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Author, Survivor, and Thriver Shares 6 Tips for Anyone Suffering From Personal Tragedy
In June 2019, Theo Boyd was content and fulfilled. She enjoyed teaching high school English and was proud to have a daughter in college. She had a beautiful home in a Dallas suburb and a successful husband. And she had a close, loving relationship with her sister and her parents. Life had become what she had always wanted—until July 29, 2019. On that terrible day, her mother was killed in a tragic farming accident. She was run over by a tractor. And her father was the driver. In My Grief Is Not Like Yours, Boyd intertwines the story of her struggle with complicated grief, the type of heavy, lingering grief that follows an unexpected, unspeakable loss, with a tribute to her extraordinary parents and their devotion to each other. During an interview, Theo can share what she’s learned as a survivor and share insight for others who may be going through any traumatic experience:
- Keep in touch. Reach out to loved ones, friends, and spiritual leaders for comfort, understanding, and healing. Surround yourself with people who are willing to listen when you need to talk, as well as those who’ll offer a shoulder to lean on when you’d rather be silent.
- Grieve in your way. Do what’s right for you, not necessarily someone else. There is no single “right” way to grieve. If you find it too painful to visit your loved one’s gravesite or share the details of your loved one’s death, wait until you’re ready.
- Be prepared for painful reminders. Anniversaries, holidays, and other special occasions can be painful reminders of your loved one’s suicide. Don’t beat yourself up for being sad or mournful. Instead, consider changing or suspending family traditions that are too painful to continue.
- Don’t rush yourself. Losing someone to suicide is a tremendous blow, and healing must occur at its own pace. Don’t be hurried by anyone else’s expectations that it’s been “long enough.”
- Expect setbacks. Some days will be better than others, even years after the suicide — and that’s OK. Healing doesn’t often happen in a straight line.
- Consider a support group for families affected by suicide. Sharing your story with others experiencing the same grief might help you find a sense of purpose or strength. However, if you find going to these groups keeps you ruminating on your loved one’s death, seek out other methods of support.
About the Author
Theo Boyd, named Thelizabeth after her two grandmothers, Thelma and Elizabeth, is a farmgirl at heart. For most of her adult life, she lived in Waxahachie, Texas, about 30 minutes south of Dallas, where she taught high school English, raised her daughter, and actively volunteered in various organizations, her community, and her church. After 30 years, she moved back to her hometown of Whitney, Texas, to come to terms with the death of her mother in a tragic farming accident, followed three years later by her father’s suicide. She now devotes her time to writing and speaking about loss, grief, and faith with the mission of helping others find comfort and hope.
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All-Star Women’s Boxing Lineup Aims to Knock Out Pay Disparity
The all-women’s card sanctioned by the World Boxing Council (WBC) will take place on the Lux Stage at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 27, showcasing the achievements and prowess of female athletes in boxing. Headlining the event is the historic WBC Super Featherweight Championship bout, “Hit Like a Girl, Fight Like a Champion,” featuring reigning champion Alycia Baumgardner defending her title against Delfine Persoon, a seasoned fighter from Belgium.
“This fight is more than just a return to the ring for me, it’s a statement,” said Baumgardner. “Headlining the all-women’s sanctioned card is an honor, and I’m ready to show the world the strength, resilience and skill that women in boxing bring to the sport.”
The event has set a new milestone with the largest purse bid in WBC history for a female fight, amounting to $500,000, and the Lux Stage at Trilith Studios provides a groundbreaking backdrop for this historic bout, setting a new standard in live sports entertainment with its immersive world setting presented by BrinxTV.
Event production company Global Combat Collective, Baumgardner Promotions, BrinxTV and Fubo Sports are collaborating to bring this significant boxing event to a broad audience for free, marking a milestone in sports broadcasting.
Global Combat Collective Co-Founder and CEO Nelson Lopez celebrates this thrilling event as a step toward gender parity in sports.
“For far too long women in sports have been overlooked, underpaid and marginalized,” Lopez said. “Despite their unprecedented and magnificent achievements, the lack of global recognition and equal pay is extremely appalling. At GCC, our primary goal is to change this narrative, and on September 27 we are doing just that, with an all-star women’s lineup, attracting guests from all around the world.”
Baumgardner, the undisputed female super featherweight champion of the world, is not only ready to defend her title, but she’s also ready to fight for the rights of female athletes all over the globe.
“Equal pay in sports is not just a matter of fairness; it’s a statement that women’s contributions are valued and essential, paving the way for a more inclusive and just society,” she said.
Nelson Lopez Jr. stated that this event wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of his amazing co-founders, President Joshua Chasse, Vice President Sergio Rodriguez, and Chief Operations Officer Victor Herrera, as well as the support of BrinxTV.
