Gratitude for Georgia

Saturday was a huge moment for me, as many of you know. I had the opportunity to visit the High Museum of Art here in Atlanta the opening weekend of the new Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition, “My New Yorks,” curated in conjunction with the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition positions O’Keeffe’s lesser known works depicting the architecture of New York City, where she lived throughout the 1920s and 30s, with her still life and abstractions of the natural world that she is more commonly associated with.

I first learned about Georgia O’Keeffe in the fifth grade in a unit on biographies, where we could pick a famous person and learn about them, culminating in a presentation where we dressed up as our chosen subject. I was enamored with her from the very beginning. It would be a long time before I really understood some of the deeper issues she faced, including the repeated sexualization of her work against her wishes by the men - her husband at the forefront - in the art world at the time, and the unique issues she faced as a woman painting at the time period she was. But I knew even as a kid that she was someone to look up to, who had a unique perspective on the world and who wasn’t afraid to share that perspective with others.

Fast forward to now, over 20 years later, I still consider her one of my biggest artistic inspirations and motivators. She shaped how I see the natural world around me, including flowers (if you follow me on social media you’ll know I have a habit of close up shots of flowers I encounter during my day to day), and opened me up to the world of abstract expression of one’s inner world. I aspire to be as unabashed and un-afraid as she was in the face of critics and supporters alike, fiercely independent but deeply connected.

So, when I learned that the High would be hosting an exhibition of her work, admittedly work I wasn’t as familiar with of hers, I jumped at the chance to see it. I never imagined that I’d have the opportunity to get to see her work with my own eyes, and I’ll admit I teared up as I explored the exhibit, imagining what 10 year old me would think of the artist I’ve become, and the fact that I am living a life that granted me the opportunity to actually see her work in person. It really was a full circle moment for me, and I’m glad I could be present with those feelings.

I know I’m waxing poetic about art and I also know it’s dangerous to put people on pedestals - she was human and made mistakes and I’m sure has said something problematic by todays understandings, but I feel very deeply that art - making it and appreciating it - is an important part of being alive and living a life that has meaning. We have to find beauty around us, whether that’s taking in a scenic vista in the Smokies, or a painting of a city skyscraper, in order to remain sane and grounded in a world that is constantly telling us that we don’t matter, that we are only our productivity, and that dehumanizes us repeatedly in the service of a system that only benefits a few.

As I enter into a season of transition and change myself, in the context of an election that feels like everything is on the line and legitimately scary, I am reminded that we can choose where we put our energy. We choose where we put our attention, and that choice can be to appreciate the things we find beautiful, in hopes that they will inspire us, fill our cup, so that we can have the strength to show up in the other areas of our lives with conviction and determination. Or we can choose to focus on the anxiety, letting it consume us and make us act from a place of fear. Both options are available to us, but it’s ultimately up to us to make the choice.

Anyway, I highly recommend the “My New Yorks” exhibition, which is open now through late February 2025, if you’re in the Atlanta area. I hope to go back at least one more time before it leaves, just to take it all in again. I would suggest waiting til after the election, as I had to view the exhibit in reverse of its intended curation, due to the first floor of the wing being used for early voting.

<3