Momentary Recommends: Resources from Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas
Looking for indulging content? Momentary Recommends is a bi-weekly round-up of content, selected by a Momentary staff member. This week, enjoy a list of recommendations from Assistant Curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas including unique ways to virtually interact with art, a new podcast to listen to, and new activities to do, like coloring books and puzzles.
What I’m Dancing to:
Nick Cave Cultural Stimulus: Dance Party
Do yourself a favor and join Nick Cave and Bob Faust’s dance party! This 11-minute video captures the vibrancy and texture of Cave’s artwork while transporting you to a psychedelic disco party. To create the optimal listening/viewing experience, dim the lights, and watch the video on a large screen. I promise you’ll leave it all on the dance floor!
What I’m Watching:
Wrong TV is an online platform for 24/7 access to digital art. The website functions like a traditional TV, featuring four channels of continuous art programming. Lately, I’ve been streaming this in the background while I work or when I simply want to break up the mundane and experience something new and interesting. I love this platform because it allows us to communally experience art with folks from all over the world at the same time.
What I’m (still) Listening to:
Hosted by State of the Art alum Justin Favela (Favy Fav) and art historian Emmanuel Ortega (Babelito), LWL (Latinos Who Lunch) explores topics of identity, art history, food, and pop culture in Latinx communities. I had the privilege of spending several weeks with this brilliant duo in 2016 and have been an avid listener ever since. This hilarious and insightful podcast always gives me a much-needed dose of laughter and perspective, especially in these uncertain times.
What I’m Buying:
The ABCs of Latinidad Coloring Book
Real talk, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a curator who loves coloring books, but even if I didn’t, I would still be excited about this book, based on Latinos Who Lunch episode 99 of the same name, The ABCs of Latinidad. Pre-order for June 1.
What I’m Reading:
Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit
Walking has always been my favorite way to decompress, and since we’re all doing a lot of walking these days, I thought I would dive into this book to explore the spiritual, political, and social histories of walking. Pro-tip: listen to the audiobook while walking, but don’t forget your mask!
What I’m Puzzling:
These days, puzzles have become a beloved quarantine past time and these puzzles are the crème de la crème of puzzles. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Liberty Puzzles offers hundreds of wooden jigsaw puzzles featuring iconic artworks by artists like Sandro Botticelli, Gustav Klimt, and Edgar Degas. Each puzzle is truly an artwork within an artwork, as they feature a clever array of hand-drawn “whimsy pieces,” puzzle pieces cut in the shape of recognizable objects (characters, animals, or complex geometric shapes).
Before you get sticker shock, consider forming a puzzle club to split the cost with a group of friends and family. In our club, after each household completes the puzzle, they sign their name and record the completion date. Puzzle pals, if you will.