“Brinx believed in our mission to highlight women’s sports,” Lopez added. “With their partnership, we will bend the universe.”
About Alycia Baumgardner
Super featherweight Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (15-1, 7 knockouts), born in Freemont, Ohio, began boxing professionally in 2017. Since November 2021, she has held the WBC and IBO super featherweight titles. Since 2022, she has held the WBO, IBF and The Ring female super featherweight titles. She became the undisputed female super featherweight champion of the world on February 4, 2023. She is signed currently to Matchroom Boxing.
About Nelson Lopez Jr.
Global Combat Collective co-founder and CEO Nelson Lopez Jr. is a prominent figure in the boxing world, known for his significant contributions as a manager and promoter and in fighter building. With more than two decades in the business, he has been the matchmaker, selecting the top boxers to compete against each other, for some of the biggest fights in the world and for the top promoters in the world.
To learn more, please visit https://
globalcombatcollective.com/. -
Discover the Heart of Community in the New Book Across the Street…Around the Corner
Amid the isolation of the 2020 pandemic, one woman embarked on a heartwarming journey to rediscover the essence of her Pasadena, California neighborhood. In her captivating new book, Across the Street, Around the Corner, Mary Lea Carroll invites readers to join her in an exploration of community, connection, and the hidden magic of the familiar.Carroll—an experienced world traveler—brings us into her vibrant 1960s childhood neighborhood, seamlessly time bending it with her current-day Los Angeles community. At turns funny or warm or thoughtful, she shares how the lockdown period inspired her to take a closer look at the people and places right outside her door.Through companionable strolls, front yard gatherings, and heartfelt conversations with neighbors, Carroll unveils the profound truths about the value of community. Her engaging storytelling weaves together past and present, demonstrating how meaningful connections close to home can profoundly enrich our lives.“Across the Street, Around the Corner is about exploring the micro-world of my own neighborhood instead of the big wide world at large,” Carroll explains. “I challenged myself to get to know or stay connected with those right nearby. I hope my book encourages readers to explore their own neighborhoods, make those connections too, and see how much beauty is right at their fingertips.”
Carroll’s book serves as a gentle reminder of the importance of being a good neighbor and how small acts of kindness contribute to building a strong, supportive community. Her unique perspective and engaging prose inspire readers to find worth and meaning in the everyday interactions that make a neighborhood truly special.Join Mary Lea Carroll on this delightful journey and discover the hidden gems waiting just outside your doorstep. Across the Street, Around the Corner is a testament to the enduring power of community and the beauty of the connections we make when we take the time to look around.ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mary Lea Carroll is author of Across the Street, Around the Corner, A Road Home, Saint Everywhere-Travels in Search of the Lady Saints (a People Magazine Pick), and Somehow Saints-More Travels in Search of the Saintly. Before family life, Mary Lea Carroll was a travel guide, journalist, and writers’ assistant at Paramount Studios. A talented storyteller and MOTH story slam winner, Carroll weaves her passions—travel, comedy, art, family, and community—into her writing. Mary Lea and her husband of 37 years live in Pasadena, California. You can learn more at www.maryleacarroll.com. -
Tianyu Arts & Culture Shines Bright with Larger-Than-Life Lantern Festival Debut in Dallas
Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc.—the leading producer of larger-than-life lantern festivals in North America and the trailblazers who introduced authentic Chinese lantern traditions to the U.S. and Europe—will make their North Texas debut this winter at the festival grounds of Texas Trust CU Theatre, located at 1001 Texas Trust Way, Grand Prairie, TX 75050.
This enchanting event invites visitors to embark on a nighttime adventure following the story of Koda, a 7-year-old boy, as he explores the magical rainforest of Caballococha, Peru. The festival features vibrant displays of plants and animals, infused with elements of magic, inspired by Koda’s dreams and imagination. As guests wander through the dazzling light show, they can piece together Koda’s adventure, capture stunning photographs, uncover clues, and win prizes. The experience includes 19 immersive scenes with larger-than-life lantern sculptures crafted from metal, steel, fabric, and LED lights by skilled artisans.
“We are thrilled to debut in Dallas this holiday season,” said Huiyuan Liu, event manager at Tianyu Arts & Culture. “The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, with its rich cultural diversity, is the perfect setting for us to showcase our lantern festival in a new, technologically advanced, and visually stunning way.”
