Covid Learning Witness Paintings with Dana Wade
Educators of young children, Dana, art teacher, and Jena, school social worker, colleagues for over 20 years at the same prek-8th grade school, embarked on an artistic journey amidst a world transformed by Covid lock down and remote learning plans. While much of the world shut down, they, along with all other essential workers, continued to labor in the confusion of urgent work, isolation, dire health threats, the push for mindfulness, positivity, healing and for ‘the show must go on!.’ And then, they began to forge a way for introspection, connection and creativity through the witness, dialogue or responsive paintings they made.
Passing mixed media artwork back and forth between one another on Dana’s front porch, they engaged in a visual conversation, each mark made in response to the other’s, creating a shared conversation and narrative about what could not be spoken or enacted in real life and in person.
The deaths of Dana’s father in late 2020. The death of Jena’s mother in early 2021. The confrontation of Dana’s own mortality. Her decision to undergo preventative surgery in light of the stark reality of her role as sole caretaker of her three daughters. The diminishment of Jena’s autonomy at work by new administration.
With collage, gouache, pen, acrylic paint on paper or board, and despite the isolation, loss and forced change, this body of collaborative paintings bears witness to the human capacity for strength, adaptation, humor and whimsy, relationship building and community.
Collaborations with Ann Plevin Rosentbluth
Jena and Ann met in a fine metals class at the University of Michigan Art School and have been friends and confidantes ever since. While raising families, working in schools, caring for parents as part of the sandwich generation and building communities, they have worked individually and together on their art. Ann as a weaver and Jena as a mixed media artist. Their first collaboration, 20 years ago, was the Tallit for Ann’s daughter for her Bat Mitzvah . Their latest collaborations was a Huppah for a wedding in the fall of 2023 and a large mixed media painting that is still in progress.
