Ashtyn Sibinski

“Closing the windows before bed” was a painting created during the first year of the pandemic. Like many, I found myself navigating new waves of anxiety fueled by the division and uncertainty surrounding our city. During these months, I found permission to rest in the form of repetition and routine – painting the same shapes over and over became a way of self-soothing. During this season, my husband and I moved to Northeast Minneapolis from an apartment with one window to a duplex with over twenty windows. A new routine was formed: each morning I would eagerly open each window and every evening I softly closed the windows before going to bed. This painting is that routine, that sweet summer repetition that I look forward to each year.