Second Life Endowment for the Arts Grant Documentation

Second Life Endowment for the Life Grant Labyrinth
Second Life Endowment for the Arts Grant Documentation—October to December 2023

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”
                      ~ Yoko Ono, Japanese multimedia artist

The Second Life grant was the first grant I applied for since my retirement from Minneapolis College. It was awarded to me in September 2023; I expected it to begin in January 2024, and the parcel was offered starting in October. So, I am happy that the grant was an extension of another Second Life installation I did previously titled Being Male.

I chose to do a labyrinth as a challenge for my 3D modeling skills and my fascination with building an enclosed environment. A maze is a place to lose yourself; A labyrinth is where you go to find yourself. The lighting, too, fascinated me because an artist can create a mystical environment within the Second Life environment to play with light. Quakers, as well as many spiritual-based communities, believe the Light exists within us. My installations created in or with Blender and in Second Life influence my drawings, and my drawings influence the 3D installations as well. Ideas and theories of the existence of the multiverse influence both.

During the last few years, my husband and family have supported me in transitioning to my retirement career. My meeting and the Friends in my faith community have been vital to me, too. And I must add my friends in Second Life.

Second Life Endowment for the Arts

Proposal for the SLEA Grant

 

Starts with a Walk, then a photograph.

Starts with a Photograph, a set of images I created over the past few years. There are a few that I took on my walk to Minneapolis Community Technical College. 

Some of you know that I am recreating this blog, so people have seen some of the images, but there are new ones, too. I hope you enjoy it. 

I call this image the Tunnel of Light: a sun, a tree, and a lake. Sun is brilliant coming through the branches of the tree.
Tunnel of Light — Hendricks©2023

While working this month on my Labyrinthine/Labyrinth in Second Life, I discovered Jorge Luis Borges, an author, poet, and philosopher (1899 – 1986) born in Argentina. I used a quote from him in my last post. He wrote a short story that I am still digesting, a short story he wrote. The Library of Babel was published in the book The Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges.

I read the first few words and was hooked to read more of this man’s works.

The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite and perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries, with vast air shafts between, surrounded by very low railings. From any of the hexagons one can see, interminably, the upper and lower floors. The distribution of the galleries is invariable. 
~ Jorge Luis Borges, The Library of Babel, 1941