Knowles Chapel

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Knowles Chapel on the Rollins College Campus is a beautiful structure. My advanced Urban Sketching student agreed to meet her to sketch. This largely became a lesson in one point perspective and I pointed out to the student that the red sculpture that was a block down the sidewalk was the vanishing point. For this reason I included the red sculpture in my sketch. The other lesson was that the Chapel did not need to be in the middle of the sketch. A large tree dominated the center of my sketch and I went with it, relegating the chapel to the background.

The campus had expanded since I sketched here last. I used to park down by the Rollins Museum but that parking lot was demolished to make way for another building. I had to drive several more blocks to park in a parking garage. By the time I hikes my way back to the chapel I was a sweaty mess but at least I am getting some exercise.

Construction on the chapel began on March 1931 and it was dedicated on March 19, 1932. At that time it was located in the center of the campus. The architect of the chapel was the famous ecclesiastical architect, Ralph Adams Cram of the firm of Cram and Ferguson of Boston. Cram also designed the Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. St. John the Divine opened in 1941 and thus didn’t make my list of the 50 oldest churches of NYC. Knowles is actually a rather modern building compared to the historic churches I sketched in NYC.

Does COVID increase chances of Alzheimer’s?

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A new study of more than 6 million patients 65 and older, has found that the risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease increases by 50-80% in older adults who caught COVID-19. The study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease in older people nearly doubled (0.35% to 0.68%) over a one-year period following infection with COVID. The researchers say it is unclear whether COVID-19 triggers new development of Alzheimer’s disease or accelerates its emergence.

“Since infection with SARS-CoV2 has been associated with central nervous system abnormalities including inflammation, we wanted to test whether, even in the short term, COVID could lead to increased diagnoses,” said Pamela Davis, the Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, the study’s co-author.

They then divided this population into two groups: one composed of people who contracted COVID-19 during that period, and another with people who had no documented cases of COVID-19. More than 400,000 people were enrolled in the COVID study group, while 5.8 million were in the non-infected group. With such a large sampling the case study is father compelling.

With so many Americans infected by COVID, there will likely be a large wave of individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s dementia moving forward. Previous COVID-related research led by these researchers found that people with dementia are twice as likely to contract COVID; those with substance abuse disorder orders are more likely to contract COVID; and that 5% of people who took Paxlovid for treatment of COVID symptoms experienced rebound infections within a month.

New Winter Park Bandshell

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I met a new Urban Sketching student at Central Park in Winter Park. It turns out that the band shell is getting a facelift. I set up in the center of the field and started sketching. My student found a shady spot off to the side.

In June of 2022 the old 1980s structure was demolished. The original structure had one upgrade due to hurricane damage in 2004. I was sketching the new band shell which looks pretty much like the old band shell. The chain link fence will remain around the construction site through September of 2022.

The new band shell is supposed to “complement the charming architecture of the nearby Winter Park Train Station.” A grand opening event to celebrate the new stage will be scheduled in late September 2022.  The fabric roof has however been replaced by plywood. Compared to the band shell in New York City’s Central Park, this looks like a few two by fours thrown together.

 

Casa Feliz

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Students have me out and about sketching on location which is probably healthy for me. Otherwise I would be cranking out one horrifying pandemic themed painting after another. My advanced student met me at Casa Feliz and wanted to sketch the front of the building. The lesson consisted of avoiding horizontal lines and focusing first one one major wedge shape for the entire composition.

A very angry squirrel chattered at us the entire time. I guess he was angry were were seated in his usual foraging zone. Pre-pandemic there were weekly house concerts inside the Casa. I am proud of the historic home staff for re-instating these concerts yet.

From our perch in front of the house we could also look over ad watch the golfers who were practicing their putting at the golf club next door. It was a very hot day but that didn’t stop them from lugging around their golf bags. As we sketched a wedding planner walked her future bride client around the property. The wedding planner just loved the doorway. They gesture to the upper balcony and entrance, probably planning every detail of the special day.

This entire building was painstakingly moved from it’s former site to save it from demolition by rich owners who wanted a larger mansion. The former owners signed the building over to the city which then arranged to move the mammoth structure.

Casa Feliz, or “Happy House” in Spanish, is the signature residential work of noted architect James Gamble Rogers II. Initially known as the Barbour Estate, it mimics the look of a  Andalusian-style masonry farmhouse. I just jot a very loud emergency alert on my phone. Seems there is going to be a hurricane. See you on the other side.

Decolonize Teatro

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Actor Lisa Morales gave me a heads up about Decolonizearte TEATRO, which presented a series of two short plays at the White House (2000, S Summerlin Ave, Orlando, FL) here in Orlando in honor of Hispanic Heritage month. She was  in both plays presented.

