Being immersed in the aura of the Grateful Dead is something nostalgic, something timely and something hopeful. Listening to the music, to Jerry's sweet voice and liquid guitar riffs is essential when you are a fan. It is as necessary as air to breathe and "Jerry" hits must be done on a daily basis.
As the creator of Neverworld, I am a part time artist, a part time visionary, a problem solver, and a life coach. I am not referring to sit ins, but immersing oneself daily in a virtual world there are many things to be solved, created, and envisioned. You mostly likely have forged years- long relationships with other creators and wanderers. You are bound to feel more at home inworld than in many real world places. As regions are created and used, they become almost real, evolving as real places do, becoming neighborhoods, communities, meeting places, vacation spots, and cities.
The Jerry Garcia Archive Museum started as an idea and a vision and the vision was nurtured, changed, and reworked. Ideas sprung from our fingers as we typed, zoomed, or phoned about the progress of the museum.
The museum was not at first a museum. It would be a gallery of Jerry's art. It started with the beautiful building that was to become the main gallery, with a large patio outside to hang out and think about your life and about Jerry.
In unison with the gallery development, Peter Agelasto of Starchive was developing an internet archive for the Jerry Garcia Foundation . Jerry considered himself a painter who happened to play guitar. As Joni Mitchell also says 'I am a lonely painter, I live in a box of paints" In his lifetime Jerry created thousands of art pieces and he spent many hours at home relaxing with his paint and paper. His wife and daughter, Manasha and Keelin Garcia, his family, and his painting partners, made sure to retain his pieces as a legacy to all that Jerry was, and is today.
The gallery sounded too impermanent in a man who's legacy must be retained. There is his music, but then there is his art. And then there is his life.
Jerry's art has been featured in books, articles and galleries. The art is ethereal, his main medium was watercolor, with a smattering of pen and ink doodles of real life and fantasy put to paper. He painted animals, people, landscapes, city scenes and whatever else sparked his interest. Much of his art was infused with color, light, and beauty. He painted with his daughter Keelin, and art was part of their family life. Manasha was also a painter and her beautiful angelic portrait of Jerry lives virtually in the museum.
In developing the museum, an art garden was added with a meandering path where you will come upon much of his landscape art... he loved to paint water and hills. The museum's "Art Garden" is a peaceful place to discover art, contemplate and enrich your soul on a bench, or have a bit of a meditation.
In many conversations with the Garcia family, we expanded on the original plan of just art, and soon the gallery was expanded to become an archive museum, of much art, and some precious relics of his life and his spirit.
The museum is a amazing place that was, like many places in the opensim metaverse, created with the teamwork of many many people, inworld and in real world. I want to personally thank everyone who has helped with this project.
Official opening on the museum will be June 7th 1 pm PT -- all welcome. The tour will be held and lead by Hypergrid Safari, we are honored to have Thirza Ember and her safari tour group be the first visitors on the sim. The event will be livestreamed on you tube for those who cannot make it inworld.
All are invited to the tour. It will be followed by a free concert in Moonglow the concert sim and everyone can dance to the Rainbow Full of Sound (GD tribute band), Tony Saunders and Jair Rohm Parker Wells. Free curated gifts by Nexus Storm and Keelin Garcia for all attendees.
Finishing this project is bittersweet. On a personal level, Jerry was the partner of my very dear friend Manasha and it hurt to watch Keelin grow up without her father. The grief that fans felt in his passing was real, and my sorrow in the Jerry-less years later that hurt my heart was brought forth again. Hearing stories, reading about him, and putting together his art in a cohesive beautiful place obsessed many hours and weeks and months.
But, we must move on now... As Tony Saunders said to me "Don't be sad. He is smiling down at us and he is as happy as ever!"
Still ...we miss you Jer.
"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world"
Hop the the Jerry Garcia Archive Museum, Official Opening 1 pm PT Weds 6/7/23
hop://hg.neverworldgrid.com:8002/Jerry Garcia Archive Museum/128/128/23
Many many contributors to this project but specifically, inworld contributors were Nexus Storm, Ares Halostar, Alba Wyrril, Roffelos Kisses, and myself, Govega Sachertorte. And heartfelt thanks to my inworld friend Mick Weatherby, who is a fan and a wonderful resource during the last steps of this inworld project.
Many thanks real world to Manasha and Keelin Garcia of the Jerry Garcia Foundation, Peter Agelasto, Herb Greene, Elliot Newhouse, Rainbow Full of Sound, Tony Saunders and all of the fans.
Comments