendencies to overtake as my capacity for small talk with strangers shrinks. Thankfully, I have a few ferocious friends who push past my wintery walls and remind me of all the beautiful things about myself and the world right in front of me.
You know who else inspired beauty and hope in me this winter? The local high school's Rainbow Club! I had the opportunity to support this small group of queer student artists with a community project at Springboard for the Arts last month and it was SO MUCH FUN. Together we painted a rainbow butterfly mural and the students folded, strung and hung a ridiculous number of origami butterflies in a hanging installation that mimics migratory patterns.
Art-making among these young minds exhausted me in such a good way! Like me, many of these students are neurodivergent - and with their generative minds being constantly inspired, it took a lot of energy for me to keep up with all the popcorn butterfly thoughts. :) These student artists are so creative and complex and - strikingly kind. I was deeply moved by personal stories some of them shared during our working sessions and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they create or, together, co-create next!
The mural + the origami butterfly installation at Springboard for the Arts’ office in downtown Fergus Falls, MN.
For me, what’s next - has now come! I spent my winter creating paintings for TWO exhibitions that opened at the beginning of this month! For these new paintings, I gave new life to recycled latex house paint (sourced from my local county’s reuse program) and stretched canvas. A major shift from my watercolor and Chinese ink mediums on rice paper!
My exhibitions are taking place in Morris and New York Mills, two rural communities in west central Minnesota. Both shows revolve around my experience in the Asian Diaspora but were curated with different nuanced intentions. I'm happy with how many of these new works turned out and I'm excited to share more about my process and what I discovered about myself and my artistry along the way.
“Thank You, Aunties: Diasporic Culture Through Oriental Objects”
is on display alongside Ceramic Artist Amanda Callahan’s show “Reclaim” at
the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center as a part of
“In Tandem - new works by Valentine & Callahan.”
Click Here to Read Our Show Statements
An in-person reception is scheduled for
Saturday, March 12 from 12pm - 3pm.
Artist talks will take place at 2:00pm.
