Every piece in this exhibit has 2 vertical rectangles – a nod to the pause symbol – some more obvious than others. Housed on the back of each original artwork is a blank card for the buyer to fill out their own personal gratitude list. The untitled artwork is then titled according to the month/day/year of its purchase, representing a marker for that person’s pause for reflection. As artworks are generally hung for a span of years, the art itself will serve as a daily visual reminder of pause, while their list will become a time capsule of sorts, to be revisited years down the road when parts of the list have inevitably expired. “Please Press Pause” is a reminder to savor the present, and observe our lives through the lens of gratitude.

Between the time this exhibit was conceived to present, a sibling has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and a grandparent has slipped deeply into dementia, further illustrating the importance of relishing in all things good. A portion of sales from “Please Press Pause” will be donated to Brushes With Cancer. 

Following the opening reception, the exhibit will be on display through January 25, 2020.