KELLEY A. MEISTER
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Pandemic as Portal. (6/16/23 newsletter)

6/17/2023

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Travel through the portal with me.

To my dear, dear friends, fans, supporters, advocates, and appreciators,

 I have both a lot to tell you and not much to say.
It's a strange combination.

TL;DR: I'm in an art show, I'm sharing research over zoom, and I have Long Covid.

 First off, there are 2 art things to mention:

1) I am in a wonderful group show (see below) in Minneapolis at Fresh Eye Gallery called "the bed beside me." This show is only up for 2 more days (today and tomorrow!). If you can make it over there, it's a really incredible show that has been thoughtfully and carefully curated by Drew Maude-Griffen. All of the artists in the show have created our works of art from our beds. And it is a special thing to me to be able to exhibit this work with this group of artists. Why am I making art from my bed and not my studio, you might be wondering. Well, I'll get to that soon, I promise.


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2) I am doing a research share out in just a couple weeks on Monday, June 26 at 7pm CDT. In this virtual presentation, I will be sharing out about the research I did this past year and a half on these secret government tests that were conducted here in Minneapolis and in my hometown of St. Louis and elsewhere in the 1950s. I would love to see your face beaming back at me while I talk about radiological weapons, Cold War secrecy, ethically fraught human tests, and how this all still reverberates today as we have seen in the myriad responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. More details about how to join the zoom at the bottom of the email.


 

Ok! Now that we have got the big art things on the table, I want to talk to you about some harder things.

But I'm not sure how to say it.

Do I list all my new diagnoses or symptoms for you (it’s Long Covid, in a nutshell, but also it’s myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, orthostatic intolerance, asthma, and sleep apnea)?

Do I try to tell the story in a linear way or do I stick to the present moment?

Do I share with you the hardships, the supports I’ve received, or skip that stuff altogether?

I don’t know.

And that’s partly why this newsletter didn’t get to you in a timely manner, in a way that gave you more time to see the art show I’m in. But it’s also just that everything in my life is moving at a g l a c i a l p a c e right now. And at times, I can accept that, but I also feel incredibly frustrated by it a lot of the time as well.
For people who have diagnoses like mine, the medical industrial complex doesn’t really know what to do with us. Thankfully, I have had to suffer a lot less gaslighting and disbelief than other people who had post-viral illnesses pre-Covid or who have to also suffer the racism of our medical system or who are unlucky enough to be living in a deeply covid-denying area.

Despite this, I am still sick 13 months after first my Covid-19 positive PCR, still sick even though I had 4 vaccines in my arms before getting sick and one since, still sick even though I’ve been to over 100 doctors visits, so many types of therapy, and “alternative” treatments.

I also went from working as a teaching artist with the Science Museum of MN, Eagan Art House, and COMPAS to working from home as a curriculum designer to not working at all. I joked that going to doctors visits was a part time job, but in reality, getting better became my full time job.

And while I am still sick, I am also feeling better.

Is it because my schedule is 10% of what it once was?

Is it because I’m finally “pacing” my life the way my Occupational Therapist instructed me to do a year ago - which truly took months and months to actually figure out how to counteract my incredibly honed ability to push through?

Is it the medications, the bodywork and acupuncture, and the CPAP-machine assisted sleep?

Who fucking knows. But I can appreciate that I can sit in front of my computer again for an hour or two and work on writing this without it making me sicker.

I have other thoughts to share about this journey I’m on - like how it feels to have a diagnosis (ME/chronic fatigue) that was the brunt of jokes throughout the 90s and that I absolutely did not understand until I couldn’t move my body at all, even to get out of bed. And how it feels to be newly disabled and what that means for my art practice. And how much - oh so so much - I have to learn about my own internalized ableism and how incredibly lucky we are to live in a post ADA time that disabled people organized and fought so hard to achieve, and yet, it’s also still incredibly difficult to be a disabled person in our society.

