{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/0z70v89s4c/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Snapshots of Queens: Creating During a Pandemic"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis video consists of artworks that were submitted to the Queens Memory Covid-19 Project, by Alexis Ward. Reciting her original written contribution to the project, Ward talks about artistically creating during a pandemic, and seeing the effects of COVID-19 on her community. To see more contributions, visit https://queenslib.org/covid \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlexis Ward (Written Submission: 2020-5-11/ Audio Submission: 2020-5-28): \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe pandemic has come but it’s a long way off from being gone, no one truly knowing the day we can take off our masks, embrace our loved ones fully, step into local parks and businesses without worry about carrying and spreading an infectious disease. And up to now, I’ve seen a few things change, probably change indefinitely personally, and for us all collectively. For me, as a senior studio art major at Queens College hoping to graduate next year, it’s added another layer of difficulty in my transition to to workforce, preparing for the realities of the real world. This semester especially, I had plans that have gone awry quickly. I planned to have my first real art show hosted by the school at Flushing town hall in March. That was the first thing this virus had succeeded in unraveling. Then in the following months, the unraveling didn’t cease but quickened at a rate not I, not anyone could’ve expected. Another example that pained me greatly was back in April. I heard back from Yale’s school of the arts for their summer program and that’s been cancelled this year. Yes, an opportunity my professors have recommended me for, that I’ve been preparing for since January, that I was mentally lacking my bags for this May thorough June ceased to exist, nothing that could be done about a once in a lifetime opportunity. And this has only been a replayed reality up to now, May 11th, 2020. No Yale, no MOMA (Museum of Modern Art),no anything in terms of the opportunities I’ve been applying for, anticipating. And how does this make me feel? Well of course it’s made me feel frustrated don’t get me wrong. But it’s been an entrenched feeling of powerlessness, that my efforts haven’t been good enough and there’s nothing I can do about. Now you may wonder, what about applying for remote, online work?But I tell you it’s not the same. In terms of work, if you thought the competition was high before in the outside world, you’d better buckle up since it’s even more of a challenge, cut throat in your own home! Also, as I’ve witnessed as a tutor for the writing center at Queens College, people just don’t come. No matter how you try to repackage, remodel, rework to an online platform, the amount of people is just lacking. But enough about me and my pajama wearing, bonnet clad self. I want to get into what I’ve been seeing when I do bother to go outside. Aside from a wasted 65 degree day, I see a cocktail of frustration, sadness, anxiety behind people’s mask. I see a community that wants to come together, connect once again but it’d be a crime if the try to do so prematurely. And DeBlasio has made sure of that, issuing orders to padlock barbershops, salons, restaurants, basically places where we engage with those we’d consider family altogether. Especially in my predominantly Black community, the locked parks, non existent basketball hoops are a sobering reminder that we can’t go anywhere, do anything at this point without the city’s permission. And I’ll tell you why this is unfair by raising this question; how come we’re, communities of color are being policed even more than usual, force “necessary,” when Whites are gracefully being handed masks in the West Village, asked kindly to disperse their picnics when they don’t? Yes, nows the time we’re inequality, a double standard comes reading their ugly heads and I don’t, never will like it. I guess that’s why I’ve been aiming to stay busy in my art, drawing and painting posters, and in my writing, typing up my first and second collection of poetry. Truly, I know there’ll always be those seeking to hurt their fellow man but it would be much too taxing on my spirits, my energy, which I need to create, to rise above and champion the beauty and reliance of my communities that are expressed through my creative capabilities. If anything, though a small gesture, I truly believe that combating this disease not only requires physically abiding by orders to flatten the curve but also by remaining positive, uplifting because I know everyone is not out to hurt, not out to get me. I seek to love, educate as many people as I can in this way. Another positive I can possibly recall from this time is being able to finally set aside for self examination. Who am I? What do I want? Where am I going? When am I going to do it? And why? Of course, the answers haven’t all come to me in a day. Hey, I’d argue that I’m still working on it. I’m 21 going on 22 in September