Dear ART Guru:

I hope all is well with you and that you are treating yourself well! I wanted to check in with my audience and share what I have been up to. During 2019, I had to take some time off to organize the first African American Genealogy Conference in Austin, Texas for [my] professional day job. Fast forward, I ended up staying with my cousin in Fort Worth, Texas for the Christmas holiday and celebrated Kwanzaa at my crib. Like a thief in the night, the new decade came into view. I stood on my patio and watched fireworks for hours, celebrating as I always do in my own way. Professionally, life went into full gear and I traveled to Philadelphia and New York, and then hosted the 4-day genealogy conference during Black History month. 

In retrospect: I felt proud to have started the year off by chilling out with friends and family at Chris’ Jazz Café in the city of brotherly love for the second time, participated in a photo-shoot at the aka Hotel Residences for an accolade forthcoming, served on Council for the American Library Association’s annual conference, sat on the steps of Langston’s Hughes’ brownstone, and finally got to visit the Schomburg Center For Research in Black Culture. All the while, I had to process the death of Kobe and Gia Bryant and the other lives lost on January 26, 2020. 

Life as I know it is not the same. Globally, the world is shutdown to circumvent a virus (COVID-19) with no cure in sight as of yet. As a creative being, the only thing that I know to do is to create to be balanced in a time of uncertainty. As a result, I have hosted two virtual events for African American women and creatives. I attended DJ Nice’ Club Quarantine via Instagram. I will be going back too. Thus far through this experience, I have thought about ART | library deco and how it is an important resource for the masses, and where I want to take it as a digital library. Time is of the essence and a gift. Accept this literal source of creative energy and…

Become acquainted with ART | library deco. Read curated and archived content about black artists from around the world, events, and visit free virtual exhibitions. Visit the online digital lib guide and browse inside the virtual repository. Submit a reference question, and of course share ART | library deco with your personal, academic, and social networks! 

Until Next Time,

I will be Curating Notes.

~kYmberly