These days, the Star City is home to a diverse set of entrepreneurs, creatives and community-builders from around the world … and right down the road. In each installment of our blog series, you’ll meet a new face who’ll share their spin on the Star City – their favorite places to eat, drink, connect or get inspired. In this installment, we talked to local artist and graphic designer Ana Morales, who advocates for diabetes awareness.
If you hunger for bright, cheerful color this time of year, you’ll probably find yourself drawn to Ana Morales’ art. Soft, hypnotic shapes tumble across her compositions in splashy watercolors and acrylics. But step a little closer, and you might begin to sense a deeper story playing out – the story of Ana’s life as a type 1 diabetic.
“I’ve had diabetes for 27 years [this] month, and for most of my life … I never made artwork about that,” says Ana, who grew up in Roanoke. “But when I was at JMU, I found myself feeling disconnected from the art that I was making. I didn’t think that it was that important or meaningful, and so that was when I started making art about diabetes specifically … It was very literal, and it was very important to me at the time that people knew the work was about disease.”
Ana’s work made a second important shift when she was attending a master’s program with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. There, she challenged herself to depict her illness (and wellness) in different ways, experimenting with subtlety, abstraction and play.
“I started to … think more broadly about what it means to be well … focus more on the process of making art and how I feel about my body and my relationship with it,” says Ana, who began working as an educational instructor at the Taubman Museum of Art around the same time. “It’s much more playful and experimental now.”
These days, when she’s not working on her paintings, Ana is writing and illustrating a children’s book about life with diabetes, and she also serves as the Taubman’s marketing coordinator. Last month, we sat down with this busy creative to find out more about her favorite spots to eat, drink and connect. Here’s what she said:
Q: As Roanoke adapts to new rhythms, we’ve all been searching for our favorite locally-owned places to find great food. Do you have a favorite take-out spot these days?
AM: Taaza in Grandin, Tacos Rojas and Farmburguesa.
Q: How about a great spot for drinks (whatever “drinks” means to you)?
AM: I love coffee, and I really like the coffee at Roasters Next Door in Wasena… At Sweet Donkey, they have a turmeric chai latte. That’s also really good!
Q: One silver lining of the pandemic has been the way arts organizations have built online spaces to listen to great music, see great art and connect with others. Are there any you’ve enjoyed?
AM: [At the Taubman Museum,] there was one exhibition that we’ve had, in particular, that is probably one of my favorite exhibitions out of my time working there. It’s called A Very Anxious Feeling, and it featured the work of 57 Latinx and Latin American artists, and alongside of the exhibition we did some virtual programming featuring three of the artists … Those have just been so cool, because … if we had just been in regular times, we probably wouldn’t have been able to do programming with them in person … And those will live online forever!
Q: Where have you been going to feel creative or find inspiration lately?
AM: In spite of all the challenges of last year, it was so special to spend that time outside, because I feel like I experienced all the seasons in a way that I’ve never experienced in my life … It’s something that I’ve been committed to continuing even when things go back to normal.
Q: Can you think of any best-kept secrets in our city … places other readers may not have discovered yet?
AM: I went to the Roanoke Antique Mall for the first time a year ago now, and it’s one of my favorite places to go. I get a natural high just from looking at old [things.]
I also wanted to give the Jefferson Center a shout-out, because I know that most people know of it, but I know a lot of people who have never been there for a show … The Jefferson is just such a nice place to see a concert … and they have such great opportunities for students who are interested in music … Through the Music Lab, my brother got to perform with famous musicians!
Q: Are there any other creatives, entrepreneurs or leaders in Roanoke who inspire you to be and do more?
AM: London [Ray-Dykstra] at Hustle/Haven … Every time I see her post on Instagram, I feel inspired, not just by the aesthetic, but also by the message she’s sending out, normalizing things like taking a break and setting good boundaries or just loving yourself … In this past year, I’ve just found that kind of content so important.
To see more of Ana’s work, follow her on Instagram or check out her website. To find out more about life with diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association’s website at diabetes.org.
Stay tuned for our next installment of Roanoke According To …
About the Writer:
Ashley Wilson Fellers is a writer, educator, self-taught painter and contemplative photographer in Roanoke, Virginia. When she isn’t teaching writing at Virginia Western, she snaps photos of sidewalk cracks, rescues wet leaves from windshield wipers and leaves poems hidden under park benches. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Tech.
