Gen-erate student Zoe Kountoupes-Wilson (Mandela International Magnet School) will moderate a free public panel discussion of artists on how the pandemic has affected their artistic practice and inspired new ideas of how and what to create.

The artists on the panel were selected from submissions from the public and have been selected both for the quality of their work and for their descriptions of how the pandemic influenced their work. These artists include: Heather Bentz, Natalie Christensen, Cynthia Hartling, June Julian, and Karen Theisen.

Kountoupes-Wilson has also curated a slide show with images selected from additional artists who submitted their work to the open call. The artists who will appear in the slideshow are Jack Bordnick, Jeff Corwin, Stephanie Cunningham, Steven Eckert, Matthew Ellis, Eliana Frayer, Jessica Krichels, Paul W. G. León, Skunk Licon-Kemper, Amy Nelder, Irina Ovikova, Hannah Ramage, Bette Ridgeway, Catherine Eaton Skinner, Tabitha Soren, Nina Tichava, Elijah Valdez, Greta Young, Bette Yozell, and Lisa Zawadzki.

About Zoë Kountoupes-Wilson

Hi, my name is Zoë Kountoupes-Wilson. I’m a 10th grader at Mandela International Magnet School in Santa Fe. I was born in Arizona but have lived in Santa Fe with my mom, dad, and little brother for most of my life. I play the violin and piano and have loved making other forms of art like photography or drawing since I was very young. I chose to make this project about Covid, and our community’s creativity during Covid, because I find it really interesting to see how we as people deal with world changing events through art. I also know that many people explored new creative hobbies while stuck at home during quarantine, myself included, and would love to see and hear about those experiences from others.

About Gen-erate

Increasing out-of-school opportunities for teens, the Gen-erate program engages Santa Fe youth in the process of curating public programs at SITE Santa Fe. Teens participate in Gen-erate plan, design, and execute public programs at SITE Santa Fe that focus on topical issues of local importance and generate constructive, intergenerational dialogue through the exploration of contemporary art. Under the mentorship of public programs staff, Gen-erate teens build significant connections to local communities and gain an introduction to career pathways in the arts.