This family-friendly event features exquisite artistry and provides the most immersive lantern experience in the metroplex this holiday season. In addition to the spectacular lantern displays, nightly stage performances will feature acrobats and folk performers. Visitors can also enjoy food and beverages and purchase handcrafted souvenirs. The festival will run from November 8, 2024, to January 19, 2025, every Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., covering all major winter holidays. Tickets for the Tianyu Lights Festival range from $16 to $35. From 09/03 to 10/01, enjoy $5 off General Admission tickets with code TIANYU at checkout. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit https://tianyuculture.
us/dallas. About:
Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. is the American subsidiary of the international design and manufacturing company Sichuan Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. is the largest Chinese lantern festival producer in North America and one of the first companies to bring authentic Chinese lantern traditions to the United States and Europe. The Chicago-based corporation is a subsidiary of Sichuan Tianyu Culture Communication Co., Ltd., headquartered in Zigong in the Sichuan Province of China. Tianyu strives for quality by focusing on three core components: conservation and natural beauty, turnkey festival operations, and interactive visitor experiences. In the past 10 years, Tianyu’s team of professionals have produced over 86 festivals in the United States, appearing in 78 cities and welcoming over 8 million visitors. To learn more about Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., please visit https://tianyuculture.us/. -
UCLA Art|Sci Center Presents Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption
Part of Getty’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative, programs and exhibitions will run Sept 14, 2024, through June 7, 2025, launching with a Bill Fontana sound exhibition
Immersive, interactive installations, artist lectures, walkthroughs, and live performances and videos by 13 artists—including Bill Fontana’s site-specific installation Silent Echoes: Notre-Dame and the Dachstein Glacier; Katie Grinnan’s sound sculptures The Sensitives; Anna Nacher’s soundwalks; and performances by artists such as Patricia Cadavid, Amber Stucke, and Sholeh Asgary—will activate the UCLA campus to engage audiences in deep reflection on the climate crisis.
Organized by co-curators Victoria Vesna, UCLA Art|Sci center director, and Anuradha Vikram, Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption includes seven sequential exhibitions presented between September 14, 2024, and June 7, 2025, as part of Getty’s PST ART:Art & Science Collide.
The exhibition and related public programs will be held in multiple campus venues, including the Art|Sci Gallery in the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) building on UCLA’s South Campus; the EDA in the Broad Art Center on North Campus; Sage Hill Native Plants & Wildlife Habitat; the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden; Royce Hall; and the UCLA Nimoy Theater operated by UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.
Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption builds from four years of research by eight artists-in-residence at the UCLA Art|Sci center: Sholeh Asgary, Patricia Cadavid, Bill Fontana, Yolande Harris, Anna Nacher, Joel Ong, Iman Person, and Robertina Šebjanič. Their projects will be joined by installations and performances by local artists Katie Grinnan, Rachel Mayeri, Christina McPhee, Amber Stucke, and Nina Waisman.
“Our goal is to highlight artists and scientists who have developed long-term collaborative relationships with one another,” said co-curator Victoria Vesna. “In this exhibition, we use sound to join the disciplines of art and science and to foster a deeper understanding of our many interconnected environments and cultures.”
PST ART, formerly Pacific Standard Time, is the largest art event in the United States. This year’s iteration will engage audiences throughout Southern California in the theme Art & Science Collide. With the support of nearly $20 million in grants from Getty, dozens of cultural, scientific, and community organizations will present more than 80 exhibitions and a wide spectrum of programs, traversing such topics as climate change, Indigenous knowledge, artificial intelligence, the burgeoning field of eco-acoustic art, and more.
Through Atmosphere of Sound, participating artists and scientists propose to engage human bodies through vibration and exploratory learning as a means of achieving deeper empathy with the environment and with other species.
“Our approach to this project is informed by the work of feminist scientific philosophers including Jane Bennett and Donna Haraway,” Vesna said. “We seek to connect artists and art lovers, scientists, students, performing arts patrons and local families with concepts of vibrant matter and intercellular communication on a global scale.”
Atmosphere of Sound kicks off with Bill Fontana’s outdoor sound sculpture Silent Echoes: Notre-Dame and the Dachstein Glacier, which will be amplified from UCLA’s Royce Hall from September 14 to October 5, 2024. This work threads audio feeds from Notre-Dame’s dormant bells and the Dachstein Cave in Austria, layering these soundscapes into a poetic statement on climate disruption and the fragility of human culture. Fontana is an American composer and media artist who has developed an international reputation for his pioneering experiments in sound.
The official opening event takes place Saturday, September 14, from 2–4 p.m. outside Royce Hall and will feature a conversation with curators and a soundwalk with Fontana.
Following Fontana’s exhibition are six sequential exhibitions in the Art|Sci center’s gallery, located on the fifth floor of UCLA’s CNSI building.