Descolonizarte TEATRO is a professional theater organization committed to promoting the Latin American experience, its culture and talent, through theatrical, literary, artistic and educational programming. Descolonizarte Teatro uses theater as a tool for decolonization, providing accessibility to performances and arts-based education for the Latin American community, including the under served and underprivileged. Descolonizarte TEATRO supports and showcases underrepresented Latin American talent, offers an opportunity to recognize the Latin American experience, and celebrates Latin American culture and its contributions in and outside the United States.

I was shocked at how tight parking was near the White House. It turned out that the plays were being presented on the same evening as a high school football game across the street. Loud drums an a brass band could be heard through the white house’s acoustic walls. The white house hall was packed, so I made my way to the highest balcony to distance myself from the mask less in the audience.

Director Nadia Garzon explained that the first production was shorter, but I couldn’t resist sketching the woman in her flowing red dress. She seemed to be talking about a book she was holding. Every word was in Spanish. I only picked out two words during the evening that I understood, Gracias, and muerte. The explanation she was offering I could not understand, but the dance I certainly could.

La Maestra (The School Teacher) explores the “legal” violence that plagues our countries. This was a more serious play. A man seemed imprisoned  and his daughter was under threat. The teacher was bear foot in a white dress. By the end she stood shrouded in a red shawl. Others on stage were shrouded in black shawls. Eventually the woman in white had her red shawl removed and it was replaced with a green shawl of hope and renewal.

Afterwards there was a discussion in the audience. A woman stood in the front row and talked about how her families lands had been stolen. People attempt to fight back but as long as people buy the lumber from the region, the rich will continue to suppress the poor. Nadia translated which I greatly appreciated.

Perhaps I didn’t understand every word, but I felt the culture which is being kept alive. After Pulse, families had to hope for news about loved ones who had been in the club. Doctors and police only spoke English so they couldn’t understand what was being announced. Now the rolls were reversed. Now I couldn’t understand a word, but I felt the current of sorrow that coursed under the presentation. I feel honored that I could sketch the moment.

The next presentation is Third “Encuentro” of Latinx Artists / Tercer Encuentro de Artistas Latinoamericanxs. This show will be on December 2, 2022 at the Timucua White House. Presented by Descolonizarte TEATRO. Tickets seem to be $5.

Noises Off

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I got in to sketch a performance of Noises Off at the Orlando Shakes (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL). Pam requested tickets a the back of the theater house right so that the glow of my iPad wouldn’t be noticed by anyone in the audience. We had a guest from France so this was her chance to see what Orlando culture was all about. I was a little concerned when someone sat right behind me. As it turned out that was the actor who plays the director in the show. Withing minutes of the show opening he was shouting at the top of his lungs to stop the action on stage. In this regard we were actually in the best seats in the house.

To say the show is fast paced an hilarious is an understatement. The stakes are high because this is a final dress rehearsal and none of the actors are 100 percent sure of their parts. The polite yet condescending conversations between the cast and the director hit the mark. The show at all time was a run away train of hilarity. Nothing went to plan and if something could go wrong it did go wrong. That my friends is theater in a nut shell.

The second act was set back stage. The entire set is on coasters and the stage hands rotated all the elements as the audience was in the lobby getting drinks. They kept the inner working of the set swap somewhat secret before the second act but they kept the curtain up so everyone could see the magic for the final act.

While I was working on the poster for the show, Someone mentioned that there was no plan to have a curtain. I painted a red curtain on the poster regardless and sure enough there was a red curtain in the show. Life imitates art imitating art.

Noises Off ran through September 25, 2022. So if you missed the show, you missed an amazing hilarious night of theater.

 

COVID Pit

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Three second tier Florida musicians were dismissed from the Artis—Naples Philharmonic because they refused to get vaccinated. 99% of employees at the Naples Philharmonic are in full compliance of COVID-19 protocols. Those three musician are now suing the orchestra. Since Florida governor Ron DeathSantis has publicly falsely questioned vaccine efficacy they feel emboldened.

DeathSantis created Florida Statute 381.00317, a pandemic-related regulation adopted last year. It requires employers to honor employees’ decisions to refuse vaccination on the basis of their religious beliefs or simply by agreement to undergo periodic testing. Floridians have every right to be a dumb ass.

A philharmonic spokes person explained: “A committee consisting of fellow musicians, management, and board representatives was formed early on to develop protective protocols and has unanimously agreed to uphold these safety measures. The few musicians who are unvaccinated were offered a number of generous options, and they have refused every one.” The three musicians objected to vaccination on religious grounds. They object because they believe falsely that cells from aborted fetuses have been used in the development or production of the vaccine.

The law form is a donor-funded Christian legal ministry.

Closing the Curtain on COVID?

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400 to 500 people continue to die every day due to COVID-19. Every week the number of people who die from COVID is about to the number of people ho died on September 11, 2001 when the twin Towers were attacked. That is our new normal. It is better that the several thousand who were dying every day back in January 2022.

