We were devastated to learn that Beatriz da Costa passed away on December 27, 2012, from cancer. An intelligent and innovative artist who became a Creative Capital Emerging Fields grantee in 2009, Beatriz initially gave the entirely misleading impression of being physically slight, even fragile. But any notion of wan delicacy was quickly dispelled the moment she was engaged in conversation…about anything. She was articulate, determined, tough-minded and opinionated, in that she possessed a clearly considered opinion about whatever topic was under discussion.
Our colleague Amanda McDonald Crowley expressed our sentiments exactly when she wrote, “To the very end, Beatriz remained an incredibly strong and determined person, a generous friend, and a courageous and inspired artist.” We loved her energy, her ideas and her wicked, dry sense of humor. We only wish she was allowed more time here to do her work.
In mid December, Beatriz and her collaborators launched the Anti-Cancer Survival Kit, part of her Creative Capital-supported project, The Cost of Life. Simultaneously practical, playful and pedagogical in its approach, the kit is something that Beatriz would have liked to have access to when she was first diagnosed with cancer. It is a project her collaborators wish to finalize, in her honor, so that others may benefit from the research she has been doing over the last three years. We encourage you to join us in making a pledge to realize the project on their Rockethub site. Continue reading