but I want to be able to be even more focused then when I was out taking up 5 classes, going to work, going out, doing it all except sitting up in my bed as I’m doing now and thinking. No doubt, I don’t want to overthink because that’s what I did when this pandemic touched the shores. But it’s been good, beneficial for me to spend time, get to know myself internally so that it can be manifest externally. Yes I’m being stopped from many things but what’s stopping me from being kinder, showing more love, being more thoughtful of others and not just myself? Nothing I tell you! So yes, COVID-19 has forced me to acknowledge, concede to its’ presence in my life and that of my family, my community, but it hasn’t been all losses. Though I cannot hug my relatives, we’ve been keeping up our family group chat and we’ve done drive by’s where we chat, dance, have a good time with masks on, 6 feet apart, Dad’s speaker and Mom’s hand sanitizer in reach. And who would’ve figured that I’d take more risks, like buying the bright yellow pantsuit I want, adoring red lipstick, crafting an updo that I would not do “normally.” But what is normal anyway? Or was normal me just holding myself back from what I actually wanted to do? If that’s been the case, then I say no more! Indeed, there’s no denying that it’s been tough, me googling Coronavirus NYC at the end of each day. But I want at least try to be better, do better, be the best I can be because no one could’ve prepared me for the once in a lifetime event that is a pandemic. And who’s to say it won’t happen again?\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e (summary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCopyright held by: Queens Borough Public Library\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2020-06-04 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Jo-Ann Wong (Creator)","Alexis Ward (Contributor)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English (primary)"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #ffffff;\"\u003eThis video consists of artworks that were submitted to the Queens Memory Covid-19 Project, by Alexis Ward. Reciting her original written contribution to the project, Ward talks about artistically creating during a pandemic, and seeing the effects of COVID-19 on her community. To see more contributions, visit https://queenslib.org/covid \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #ffffff;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; text-decoration-skip-ink: none;\"\u003eAlexis Ward (Written Submission: 2020-5-11/ Audio Submission: 2020-5-28): \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration-skip-ink: none;\"\u003eThe pandemic has come but it\u0026rsquo;s a long way off from being gone, no one truly knowing the day we can take off our masks, embrace our loved ones fully, step into local parks and businesses without worry about carrying and spreading an infectious disease. And up to now, I\u0026rsquo;ve seen a few things change, probably change indefinitely personally, and for us all collectively. For me, as a senior studio art major at Queens College hoping to graduate next year, it\u0026rsquo;s added another layer of difficulty in my transition to to workforce, preparing for the realities of the real world. This semester especially, I had plans that have gone awry quickly. I planned to have my first real art show hosted by the school at Flushing town hall in March. That was the first thing this virus had succeeded in unraveling. Then in the following months, the unraveling didn\u0026rsquo;t cease but quickened at a rate not I, not anyone could\u0026rsquo;ve expected. Another example that pained me greatly was back in April. I heard back from Yale\u0026rsquo;s school of the arts for their summer program and that\u0026rsquo;s been cancelled this year. Yes, an opportunity my professors have recommended me for, that I\u0026rsquo;ve been preparing for since January, that I was mentally lacking my bags for this May thorough June ceased to exist, nothing that could be done about a once in a lifetime opportunity. And this has only been a replayed reality up to now, May 11th, 2020. No Yale, no MOMA (Museum of Modern Art),no anything in terms of the opportunities I\u0026rsquo;ve been applying for, anticipating. And how does this make me feel? Well of course it\u0026rsquo;s made me feel frustrated don\u0026rsquo;t get me wrong. But it\u0026rsquo;s been an entrenched feeling of powerlessness, that my efforts haven\u0026rsquo;t been good enough and there\u0026rsquo;s nothing I can do about. Now you may wonder, what about applying for remote, online work?But I tell you it\u0026rsquo;s not the same. In terms of work, if you thought the competition was high before in the outside world, you\u0026rsquo;d better buckle up since it\u0026rsquo;s even more of a challenge, cut throat in your own home! Also, as I\u0026rsquo;ve witnessed as a tutor for the writing center at Queens College, people just don\u0026rsquo;t come. No matter how you try to repackage, remodel, rework to an online platform, the amount of people is just lacking. But enough about me and my pajama wearing, bonnet