| In Oracle, Ready to Pay | YES! |
|---|---|
| Name | Isabel Meyers |
| Phone | 4785087640 |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Name of Work (TBD or Untitled are okay) | Creekside |
| Please upload a JPG of your work in progress |  |
| Please upload a JPG or PNG of a picture of you that we can use in the show. We prefer a headshot or something that clearly shows your face. Please make sure it’s high enough resolution for print. |  |
| May we potentially use your work in progress image as part of promotional activities? | Yes, please do. |
| Describe the work including planned media, size and presentation format. (All art forms are accepted for this call, but there must be a physical representation of the work ready for display. Most often this is a framed and ready-to-hang two dimensional image.) | This is a dance/performance artwork. I would ideally like to do a site-specific performance out near the water, but for the display in the show, I can create a film documenting the movement. I would love to discuss what would work best with the show, so please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make things run smoothly! |
| Describe your contemplative practice in relation to the work so far. | After reading each chapter, I journal a stream of consciousness reflection for about one minute after sitting in meditative silence. Then, later, I take my notes to the dance studio and improvise based on what I’ve written down. I film myself so I can fully engage with my thoughts without the expectation of memorizing my every movement. |
| Describe your engagement with nature in relation to this work so far. | I have been moving through a close reading of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek to gather inspiration for the work. I read the book outdoors, and I try to visit the locations that Dillard describes. I pause reading every so often to sit and take in my surroundings. My favorite places to visit are the Tinker Creek Greenway, the Roanoke river, and Great Valley Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. |
| Describe your engagement with the text in relation to this work so far. | I was struck by the second chapter “Seeing,” specifically the descriptions of sight from individuals who had just had cataract surgery. It is very interesting from a movement perspective to imagine decoding sight later in life, and I was very inspired by the way each individual described their discoveries of spatial awareness. Additionally, in “The Fixed,” I was invested in her story about the caterpillars in their “doomed” circular march. I thought about each of these moments when generating movement phrases. In a broader sense, I am drawn to her use of action words in her imagery. Her language is very dynamic, so much so that I find myself nodding my head back and forth as I read. Movement is implicit in this text. |
| What questions, or primary question, have arisen for you in pursuing the work so far? | I have been thinking about the prospect of the “Saturn Return,” which is the moment of reflection that occurs when Saturn arrives at the same location as it was at your birth. This astrological event occurs every 27-29 years, and is said to have a transformative affect on one’s life. I am nearing my own “Saturn Return,” and experiencing feelings of listlessness as well as a desire to become more aware of the details of my life. I have noticed these feelings echoed in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and I was amused to learn that Dillard wrote and published this book during her own Saturn Return. In engaging with this text, I am asking myself questions about how reflection of nature parallels reflection of life. |
| What have you learned in the process so far? | Reading this book and contemplating its themes has activated a desire to reevaluate my priorities and the things that matter to me. I am learning to find the child within myself who had the capacity to wondrously discover for the first time, and allowing myself to be reflective without judgement. |
| If applicable, please describe any challenges that will prevent you from participating in the effort or completing the project on time. | I have not been able to register in Oracle at this time. My bank is not available in the drop down menu, and I haven’t been able to proceed with registering myself. I have attached a personal invoice below, but please let me know if anything is incorrect. I am happy to revise. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help fix this! Also, I tried to submit a video for the work in progress box, but was unable to attach because it was too large. Is there another way I could submit it? Thank you again for all your help with this! |
| REQUIRED: Please add a PDF of your vendor’s invoice here. The payer is “City of Roanoke, Attention Douglas Jackson.” This invoice is required and may be generated from your accounting system or manually created. The invoice must be numbered and all information must match what you have entered in Oracle. | Pilgrims-at-the-Creek-Invoice.pdf |
| Invoice Number | 001 |
| My typed name stands for my signature. I have identified all technology used in the creation of this work in the description of my process above. | Isabel Meyers |
| Staff use only | DCJ – Okay to Pay |
| Staff Use Only: Melissa Tracking | Paid ACH 10/30/2025 |
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