Robin Price Concussion Recovery

Profile:
I make a living primarily by creating and publishing artists' books (Robin Price Publisher). For three decades (see retrospective exhibit), I have drawn on a deep fascination with language, animating words through letterpress printing and other media, such as drawing, painting, and collage. The life of a book artist is mentally and physically demanding, and even in the best of times it’s not a lucrative profession. What this work lacks in economic security is usually offset by the abundance of meaning and the joys of community.


“ . . . one of today’s most accomplished book artists. Internationally known and based in Middletown, CT, Robin Price combines the highest levels of craftsmanship and technique with risk taking in her complex, exquisite books.”    — Suzy Taraba & Clare Rogan, Foreword to Counting on Chance  

Challenge:
Recently, however, a string of concussions has upended my life and work, prompting me to ask for financial help in this vulnerable, public way. 

I’ve suffered five concussions in fewer than five years — though earlier injuries probably set up a pattern of vulnerability to them. Over time, I’ve curtailed my physical activities, but even a relatively small impact can bring on symptoms that interfere drastically with work. Now, five months into the recovery from my most recent concussion, residual symptoms include headaches, low stamina, oversensitivity to light and sound, and cognitive problems such as lapses of focus and memory, delayed reaction time, mental fatigue, and low tolerance for gazing into electronic screens. Of course, it’s hard to run an artist studio without keeping up with email and graphics software tasks!

With fewer productive hours in the studio, I have lost a year and a half of work time since 2012. The rhythm of my work is affected not only by the need for rest, but also by physical therapy and medical appointments, ranging from Yale Neurology to brilliant and compassionate alternative healers. Again and again, I have learned that if I rush this recovery — burning the midnight oil as artists tend to do when faced with bills and deadlines — my brain’s health is set back, firmly and painfully.

On a positive note, I do find myself alert enough to enjoy some creative time in the studio, devoting attention to new work and ongoing projects — including an ambitious multi-scroll edition of Song of Songs, a long-term collaboration with visual artist Barbara Benish. How will I gather enough support and resources to weather this health crisis successfully, keeping the studio afloat throughout this recovery?

Goals:
The purpose of this GoFundMe effort is three-fold:
1. Cover my studio overhead for the next 6 months.
2. Allow me to hire an assistant to continue producing the books by which I make my living.
3. Pay uninsured medical costs.

Two WISH LIST items:
— offer a place to retreat (very best = near ocean)
— provide local housing for studio ass't in 2017 (book arts MFA grad)

You can also CONTRIBUTE MONTHLY for a set period; GoFundMe has disabled the monthly donation option in order to rework it. You can contact me directly through this site or via my email address on website link above.


Appreciations:
I'm deeply grateful for any help you can provide, whether it's through contributions or sharing this site with others.

—with gratitude to Paul Horton , Elise Springer, and other friends and family without whose devoted help I would not have been able to create this page.