#WAMfamUNCG Eating

TUESDAY, JUN 9, 2020

FROM THE COLLECTION

Artist Máximo González investigates politics, popular culture, and the ways we give value to things. This piece comes from his Family Basket project, which consisted of a colorful cart from which he sold these tiny boxes of miniature grocery items. In Latin America, these food items are often referred to as a “family basket” and they are used as an index to measure the cost of living, inflation, the minimum wage, and many other economic variables. In our current moment, as the Covid-19 pandemic spurs panic grocery shopping by some and sends others to food banks for supplies, we are all keenly aware of the ways that the food supply chain reflect broader social issues of equity and access.

Máximo González, Basket from the mobile installation Family Basket, 2009, mixed media in acrylic box, 3 3/4 x 4 x 3 in. Weatherspoon Art Museum. Gift of the artist, 2010. © Máximo González.

Staff Picks

Being at home means a lot more eating at home. There’s a lot that goes into growing, harvesting, transporting, and preparing the food that we eat – as we consider all the labor, we wonder:

What are you EATING?

Here’s what the WAM staff has been EATING – or doing behind the scenes to prepare to eat.

#WAMfamUNCG.

“We usually get dough and sauce from Sticks and Stones but with them being closed, we had to figure out how to make an acceptable substitute for both dough and sauce. We grill our pizzas.”

SHANE CARRICO

Preparator

“Natural chicken roasted with lemon, garlic and rosemary sprigs inside.”

NANCY DOLL

Director

“BST… bacon, spinach, tomato.”

ANN GRIMALDI

Curator of Education

“Our garden is coming in which enhances our eating at home!”

KRISTEN MAGOD

Special Assistant of External Affairs

“Planted in March, ready to eat in June.”

VALERIE MCCONNELL

Business Coordinator

“I just finished making a batch of Momofuku eggs and a jar of sauerkraut ferments…with locally sourced eggs and CSA veggies.”

LORING MORTENSEN

PR + Communications Officer

“I’ve been slow to join the quarantine cooking craze, but feeling more inspired of late. We got some gorgeous veggies at the farmers market this weekend and I pulled a stack of cookbooks off the shelf.”

DR. EMILY STAMEY

Curator of Exhibitions

“I inherited my parents’ raspberry bush; each time I pick a berry it’s a fond reminder of them.”

SUSAN TAAFFE

Preparator

“What are we eating? Fruits and vegetables, of course!!”

ANONYMOUS

Food Security + The Culinary Arts

If you are in need of food assistance, or would like to donate food to those in need, here are some great food security resources:

The UNCG Spartan Open Pantry and Greensboro Urban Ministry.

As a reminder, we are also entering peak growing season, so consider supporting our local farmers with a visit to our local farmers markets: Greensboro Farmers Curb Market in downtown Greensboro, the Corner Market in Lindley Park, and the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax.

While you are thinking about food and hoping to help local businesses, consider visiting this list of black-owned Triad businesses (many of them are restaurants). The list created by local Instagram foodie @triadfoodpics can be found HERE.

How does food connect with art? Read about the Brief History of Food as Art to learn more about how food has played a role in art for millennia.

Need a little inspiration for photographing your culinary creations? Check out local food photographer Dhanraj Emanuel’s photos.