May 14, 2020
Angela Rangel graduated from Wichita State in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art (emphasis in ceramics). During her WSU career, Angela served as the president of the Ceramics Guild and worked at the Ulrich Museum of Art.
I recently started working again and moved into a studio through OpenStudios, which has been a nice change of pace. I also have received some really exciting
news: I accepted an offer to begin a post-baccalaureate program at the University
of Alaska Anchorage. If all goes well, I will be moving there at the beginning of
August to continue my formal education in ceramics. So fingers crossed, good vibes
and positive thoughts that that will happen because similar to many other future plans,
it is currently conditional based on the current health crisis.
For a few months, I have been working at CityArts; however, at the beginning of the stay-at-home order, our facility closed. Previous
to the closure, I was teaching youth classes and working part time as an administrative
assistant. It has been wonderful to work again especially since I need to be saving
for a very big move across the continent.
While we are preparing to open, I am doing more administrative work. I have been helping
with some new ideas and projects and have had the pleasure of bringing in new artists
to our Art Shoppe. I’ve never been given this kind of creative freedom at a job before
and I am so grateful for it. It’s really amazing to work there with my coworkers who
just so happen to all be strong and inspiring women.
In quarantine, I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself to produce a lot of artwork, but I have dabbled in embroidery, book binding, and repairing clothing. I have a hard time being productive in my artwork when my mind is so distracted. I haven’t had access to a space where I can utilize clay; however, that is changing with OpenStudios. My summer studio is on Commerce Street, in Finn Lofts.. As things are open now, I am making pottery and jewelry for a sale to help me fund my big move to Alaska.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, 2019
At the beginning of quarantine, I had no routine. I was playing a lot of video games
and staying up way too late. I absolutely was not okay and not taking care of myself. Obviously, life
was super depressing as we all adjusted to a new normal. Or whatever you want to call
it, it sucks. I let myself do whatever for a few weeks and then I was like, “That's
enough. Develop a routine or you’re going to lose your mind.”
So I changed my sleeping schedule to meet my friend at a park to work out in the mornings,
socially distanced, of course. It was really nice to hear the birds and go get some
sunshine first thing in the morning. But then I badly sprained my ankle, which was
hard to get through mentally because I was really enjoying the routine I had finally
developed. It's not 100%, but it’s definitely better, and hopefully I can get back
into exercising soon. And now that I am working again, I have some sense of normalcy
back, so that has been beneficial.
I have been eating nutritious foods. Not the whole quarantine, because I have definitely indulged. I’ve had a lot of sweets, but a lot
of healthy food as well. “Balance,” as all the memes say. I was really active when
I was able to be but I am also not pushing myself too far, which I consider a form
of self-care.
I don’t know if everyone would consider video games a form of self-care, but I think
they have helped me detach from how worried I feel about the world right now. Sometimes
I feel okay and sometimes I don’t and that’s okay, everyone is dealing with this in
the best way they can. My concerns can be put on pause for however long while I play.
The gamer in me has undeniably come out during quarantine. I've mostly been playing
The Sims and if you’ve ever played then you know that you can create your own little
world however you’d like it to be. And most recently, I started playing Runescape
which is so nostalgic and I love it. It's an open world and online so I’ve been able
to hang out with friends, near and far, virtually. These breaks from reality have
become necessary as the world feels so heavy right now.
Something this pandemic has taught me is that I am pretty content with simple things;
slowly waking up, making breakfast, going for a walk, long skincare routines, dabbling
in crafts, just really taking my time and not being in a rush. However, some of what
I really miss are long hugs, singing karaoke in my friends' living room, touching
everything in the grocery store — nothing extravagant. I miss being able to see my
friends and family without having the fear of unintentionally hurting someone. I am
definitely looking forward to holding my loved ones in my arms and them holding me
back. The collective sigh of relief that we got through these tough times.
I didn't have a problem with doing my part to “flatten the curve” because one of my biggest fears in all of this is that I become infected without knowing it and potentially hurt someone else. I do not have a problem limiting my social interaction to prevent that. I do not have a problem wearing a mask to prevent that. Just because it has been said that “We are all in this together,” everyone’s situation looks different, some will struggle more than others and I think of that often. My heart feels heavy for those disproportionately affected. It’s deeply disappointing that our government and many in our society are so nonchalant about the current climate of the country we all live in.
We have all had to confront our mortality head on whether we ever wanted to or not,
and I don’t want to have any regrets. I’ve spent too much time second guessing myself
and sometimes not even realizing it. Life is way too short for all that. Be confident, don’t stay in unhealthy situations, get that
tattoo, eat that dessert, say yes when you feel like it and absolutely say no when you feel like it. Do the thing you’ve always wanted to but don’t think
you’re ready for! Everything always works out, no matter how dark it may seem. You
got this.
Pandemic Portraits is a collaboration between the Wichita State ShiftSpace Student Group and the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries. Originally intended to document how members of the Wichita State art and design
community are coping and creating during a global pandemic, the project has expanded
to reflect on more than one ongoing crisis.
The structure of Pandemic Portraits is inspired by the exhibition and book To Survive on This Shore by photographer Jess T. Dugan and social worker Vanessa Fabbre.