 So I’m proposing that I am going to do more of these newsletters. I’m feeling jaded about social media (who isn’t?), and after these last few deeply isolating years, I want to find ways to make authentic connections again. I also feel excited to tell you about what I’m thinking about, researching, making, and offering. I’ve got lots of ideas cooking, but it’s the slow cooker version of my life, so it will take some time.
 If you’ve read this far, I’m really impressed. And if you want to reach out to me just to say hello, that would be amazing. I was reading over who opened this newsletter when I sent it out last summer, and it really warmed my heart to see so many names on there, including people from all over the country, artist friends I’ve met on residencies, old pals and profs from college, and the incredible amount of friends I have who are not on social media! I’ve been reading Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism for the last few years (it’s a serious tome, y’all!), and I commend all of you who have resisted or let go of the tentacles of Meta and its ilk. Tell me your favorite thing about it, I truly want to know.

In love and solidarity,
Kelley
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On the shores of Gitche Gummii (Lake Superior) in Grand Marais, MN
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Spring/Summer 2021 Updates

4/12/2021

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Opening April 3, Hair + Nails Gallery

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Come see my new installation, Fallout Shelter. The show will run from April 3 through May 1. Upstairs are fellow artists Kieran Myles-Andrés Tvebakk and Lamia Abukhadra. Look for my encompassing, subterranean experience in the basement of the gallery.

Fallout Shelter | Kelley Meister
April 3-May 1, 2021

 Basement Gallery
Hair + Nails Gallery 2222 E 35th St., MPLS, MN 55407

 Other Artists Exhibiting on Main Floor:
Kieran Myles-Andrés Tverbakk
Lamia Abukhadra

 Opening Reception:
Saturday, April 3, 7-10pm

 Open Hours: 
Sat/Sun 1-5pm
 or by appointment: hairandnailsart@gmail.com

 Covid Precautions:
Masks required!
Limit of 10 occupants in gallery
HEPA air filters in all rooms of the gallery
Backyard open for masked social distancing hangout during opening while waiting for limited entry into show

 Accessibility:
The exhibition is on two floors. The main floor is wheelchair accessible. The basement exhibition space is reached by 12 wooden stairs. Images and descriptions of the basement portion of the exhibition are provided. A single-stall ungendered bathroom is located in the basement.

 On Wednesday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 20, I will be hosting a Live Virtual Visit at 6pm CT for anyone who wants to experience the show virtually with me. I will provide a gallery tour of the space and answer any questions. Please fill out the registration form here to attend and let me know of any accommodations you will need.

"Meister's work makes visible the invisible, and while many of the topics feel terrifying, the artist also wants people to feel connected and empowered through community engagement."
- Alicia Eler, Star Tribune


Upcoming: Art(ists) on the Verge Summer 2021

Postponed from 2020, the 10th Art(ists) on the Verge cohort (Candice Davis, AP Looze, Kelley Meister, and Sarah Nassif) will present our work this spring and summer. My mobile experience, Hot Zone, a 100-mile bike ride from Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant to Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant along Hahawakpa/Misi Ziipi/Mississippi River will take place in 3 segments on Saturdays throughout the summer. Participants may join up to ~15 total for each ride (TBD due to social distancing and other COVID restrictions at the time of the ride), all others will be invited to watch via live stream. We will be doing environmental monitoring of the river valley, using radiation monitoring equipment as well as our eyes, hands, and phones to draw and photograph our observations of the flora and fauna along the way.

Stay tuned for more details about how to join and/or watch! And please get in touch if this sparks any interest!
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November 2019 - Camargo Foundation Residency

11/25/2019

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Beaming at you from the southern shores of France in the small ville of Cassis. The sea is captivating. Look! See more about my residency here > Camargo Foundation <
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September 2019 - Anderson Center Residency

9/18/2019

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Beaming at you from the future to a point in the past to talk about my September 2019 artist residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, MN. 
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Last Chances to See the Art @ 801!

