Cozumel Art Myrna Cleghorn
Cozumel Artists Affected by Pandemic: Myrna Cleghorn
In March of 2020, the world as we know it changed. As with many occupations, the results were economically devastating for artists. I am asking the artists of Cozumel to write a little something about how they have dealt with the crisis and to share some photos of their new work. Their stories will be shared with everyone, one at a time, over the next couple months. If you have been contemplating purchasing someone’s art, now would be a great time to do so.
Hope you enjoy the stories,
Greg Dietrich – Owner – Galeria Azul
Myrna Cleghorn
“Man with toothpick” – Acrylic on canvas The familiar moments and gestures have become extraordinary instants under the constant threat of the novel coronavirus
My name is Myrna. I am a Puerto Rican artist, based in Cozumel for 16 years, in the company of the love of my life, two puppies and five turtles.
I am an artist by accident. I discovered my talent and love for art in a “Night of Painting and Bohemia” sponsored by Promotora Isla Maya here on the Island. This was only 6 years ago. Since then I have studied art and painting under the tutelage of the artist Niurka Guzmán Otañez.
Do I consider myself a professional artist? It depends. I have sold many of my paintings, participated in several exhibitions in Mexico and Puerto Rico and won prizes in various competitions, but I do not live from art or rather, art is not my main source of income. Of course, that does not mean that the pandemic has not affected me.
The exhibitions, the opportunity to promote and sell my art in public spaces, the plans to share space at a friend’s gallery -all of it stopped, canceled or postponed indefinitely.
But despite everything, the situation gave me the opportunity to study art more thoroughly, receiving structure and some academic knowledge that have enriched my experience of the artistic process and, therefore, my work.
“Marañas” – Acrylic on canvas The daily shore of detangling my curls became a calming meditation during the repetitive days of the pandemic lockdown.
The pandemic forced us all to stop in our tracks, affecting artists in Cozumel, and I suspect, in the entire world. Unfortunately, for many, buying a work of art is a “want”, not a necessity, and in times of crisis, satisfying our wants is not a priority. In addition, we live on an island whose economy depends mostly on tourism, and tourism, as we already know, has declined considerably due to the pandemic. This has a direct impact on the economy of the artistic community.
Being a professional artist – living off art – is in itself a challenge. The pandemic has challenged us all to seek new ways to promote and sell our art, to reinvent ourselves as artists, and to be more creative, both in terms of how to promote our work, taking advantage of social media and other platforms, as well as in terms of the expression of our art and the use of it to communicate our feelings.
Cozumel has a great wealth in the field of visual arts. I invite you to explore and urge you to sponsor our artists by buying our work and/or sharing with friends and acquaintances the posts and publications that promote our art. If you’re gifting this Christmas, consider gifting art. Art, after all and despite everything, offers us an authentic expression of the feelings of humanity throughout history.
I invite you to visit my page Prosa y Pintura.
It is worth mentioning that 10% of the profit generated by the sale of my paintings is destined to benefit Art Power / Casa de la Creatividad in Cozumel, a non-profit organization that is dedicating its resources to feed many of the families in need on the Island. #Art4aCause #ArteConCausa
Artistas de Cozumel afectados por la pandemia: Myrna Cleghorn
El mundo tal y como lo conocemos cambio en Marzo 2020. Al igual que sucedió con muchas otras labores, los resultados
Paul Mila with Greg Dietrich of Galeria Azul Cozumel
fueron económicamente devastadores para los artistas. Pedí a los artistas que escribieran algo sobre cómo han enfrentado la crisis, y que compartieran algunas de las fotografías de sus nuevas obras. Durante los próximos dos meses, compartirán sus historias con ustedes, una a la vez. Si está considerando adquirir alguna pieza de arte de algún artista, ahora es el mejor momento para hacerlo
Espero que disfruten las historias.
Greg Dietrich- Propietario – Galeria Azul
Text & Translation by Myrna Cleghorn
Myrna Cleghorn
“Vejigantes” – Acrylic on canvas A tribute to the Puerto Rican spirit, which, despite its sorrows and regrets, sings, dances and raises to new heights.
