class, art, and identity

Remind me when I get back to work never to complain about all that I have to do - I really don't do well with the lack of structure! and even though it's hectic, work provides its boundaries that I really DO appreciate!

That said, I had a breakthrough yesterday afternoon - I had been working on a proposal for a conference, and it dawned on me that I could use this as the forum for my arts-based research project! I want to turn my dissertation into a performance art piece - well not exactly... but I want to include part of what I learn there into a performance piece. I want to use three sources really - my own autobiography (my narrative), my diary from El Salvador, and the interviews I do on social class identity for my thesis.

Anyway, I struggled and struggled to come up with a title for the piece, and a framework, and finally came up with a proposal I feel really good about!!!!!

It's called "Cleaning the floors at the Met: Class, Art and Identity." The piece opens with my telling a story about bringing my 80 year of Puerto Rican grandmother who has lived in NYC for over 60 years and never been to a museum before to the Met and having her goggle over the floors and how clean and beautiful they were.

anyway, I'm excited and now I have the very hard work of putting the piece together, but if I present it next May that will be really exciting!!!