North Georgia Arts Guild “Letters” from Guild Members on the COVID-19 Coronavirus By Susan Brewer
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n March, at the time this article was being written, COVID-19 became the focus of the nation and the world. The North Georgia Arts Guild members share words on what the coronavirus means to them. I’ve added notes of my own in italics. Marcia Scroggs: I hope everyone is safe and doing okay. Since the art festivals have all been cancelled, I have plenty of time to make lots of pottery. I’m loving it and feeling more creative since I don’t have to rush. I fired a lot of bisque and am just now getting into the glazing mode and hope to have a load to fire again soon. It will be fun to get together again when they set us free! That freedom will come! I love Marcia’s enthusiasm. Marcia has managed the care of her disabled husband for decades, yet still possesses joy in the gifts that are part of her life. Sandra Copenhaver: I lost my husband May 3, 2019 and therefore am going through the COVID-19 experience on my own. Since I am at risk with an autoimmune condition, I have been home since March 14. I have done Walmart pickup twice— something I would’ve never done but really isn’t that bad. Tricia Moore I can’t find inspiration to paint since Jimmy died, but I still love art and hope that I will be able to go back to the brushes and knives someday soon. I’m sending in an oil painting of a bear that was one of Jimmy’s favorites. Another member, Randy Sells, told me that she, too, lost her husband, Skip; he died recently. She has adjusted with the help of neighbors she walks with—at a safe distance, of course—and she also has the help of a friend and helper.
16 - June 2020
Joni and Gary Mitchell: Susan, the pandemic has made Gary and I very sad for those who have lost their lives and for their families. We think about all the healthcare and support personnel—the direct-care people, the EMTs, doctors, nurses, and support staff—they will be struggling to overcome the trauma of these events for years to come. We feel traumatized, too, and I have not felt like creating jewelry. Somehow it feels disrespectful.
