After five years, five majors, and three schools (including a French art institute), my daughter Maya graduated from college this month. Of course a normal commencement ceremony was out of the question in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. But Maya wasn’t keen on the idea of her school’s virtual ceremony.

So we had to get creative. Luckily, artists are good at thinking outside the box! For this homemade event, we were going for a combination of ceremonial, heartfelt and comic. It was sad that we couldn’t include more friends and family, but Maya did invite three of her closest friends who are part of the same quarantine pod.

And so on a sunny Friday afternoon, we set up chairs in our yard for our household of five plus three guests. I had designed a formal program for the event, complete with a pirated, low-res university logo. It included the Order of Ceremony and listed the graduate—singular.

As Maya’s partner Gabe strummed “Pomp and Circumstance” on the guitar, Maya danced over from our driveway wearing a gaudy fuchsia robe from my gospel choir. She had fashioned a graduation cap from a black fleece hat, black construction paper and a Japanese tassel bearing the Makino family crest, held together with packing tape and staples.

My husband Paul, an HSU emeritus professor, gave a sweet and personal commencement speech that mentioned all of Maya’s food allergies and her crazy French landlady. Then Maya, representing the entire Class of 2020, gave a brief speech as valedictorian.

I presented Maya with a diploma—one of Paul’s served as a stand-in, and I had slipped a photo inside of five-year old Maya and her pet lizard, Stardust. Then, using a long paintbrush, I knighted her “Dame Maya of the Order of the Oily Paintbrush.” Maya joyfully tossed her cap into the air, and she was done with her undergraduate career!

One silver lining to this pandemic is that we are all getting a crash course in resilience and adaptability. Though it took place during a devastating global crisis, this quirky, inventive celebration was the most meaningful graduation event any of us have attended.

My darling daughter has officially graduated from Humboldt State University magna cum laude with a B.A. in art education and a minor in French and Francophone Studies. Next she plans to get a teaching credential at HSU and then hopes to teach high school art and English. (Yes, she is combining her mother’s vocation in art and writing with her father’s career in teaching!)

To everyone graduating right now, I know it took a lot of persistence to get here. If you’ve made it through this crazy school year, I think you’ll be all right. Congratulations and best of luck!

commencement day
each wave carving
its own path

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Makino Studios News

Graduation: I have several cards suitable for graduation. You can search by occasion in the “Browse by” tab on my Makino Studios shop page.

Makino Studios gift cards: For a limited time, I am offering gift cards for anything on this site in amounts starting at $25.

Connect with a card: In response to the Covid-19 crisis, I am offering a free service in which I write your message on the card of your choice and mail it straight to your friend or family member. It’s a pleasure to help people stay connected with their loved ones in this way. I’ve extended this offer through May 31.

Canceled Humboldt events: Sadly, North Coast Open Studios, normally held in early June, is postponed until at least September. The North Country Fair, normally held in late September, is canceled this year. You can find my paintings, prints and cards online; my cards are available in select stores. We can also meet by appointment.