GO WEST.
That was the direction Chen Lok Lee took when he was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship to study at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1973.
He and my mom drove out west and started their married life together there. Even though Loving v. Virginia was ruled in 1967, my parents were still unable to find someone to marry them in Pennsylvania before they left on their journey. So they went out to New Mexico and eloped.
While at Tamarind, my father collaborated with artists including Frederick Hammersley (Image 2/4: Seems, 1973 (May 10 – 18)) and Janet Lippincott (Image 4/4). My father was the printer on both of these pieces. ‘Seems’ is currently in the archives at the New Mexico Museum of Art, as gifted by Frederick Hammersley. Both lithographs are currently in the Chen Lok Lee collection that we are organizing.
Can’t wait to GO WEST to visit Tamarind Institute myself as soon as COVID is more under control.
Image: Seems, Frederick Hammersly, artist. Chen Lok Lee, Printer. 
Image: Chen Lok Lee, on the drive out to the Southwest (wild to think that I could have been born in New Mexico!). 
Image: Janet Lippincott, artist. Chen Lok Lee, Printer.