clad self. I want to get into what I\u0026rsquo;ve been seeing when I do bother to go outside. Aside from a wasted 65 degree day, I see a cocktail of frustration, sadness, anxiety behind people\u0026rsquo;s mask. I see a community that wants to come together, connect once again but it\u0026rsquo;d be a crime if the try to do so prematurely. And DeBlasio has made sure of that, issuing orders to padlock barbershops, salons, restaurants, basically places where we engage with those we\u0026rsquo;d consider family altogether. Especially in my predominantly Black community, the locked parks, non existent basketball hoops are a sobering reminder that we can\u0026rsquo;t go anywhere, do anything at this point without the city\u0026rsquo;s permission. And I\u0026rsquo;ll tell you why this is unfair by raising this question; how come we\u0026rsquo;re, communities of color are being policed even more than usual, force \u0026ldquo;necessary,\u0026rdquo; when Whites are gracefully being handed masks in the West Village, asked kindly to disperse their picnics when they don\u0026rsquo;t? Yes, nows the time we\u0026rsquo;re inequality, a double standard comes reading their ugly heads and I don\u0026rsquo;t, never will like it. I guess that\u0026rsquo;s why I\u0026rsquo;ve been aiming to stay busy in my art, drawing and painting posters, and in my writing, typing up my first and second collection of poetry. Truly, I know there\u0026rsquo;ll always be those seeking to hurt their fellow man but it would be much too taxing on my spirits, my energy, which I need to create, to rise above and champion the beauty and reliance of my communities that are expressed through my creative capabilities. If anything, though a small gesture, I truly believe that combating this disease not only requires physically abiding by orders to flatten the curve but also by remaining positive, uplifting because I know everyone is not out to hurt, not out to get me. I seek to love, educate as many people as I can in this way. Another positive I can possibly recall from this time is being able to finally set aside for self examination. Who am I? What do I want? Where am I going? When am I going to do it? And why? Of course, the answers haven\u0026rsquo;t all come to me in a day. Hey, I\u0026rsquo;d argue that I\u0026rsquo;m still working on it. I\u0026rsquo;m 21 going on 22 in September but I want to be able to be even more focused then when I was out taking up 5 classes, going to work, going out, doing it all except sitting up in my bed as I\u0026rsquo;m doing now and thinking. No doubt, I don\u0026rsquo;t want to overthink because that\u0026rsquo;s what I did when this pandemic touched the shores. But it\u0026rsquo;s been good, beneficial for me to spend time, get to know myself internally so that it can be manifest externally. Yes I\u0026rsquo;m being stopped from many things but what\u0026rsquo;s stopping me from being kinder, showing more love, being more thoughtful of others and not just myself? Nothing I tell you! So yes, COVID-19 has forced me to acknowledge, concede to its\u0026rsquo; presence in my life and that of my family, my community, but it hasn\u0026rsquo;t been all losses. Though I cannot hug my relatives, we\u0026rsquo;ve been keeping up our family group chat and we\u0026rsquo;ve done drive by\u0026rsquo;s where we chat, dance, have a good time with masks on, 6 feet apart, Dad\u0026rsquo;s speaker and Mom\u0026rsquo;s hand sanitizer in reach. And who would\u0026rsquo;ve figured that I\u0026rsquo;d take more risks, like buying the bright yellow pantsuit I want, adoring red lipstick, crafting an updo that I would not do \u0026ldquo;normally.\u0026rdquo; But what is normal anyway? Or was normal me just holding myself back from what I actually wanted to do? If that\u0026rsquo;s been the case, then I say no more! Indeed, there\u0026rsquo;s no denying that it\u0026rsquo;s been tough, me googling Coronavirus NYC at the end of each day. But I want at least try to be better, do better, be the best I can be because no one could\u0026rsquo;ve prepared me for the once in a lifetime event that is a pandemic. And who\u0026rsquo;s to say it won\u0026rsquo;t happen again?\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #ffffff;\"\u003eCopyright held by: Queens Borough Public Library\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/091/651/small/qm_videos10.jpg?1591808850","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/25471/file/91651","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - QMP_Creating_During_A_Pandemic_6-3-2020.mp4"]},"duration":508.05331,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/091/651/small/qm_videos10.jpg?1591808850","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/25471/file/91651/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/25471/file/91651/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/091/651/original/QMP_Creating_During_A_Pandemic_6-3-2020.mp4?1591356690","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":508.05331,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/25471/file/91651","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[]}]}