- October 4 to November 2, 2024: Katie Grinnan’s The Sensitives and Amber Stucke’s Talking to Plants
- November 15 to December 14, 2024: Robertina Šebjanič’s CO_SONIC 1884 km2
- January 10 to February 1, 2025: Yolande Harris’s How You Shimmer: Sound Portal for Whale Bubbles
- February 14 to March 15, 2025: Iman Person’s Memory Garden and Patricia Cadavid’s Kanchay_Yupana// and Electronic_Khipu
- April 4 to April 26, 2025: Joel Ong’s In Silence . . .
- May 9 to June 7, 2025: Sholeh Asgary’s Qanat and Ghatel, and Sholeh Asgary + the Ad Hoc Collective for Improvising’s Mourning Technologies for Future Griefs
All exhibitions are viewable by appointment between 2-5pm on Thursdays and Fridays and 12-3pm on Saturdays. Entry is free to the public.
Visitors are encouraged to visit the Atmosphere of Sound website and download the project app to assist in navigating between venues. The app includes wayfinding tools with parking and metro information; meditative soundwalks recorded by Atmosphere of Sound artist Anna Nacher; access to the Atmosphere of Sound radio station, which will stream sonic artworks and interviews with artists and scientists; and detailed exhibition and program information.
“Atmosphere of Sound provokes the central question: ‘If the scale and complexity of climate change exceeds the limits of human perception, how can artists represent it?’” said co-curator Anuradha Vikram. “The project examines how sound-based artists, responding to the climate crisis, have found a unique point of entry to this representational challenge. Sound art, as a medium, evades and challenges the certainty often associated with the sense of sight. The inherent ambiguities of sound can help audiences understand the rapidly shifting state of the climate and its effects on the physical world.”
The Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption exhibition and program of artist lectures, symposia, and performances, as well as a 250-page full color publication featuring seven original essays (est. print date September 2024) has been generously supported by the Getty PST ART initiative.
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WESTAF Announces Open Call for Art: 50 Years, 50 Artists: A Celebration of the West
In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), a U.S. Regional Arts Organization, announces an open call for artists in the Western region to participate in an online exhibition titled 50 Years, 50 Artists: A Celebration of the West. This special exhibition will feature 50 unique pieces of artwork that reflect on the concept of time, inviting artists to explore and interpret this theme in their own creative ways.
A panel of WESTAF staff and board members will select 50 pieces of art for an online exhibition on the CallforEntry™ (CaFÉ™) website. Each piece will also be featured with a dedicated post on its social media pages throughout the year, and additional works may be used as rotating images on the CaFÉ and/or WESTAF websites. WESTAF will award a combined total of $4,000 to top-scoring artists. “It’s a privilege to showcase the incredible talent in our region, celebrating half a century of innovation and creativity at the intersection of arts and technology,” remarked Christina Villa, director of business of WESTAF. “We’re so proud to honor WESTAF’s legacy and this 50th-anniversary milestone in a manner that truly resonates with the spirit of WESTAF.”
The theme for this milestone exhibition is “time” — whether looking to the past, examining the present, or envisioning the future. Artists are encouraged to dive into their personal or cultural memories, histories, and evolutions, offering their perspectives on how time influences and shapes their art. Artists may submit 1-2 artworks in any medium for consideration through WESTAF’s own submission platform, CaFÉ. Image, audio, and video submissions are all accepted. The submission deadline for this call for entry is 11:59 p.m. MDT on September 14, 2024.
The call is free to apply and open to artists residing in the WESTAF region, which includes Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, Hawai’i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Find more information and apply at bit.ly/50Years50Artists.
About WESTAF
WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation) is a regional nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to strengthening the financial, organizational, and policy infrastructure of the arts in the West. WESTAF assists state arts agencies, arts organizations, and artists in their quest to serve diverse audiences, enrich the lives of local communities, and provide access to the arts and arts education for all. Through innovative programming, advocacy, research, technology, and grantmaking, WESTAF encourages the creative advancement and preservation of the arts regionally and through a national network of customers and alliances.About CallforEntry™
CallforEntry (CaFÉ) is an online application submission system that simplifies the call for entry process for arts organizations. It allows artists worldwide to apply and submit their work for exhibitions, competitions, grants, RFQs/RFPs, and various other art opportunities. Since 2005, CaFÉ has been committed to making art accessible to all through an affordable and user-friendly platform. It is driven by WESTAF’s dedication to supporting and promoting creative expression while fostering vibrant networks within the arts sector.It’s a privilege to showcase the incredible talent in our region, celebrating half a century of innovation and creativity at the intersection of arts and technology. We’re so proud to honor WESTAF’s legacy and this 50th-anniversary milestone in a manner that truly resonates with the spirit of WESTAF.