4/22/2018

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Radioactive // Fallout Shelter 2018 12’ 9” x 5’ Charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, and ink on paper
In case you missed it, I've got big, big drawings up at 801 N Washington Ave. in Minneapolis. I'm really proud of these giant drawings, and I really want you to get to see them in their giant glory! They're all part of my larger project, Last Vacation Before the End of the World, which is a multimedia exploration into life in the nuclear age. 

801 Gallery doesn't have open hours, so if you want to come see my work (and the other 3 artists: Jaffa Aharonov, Josie Winship, and Marc Lamm), here are your options:
  • Sun, Apr 29th - 12:30-2:30pm - brunch for Science Museum friends and family, but feel free to join the science nerds and me if that time works for ya!
  • Sat, May 5th - 4-7pm - stop by and wish me a happy birthday (it's the next day!) and hear about how my recent #atomictourism research trip went!
  • Artist Talk: Sunday, May 20, 1pm
  • Make arrangements with me to meet you there - anytime now through end of May! (I'll make the arrangements to make sure it's open, etc.)
  • Make an appointment with the gallery directly by calling Jeremy 612.636.7187.
So bring your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, comrades, and conspirators and spread the word!

P.S. All work in the show is for sale! 
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photo by Jaffa Aharonov
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Fat Man / Little Boy 2017 5’ x 7’ Charcoal and ink on paper
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photo by Jaffa Aharonov
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This Saturday!! Opening @ 801 Gallery, Mpls

2/22/2018

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At least It's Not a Nuclear Winter...

 Come out, come out, this Saturday to see my new drawings! (SCROLL FOR DETAILS)
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Find out why I'm erasing so much! ​
See why I've been buying all the yellows Wet Paint has to offer!
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801 Gallery
801 Washington Ave N.
MPLS
Opening: Saturday, February 24 6-9pm

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More big drawing update!

12/18/2017

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Still drawing biiiig drawings. This one is 12 feet across, 5 feet tall. I'm not sure where it's going, I'm not sure what exactly I'm doing or why I'm making charcoal drawings, buuuut that's what I'm doing. Come see them Feb- April at Gallery 801 in Minneapolis! More details forthcoming...
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Big drawings!

10/13/2017

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I have a show coming up in February @ 801 Gallery in Minneapolis, and because the walls are so huge, I've been experimenting with big, big, big drawings. I have that old drawing I made during The World is Falling Apart and So Are We...,  and so I'm making more drawings, not quite that large, but similar subject (aka based off of the film I just made, of course!) as companions for it for this show. It's fun, a little intimidating, and very messy making these huge charcoal drawings. I'm also playing with this cool stuff that Janet Groenert gave me many years ago, a water-soluble black graphite. It's fun! Check it out below.
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Last Vacation Before the End of the World, Part 1, RECAP!

7/4/2017

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Check out the new video below for excerpts from my June performance. I'm looking to tour it, so if you're interested in bringing it your way - hit me up! email: kelley@kelleymeister.com

​(special thanks for Cully Gallagher for filming and to Katie Burgess for doing 2nd camera)
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Remembering my trip to a Nuclear Missile Silo - Nov 2012