Me llamo Myrna. Soy artista puertorriqueña, radicada en Cozumel hace 16 años, en compañía del gran amor de mi vida, dos perritos y cinco tortugas.
Soy artista por accidente. Descubrí mi talento y mi amor por el arte en una “Noche de Pintura y Bohemia” auspiciada por Promotora Isla Maya aquí en la Isla. De esto hace apenas 6 años. Desde entonces estudio arte y pintura bajo la tutela de la artista Niurka Guzmán Otañez.
¿Me considero artista profesional? Depende. He vendido muchas de mis obras, he participado en varias exposiciones en México y Puerto Rico y he ganado premios en varios concursos, pero no vivo del arte o más bien, el arte no es mi fuente principal de ingreso. Claro, eso no quiere decir que la pandemia no me ha afectado.
“Rainy day rhapsody” – Acrylic on wood Inspired by a mid-summer rainy afternoon smack in the middle of the pandemic lockdown. There is as much beauty in a rainy day as there is in a sunny one.
Las exposiciones, la oportunidad de promover y vender mi arte en espacios públicos, los planes de compartir espacio en la galería de un amigo –todo se detuvo, se canceló o se pospuso por un tiempo indefinido.
Pero a pesar de todo, la situación me brindó la oportunidad de estudiar arte más a fondo, recibiendo estructura y cierto conocimiento académico que han enriquecido mi experiencia del proceso artístico y, por ende, mi obra.
La pandemia nos obligó a todos a detenernos en seco, afectando a los artistas de Cozumel, y sospecho que en todo el mundo. Desafortunadamente, comprar una obra de arte es para muchos, un gusto, no una necesidad, y en momentos de crisis, satisfacer los gustos no es prioridad. En adición, vivimos en una Isla cuya economía depende mayormente del turismo, y el turismo, como ya sabemos, ha decaído considerablemente debido a la pandemia. Esto tiene un impacto directo en la economía de la comunidad artística.
“#RaulitoTeAmo” – Acrylic on canvas An effort to connect and understand, without judgement, with an often misunderstood sibling.
Ser artista profesional -vivir del arte- es de por sí un reto. La pandemia nos ha retado a todos a buscar nuevas formas de promocionar y vender nuestro arte, a reinventarnos como artistas y a ser más creativos, tanto en términos de cómo promover nuestra obra, aprovechando los medios sociales y otras plataformas, así como en términos de la expresión de nuestro arte y el uso del mismo para comunicar nuestro sentir.
Cozumel cuenta con una gran riqueza en el ámbito de las artes plásticas. Te invito a explorar y te exhorto a auspiciar a nuestros artistas comprando nuestra obra y/o compartiendo con amigos y conocidos las publicaciones que promocionan nuestro arte. Si vas a regalar esta Navidad, considera regalar arte. El arte, después y a pesar de todo, nos ofrece una expresión auténtica del sentir de la humanidad a través de la historia.
Te invito a visitar mi página https://www.facebook.com/Prosa-y-pintura.
Cabe mencionar que el 10% de la ganancia generada por la venta de mis obras, está destinado a beneficiar Art Power/Casa de la Creatividad en Cozumel, una organización sin fines de lucro que está dedicando sus recursos a alimentar a muchas de las familias necesitadas de la Isla. #Art4aCause #ArteConCausa
In the spring of 1998, Greg had a successful glassblowing related business in Seattle Washington, the city that is known as the glass art center in the United States. In March, on the first night of his much needed vacation in Cozumel, he met Liliana Macotela. This encounter changed everything.
By the end of that year, he had sold his business, packed up his engraving machine, and moved here to the island. He opened his working studio/gallery, called Galeria Azul, in the downstairs of his home. He is still there to this day engraving and painting, and in general, enjoying his life here with his wife, Liliana.
- Art Cozumel Museum - April 15, 2021
- Cozumel Art - April 1, 2021
- Art Cozumel - February 4, 2021
