Drawing America Presents: Roz Chast: Finding Humor in Difficult Times
Join artist Roz Chast for a discussion and presentation on finding humor in difficult times. Ms. Chast will be conversation with Lester Burg, former Chair of the Public Art Network Council of Americans for the Arts.
Join Drawing America for a conversation with Roz Chast, The New Yorker staff cartoonist, to hear how she draws humor from these unprecedented times we all find ourselves in, especially here in New York. Ms. Chast will present a slideshow of drawings she has created since the pandemic began. Following the presentation, she will be in conversation with Lester Burg, former Deputy Director of the MTA’s Art and Design program in New York City.
Roz Chast was born in Brooklyn, New York. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating with a B.F.A. in painting in 1977. Her cartoons and covers have appeared continuously in The New Yorker since 1978. She has published several cartoon collections and has written and illustrated several children’s books. Her graphic memoir chronicling her parents’ final years, “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?”, won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the inaugural Kirkus Prize, and was short-listed for a National Book Award in 2014. Her most recent book, “Going into Town,” an illustrated guide to New York City, won the New York City Book Award in 2017. The editor of The New Yorker, David Remnick, has called her “the magazine’s only certifiable genius.” (bio shamelessly taken from The New Yorker website)
Lester Burg recently retired as MTA Arts & Design Deputy Director and served as Chair of the Public Art Network, a national council. Burg has managed public art projects, from proposal to installation, for the Second Avenue subway and neighborhood stations throughout the City. He has worked with such artists as Xenobia Bailey, Chuck Close, Alex Katz, Sarah Sze, Vik Muniz, Jean Shin, Yoko Ono and Firelei Baez on their permanent subway art installations.
For many of us, there will be a learning curve using ZOOM. As far as these interfaces go, it is very user-friendly. As with anything new, it takes a little time to get the hang of it. So here are a few tips:
If you can, use a desktop or laptop. They are the easiest to control, and of course, provide you with the largest image for you to draw from. If those are not available, a tablet works well. A phone works well but can be so tiny that the group aspect can get a little lost.
Try to get the best WiFi connection you can. For many us, that means being in a certain area of our home or office. It will elevate your experience, though almost everyone we worked with has had a good connection.