5/19/2017

1 Comment

 
New York Mills – November 28, 2012
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Yesterday, I took a road trip into North Dakota to see the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Historic Site aka Oscar – Zero. I am still marveling at what a surreal place it was to be: surreal that it existed and surreal that I was standing in the spot where they could have launched 10 of the 150 nuclear missiles in this wing alone into the Soviet Union (there were 6 wings total, with nearly 1000 missiles, through the end of the Cold War – more about this at the end).
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Because it wasn’t the regular tourist season, they only gave tours by appointment. Needless to say, I was the only one on my tour with my tour guide, Nathaniel, an early 20-something white guy with shaggy hair in his eyes, a blue hoodie with the historic site’s logo on it, jeans, and loosely laced skater sneakers.
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He showed me around, and I badgered him with questions. Now the first thing I noticed (see the 2nd-to-top photo and the 2nd-to-last photo) is that there are no silos in sight. I guess I’d always assumed the missiles were disguised in those silos like farmers have. But no, the silos are under ground. Hm. But once you know what these sites look like, they’re easy to spot. Just look for lots of barbed wire fences around nothing special in the middle of the corn field. On my way back home, I noticed one of the other Launch Command Centers (that’s the top photo and where most of my photos and the tour took place) in a cornfield to the east of me. All the ones in this area of North Dakota (see map below) were deactivated after the START signing by George H W Bush and Mikail Gorbachev in 1991, though they didn’t officially close until 1997. Which makes it all the more strange: to visit an historic site that has only been closed for 15 years, though it had been in operation since 1966.
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Most of these photos are from the underground capsule where they monitor and launch the missiles. We were ~60 feet underground that yellow building, inside a welded steel and concrete encapsulated space with a door like a safe only even thicker (see below and more info here). It was a pretty intense place to be because not only is this where they could have launched the missiles, but this space was also designed to save them from nuclear counter-attack. There was even an escape hatch. Two military people would be down in here at all times, two because that’s better than 1 in case something goes wrong–same reason there are 2 pilots on a plane. They had 24-hour shifts. Upstairs, their support staff of 8 came in 3-day shifts. There was even a rec room, straight out of the 80s with a pool table, a ping pong table, and a foos ball table. But the 2 people down here in the capsule were all business. Except as the Cold War dragged on and nothing was happening, they did eventually give them a tv to watch. And behind the tv is a giant mural-size poster of the Virgin Islands. (See above.) A stark contrast to the snowy fields of North Dakota that were actually surrounding them.
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This, in case it isn’t obvious, is the key to launching the missiles. There is a multi-step process to get to this point where the key goes in and turns to launch: an order from the President, encrypted codes coming in via phone and a typewriter and something like “email” and who knows what else, then a red box with 2 padlocks on it. Each person in the capsule has their own padlock with their secret code, and so both commanders have to be alive/awake/whatever in order to get into that red box to get to the decoding book. I think there’s even a few more steps in there before the key can go into the key hole and turned to launch.
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These last two photos of mine are from the nearby missile silo November-33. As you can see, there’s not much silo-like about it. The tall white thing that looks like a miniature missile is a motion detector. And the big concrete patch that is surrounded by the black outline is the lid to where the ~60 ft tall missile was stored. That’s pretty much it.
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The above map is of all the Minuteman Missile sites in the U.S. Three are still active, including the one around Minot, ND. I think the other 2 active ones are in Wyoming and Montana. That’s 450 missile for anyone who is counting, still probably enough to take out most if not all of the people on the planet. Each missile has about 300 kilotons of TNT. Which is a whole fucking lot, just to be clear.

Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2012, at 5:44 pm.
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Copyright : Kelley A Meister, 2024
kelley [at] kelleymeister [dot] com
IG: @__kel.ley__
  • Home
  • About
    • Artist Statement / Bio
    • Résumé / CV
    • Contact
  • Artwork
    • CURRENT WORK
    • Interdisciplinary >
      • Disaster Prep
      • HotZone
      • RadMaps
      • AtomicTourist
      • Last Vacation
      • The World is Falling Apart and So Are We...
      • Welcome to Coal Country
      • Charlay Bboots Project
      • Neither Here nor There...
    • Installation >
      • Portals
      • WindSocks
      • Fallout Shelter
      • Containment
      • The World is Falling Apart and So Are We...
      • Cry
      • The Cage Project
      • Come and Dance with Me
      • One Hundred Cops
    • Media Art >
      • Now I am become Death...
      • Where Do We Go From Here?
      • What Is My Queertopia?
      • Fault Lines
      • An Account of My Favorite Food
      • Chalkboard Drawings
      • Super Tough
      • Crush Project
      • Photography
    • Performance >
      • Last Vacation
      • The World is Falling Apart and So Are We...
      • Welcome to Coal Country
      • Dearest
      • Grammar Lesson
      • Bolo Project
  • Desire Lines :: Blog
  • Store
  • Conspirators