Despite the ongoing death toll, President Joe Biden declared on 60 Minutes that the “the pandemic was over.” Biden himself had COVID twice just recently but with the beast healthcare options available, he and his wife pulled through. If you remember, a year ago for July 4, 2020,  Biden also declared we would be independent of the virus. Like any politician he want to downplay the virus as elections roll around.

So who actually gets to decide when the pandemic ends? No single person can flip a switch and declare a pandemic over. COVID remains a public health emergency in the United States, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, and it’s still a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, according to US Department of Health and Human Services (WHO).

The World Health Organization did a horrible job on deciding when the pandemic should begin. Had they acted sooner and closed off flights out of China back in 2020, the virus could have been contained and eradicated. Last week, Tedros said the end of the pandemic “is in sight,” but he added that “we are not there yet.” So where is “there”?

Back in 1918, the Spanish Flue pandemic swept across America, starting in a WWI training base in Kansas where my great Grandfather was stationed.  The virus was ignored by press and the president because the country was at war. After a devastating wave of death in the fall of 1918, bodies lay in the streets and mass graves had to be dug. By the beginning of 1919 most mask orders, closures and social distancing orders were lifted. Waves of disease continued through 1920 the year my father was born.

Vaccines and treatments offer some protection from severe disease and death but they do not stop re-infection. The Biden administration has said it intends to stop buying vaccines, tests and treatments, shifting those things to the commercial market.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert who directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said, that in his estimation, cases, hospitalizations and deaths are still too high to say the pandemic is over. We also don’t know what variants of the virus could emerge or how our immunity will hold up against them. “I don’t think people really understand what the implications are for this virus,” Osterholm said. “All of us want the pandemic to be over, but you can’t make it go away by just making a policy decision.

Wait and Hope

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Wait and Hope was what was inscribed on this headstone in the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. Pam and I visited this cemetery on our recent trip through South Carolina and Georgia with our house guest and two dogs. After our visit with my sister in South Carolina, we headed further south and stayed in Savannah.

We did a late night ghost tour of downtown Savannah and then manged to solve an escape room with only 1 second to spare. We stopped at another cemetery on our trip which surrounded a former church which only has the old brick work to remind us that the church once stood there.

Little Gracie is the most visited monument in Bonaventure Cemetery. I considered sketching her but she is surrounded on three sides by hedges making for a cramped view of the site. Gracie Watson was born in 1882 to Wales J. and Margaret Frances Watson. The Watson family was originally from Boston Massachusetts. They made their way to Savannah after Wales was hired to manage the Pulaski Hotel. This luxurious hotel, was one of the best hotels in all of the south. Managing the hotel was a prestigious position. While working at the hotel his daughter, Gracie Watson, became quite the center of attention. This bright-eyed girl warmed the hearts and brought smiles to the faces of almost every visitor to the Hotel. It is said she would put on little shows for the guests, dancing in the lobby and singing songs. In 1889, at the tender age of 7, Gracie Watson died from pneumonia.

Gracie’s father fell into a deep depression after her death. Gracie’s father had sculpture John Walz carve a monument to his girl. Using a photograph as reference John Walz sculpted the monument which now sits upon Little Gracie’s grave site out at Bonaventure Cemetery.

While Pam and our guest walked the dogs, exploring the cemetery, I sketched a short distance from Gracie. Periodically golf carts would drive up and a tour guide would relate Gracie’s story. I was kind of glad I didn’t sketch that site since it was so busy. Lawn mowers and leaf blowers were also moving up and down the aisles. I didn’t bring my artist stool, so I made due by tying my sweatshirt around my legs and back to create a make shift back support. It worked well enough to help me finish the sketch.

 

COVID-19 Orphans

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A paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association out of the University of Oxford, reported that 10.5 million children world wide have lost parents or care givers due to COVID-19 from January 1, 2020 to May 1. 2022. 7.5 million children were left orphaned with both parents dying from COVID-19. The Imperial College of London offers a daily report on the number of children who have lost a care giver on any given day. As of September 13, 2022 that number has risen to 10.6 million children.

40.6% of these children are in South East Asia, 24.3% are in Africa, 14% in the Americas, 14.6 in the Eastern Mediterranean, 4.7% in Europe, and 1.8% in the Western Pacific region. In India there are 3.5 million orphaned children due to COVID-19.

In America from April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, data suggest that more than 140,000 children under age 18 in the United States lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or grandparent caregiver who provided the child’s home and basic needs, including love, security, and daily care. Approximately 1 out of 500 children in the United States has experienced COVID-19-associated orphan hood or death of a grandparent caregiver. “Children facing orphan hood as a result of COVID is a hidden, global pandemic that has sadly not spared the United States,” said Susan Hillis, CDC researcher and lead author of the study.

With America’s COVID-19 relief funding being cut by the Senate across the board, there is no help for these children who have lost everything. Florida’s “Stunt Governor” Ron DeathSantis has vowed to coerce as many of Florida’s COVID orphans as he can onto a plane to Martha’s Vineyard to gain notoriety in his bid to run for president.