JUNE 2020:
"Celebrating the Men in Our Lives"

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FEATURED ARTISTS:

Sanctuary is featuring the following
​male artists for this annual, special issue:
​
Cheng Gong
Leigh McCloskey
Eugene Mirabelli

See links to their pages
and statements below.

FEATURED INTERVIEW:

Craig Radford
(Photo Credit:  Michael J. Samaripa)
Director of Connect Direct at
​Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD)

What has been the biggest obstacle for you during this time of social isolation?

"I miss the in-person contact. I travel quite a bit. I conduct presentations across the country and meet with people all the time. My deaf friends are located all over the country. The deaf community is very physical, and physical contact - handshakes and hugs - is gone. When you're deaf and can meet someone in person, it reduces barriers. People find out that I don't 'bite.' They get comfortable.

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We asked each artist the following question: Has social isolation during the pandemic made you more creative or less creative?

Cheng Gong
Photographer
(Photo Credit:  Finn Li)

"I am thinking about my next project all of the time. The social isolation makes me stay at home which allows me time to do more research. I have some new ideas; however, I can only research and explore future projects. Since I need various locations to set up a project, and I need to collect props for it, I have to wait for the ‘reopening’ of society. At the same time, the varied reactions -  those of Western people and Chinese people – have me thinking about cultural differences. I’m planning a photo series to reflect this. Overall, I have more time to think about my new work, but I am not able to execute it due to the pandemic."

Leigh McCloskey
Artist, Actor & Visual Philosopher

​"There’s a shift. You need to think about what you really value. Everyone is experiencing trauma in some way. But I've always loved the perspective of the Irish. There’s this idea…that you don’t come out of the rain, but you decide to dance and sing while in it. My daughters and granddaughter are here with us [Leigh and his wife, Carla], so that’s definitely a positive. We've had people from all over the world visit Olandar; since the pandemic, we’ve had to close our home to visitors. We are definitely missing those connections. The artwork is meant to be seen and experienced by others." 

Eugene Mirabelli, Ph.D.
Acclaimed Author

​"It looks like, for older people, the isolation will extend much longer. We’re in it for better or worse. Even though many artists and writers work by themselves, it’s more complicated now. When you’re older, everything takes you longer. And, when you add all the extra things and all the complications that go with that – the ordering of food, the spending time to figure things out or how to do things in a different way – it’s difficult. Then, there’s this awareness of all the death around us. I think this whole situation has interfered a lot."