I am happy to share again with you my CORONA ROSE, as I did on the first day of spring, at the onset of the corona virus crisis, to find you now, hopefully in a good mood and good health, wherever you may be, and in spite of the difficult times laying again ahead of us.

I created CORONA ROSE  at my parents' house in Slovenia where i got "stuck" at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic this March, after flights from Europe to New York City were banned and my planned events in NYC were all postponed till further notice.

Since then my Corona Rose has further expanded into a Collective Corona  Rose, with the additions made by members of the Experimental Idrija Lace-makers group (Irena Laharnar, Mira Guzelj, Marija Novak Boškovič, Jereb, Draga Sedej, Marta Simnovčič, Stana Frelih and Milena Kalan Frančeškin), lead by Maja Svetlik from the Idrija Lace School. The group members made their creative additions during the spring lock-down with the aim to cultivate hope and spread it through the newly bred Collective Corona Rose.

In this up-lifting action during the quarantine in the time of the 1st coronavirus wave they spent 400 hours creating the above roses and petals to serve as the base of my Corona Collective Rose.

I am happy to share that after its hibernation phase the Collective Corona Rose will spread its hope extending over the wall at the Friedrich's Stift (with the grave of the emperor Friedrich the Third), at the famous St. Stephan's Cathedral in the heart of Vienna.

I hope that my CORONA ROSE, transformed now into the Collective Corona Rose, will remind you that the beauty of a rose can overpower its thorns -  and that likewise, as is with the beauty of a rose, we will also cherish the closeness of our loved ones and value the time that is given to us to spend with them.

The Collective Corona Rose will hang above Friedrich the Third emperor's grave from Oct. 14 till the end of November 2020. Its official presentation marked by the sunlight shining through the cathedral windows will take place at 10.30 on October 14 and its presentation marked by the shine of the cathedral lights will take place on Nov. 15 at 20.00. Both presentations will be enriched by Austrian composer Rupert Huber playing on the cathedral organ the extract from his composition Teardrops.  You are kindly invited to join us at either or both of these presentation or come and see the Collective Corona Rose on any other day till the end of November.