B e g i n n i n g a g a i n B e g i n n i n g a g a i n B e g i n n i n g a g a i n
a durational dreamscape presented by MARA STUDIO|GALLERY
artists working to re-ignite their joy and desire to create through curiosity & care
created by
logan gabrielle schulman | mara torres
raychel ceciro | eugenia titterington
but creation drives us.
i fall asleep at the computer.
i fall asleep at my canvas.
i dream that i’m doing something else, that i’m happy.
let me take up this paintbrush for you.
let me take your place dancing. sit down and rest.
let’s take care of each other.
let’s begin again.
︎
what the audience witnessed: mara paints in her studio in front of a camera. that footage is projected onto eugenia, who dances, inspired by mara’s motions and colors. logan considers two texts: world without end by holly hughes and a dream play by august strindberg. they take a marker and choose words, creating something new, the process projected on the ceiling above. raychel reads aloud, to anyone listening, the new poetry logan created. a timer goes off, and we begin again: mara torres paints in her studio in front of a camera. that footage is projeted onto raychel, who dances, inspired by mara’s motions and colors. eugenia considers two texts: they take a marker and choose words, creating something new. logan reads aloud, to anyone listening, the new poetry eugenia has created. a timer goes off, and we begin again:
created by
logan gabrielle schulman | mara torres
raychel ceciro | eugenia titterington
what is art without an audience?
the pandemic has depleted our creative desires and pursuits.
but creation drives us.
what do we do?
i fall asleep at the computer.
i fall asleep reading.
i fall asleep at my canvas.
i fall asleep rehearsing.
i dream that i’m doing something else, that i’m happy.
i had that dream too.
let me take up this paintbrush for you.
let me take up this pen. i’ll finish your thought.
let me take your place dancing. sit down and rest.
let me speak these words for you. it’s hard to speak sometimes.
let’s take care of each other.
let’s create for each other, because it’s been so hard to continue.
let’s begin again.
︎
what the audience witnessed: mara paints in her studio in front of a camera. that footage is projected onto eugenia, who dances, inspired by mara’s motions and colors. logan considers two texts: world without end by holly hughes and a dream play by august strindberg. they take a marker and choose words, creating something new, the process projected on the ceiling above. raychel reads aloud, to anyone listening, the new poetry logan created. a timer goes off, and we begin again: mara torres paints in her studio in front of a camera. that footage is projeted onto raychel, who dances, inspired by mara’s motions and colors. eugenia considers two texts: they take a marker and choose words, creating something new. logan reads aloud, to anyone listening, the new poetry eugenia has created. a timer goes off, and we begin again:
︎
artist bios
Mara Torres (she/her) is an artist born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, currently living in Sarasota, Florida. Mara has expressed her creativity since her early childhood. She started taking art classes at the age of four at ‘Liga de Arte de San Juan’ in Puerto Rico where, as the youngest of the group, one of her paintings was selected for a group exhibition. She continued the journey through all of her childhood and had the artist Betsy Padín as her mentor, and graduated high school with an art honor merit. She graduated in 2004 from ‘Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico’ with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in painting. After a successful 17 year career as an event and floral designer, Mara has returned to her roots in the art world. Mara Torres is currently working in acrylic, encaustic and resin. Her work is currently in galleries and private collections across Puerto Rico, México and United States. She has exhibited in group shows at Intermix (FL), New Modern (FL), Art + Frame (FL), JetBlue (NYC), and Cuartel Ballajá (PR). She has exhibited in solo shows with Coral Princess (PR) and twice with La Concha (PR). Currently Torres owns and operates MARA ART STUDIO | GALLERY a mixed- use studio and contemporary art gallery space in downtown Sarasota.
Logan Gabrielle Schulman (Co-Creator) [they/them] is a proud queer Jewish (visual + performance) artist, director, cultural educator, and activist. Their work unfolds as ritual collage, complicating commonplace configurations and liturgies of faith in America. Through performance, installation, and video, their practice weaves empathy, criticality, and rupturous deep-time into reflexive multimedia narratives. Logan is presently involved in directing new projects with the Sarasota Architectural Foundation (FL), the Marie Selby Botanical Garden (FL), Sarasota Contemporary Dance (FL), Urbanite Theatre (FL), and Maelstrom Collaborative Arts in Cleveland, OH. They have created work for DopoLavoro Teatrale (Toronto), the University of Pennsylvania (Phila), Enya Kalia Creations (NYC), Renegade Theater (NY & Phila), the Chautauqua Institution (NY), and Vox Populi Gallery (Phila), among others. They earned their Bachelors with Honors in Theater and Religion from New College of Florida. Their work has been supported in residencies and grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Florida Humanities Council, InterAct Theatre, Bread & Puppet Theater, the Chautauqua School of Art, the Stella Adler Studio, Headlong Dance Theater,
Raychel Ceciro (she/her + they/them) traverses the spectrums between performance, ecology, heritage, and social justice, engaging the past with an impossible present through empathy and radical responsibility. Raychel received their BA with honors from the New College of Florida, where they double majored in Literature and Anthropology. Raychel has had work featured on the 2020 Kilroys List, and at the Annenberg Performing Arts Center at the University of Pennsylvania (PHL), 954 Dance Movement Collective (PHL), Ursinus College (PA), the Shoebox Theater Festival (PHL), the Ringling Museum of Art (FL), Philadelphia Fringe Festival (PHL), and with the Windmill Theatre Company at the New College of Florida. Their artistic work has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, Florida Humanities Council, the John Ringling Towers Grant, Sarasota Arts and Cultural Alliance, and the Florida Public Archaeology Network.
Eugenia Titterington (she/her) graduated from New College of Florida in 2019 with a B.A. in Literature and Performance Studies. Her senior thesis, “Performing the Possibility of Difference: Analyzing Race, Movement, and Performance in the Works of Pearl Primus and Ira Aldridge”, investigated the moving body’s ability to evoke dialogues of collective cultural memory amongst audiences. She has collaborated as a performer, choreographer, designer, and movement consultant for Sarasota Contemporary Dance, The John and Mable Ringling Museum, New Music New College, Ringling College of Art and Design, and New College of Florida to name a few. She has been the recipient of the John Ringling Tower Grant and Andrew W. Mellon Grant. Eugenia was a founding member of SCD’s professional-training company, SCDE, before she transitioned into her current role as an apprentice with the company. Alongside her development as an emerging artist, Eugenia continues to hone her skills in arts administration, serving as the coordinator for the Andrew W. Mellon grant at New College of Florida.