Cultural events
Pyramid hill arts fair
13th Annual Pyramid Sculpture Park and Museum, Hamilton Ohio
September 26, 2015
This event is an arts fair held at the Pyramid Sculpture Park and Museum. The arts fair consists of about 40 tents of vendors selling artwork, jewelry, clothing, home decorations and other items. The venders were located on a path inside the sculpture park, followed by a few business' booths and some food. The sculpture park itself is a 400 acre park outdoor museum focusing on monumental pieces of sculpture in an environment of meadows, forests, and various gardens. They also feature a 10,000 square foot Ancient Sculpture Museum displaying Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan sculpture thousands of years old. The sculpture park consists of many large scale sculptures (7 feet or higher) in which are contemporary. The fair was placed in a certain section of the sculpture park. Here, local artist displayed and sold their unique handmade works of art. There was also live entertainment, food and drinks, and family fun! The event was Saturday September 26th from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5. I went with two other friends who also enjoy art. It was a good experience, despite the fact that it rained while we were there. We also peeked in the ancient sculpture museum where there were about 50 pieces of ancient artwork. The museum, sculpture park, and fair all seemed like a primarily local and family welcoming function.
I really love art fairs because you can see local artists' work and talk to them in person about their processes. The artists seemed local, considering many of them knew each other, and the fair-goers also seemed like it wasn't their first time at the event. There were many vendors selling handmade jewelry, and many of these artists were mother daughter pairs. I loved talking to the jewelry makers because I'm currently taking a metals class. My favorite artist was a man who painted fictional characters with acrylic on cardboard. He layered the cardboard so the characters looked three-dimensional. These works of art would be perfect gifts for children. It was a very fun event for me because I went with friends who also enjoy art, and it was my first time to a sculpture park. The pyramid sculpture park is very exciting in that throughout its forest and grassy trails you find magnificent large scale sculptures. As an artist and art educator I love looking at works of art, whether it is in museums or on a landscape. For me, the experience was very enjoyable.
This connects to the art classroom in many ways. First, the fair is a great place to speak to local artists and learn about their processes. There aren't many opportunities to talk to local artists, especially in one place. It is also a great place to get to know your community members as well. The sculpture park is a wonderful place to take students, especially small children because you wouldn't have to worry about them touching pieces or breaking anything in a museum. It is an outdoor facility, therefore there is a lot of room to run around. These sculptures are contemporary and would be great to discuss using Visual Thinking Strategy questions. You could investigate themes such as form, use of space, texture, scale, emotion, and color. This park would be a great place to take students learning my Miami Portfolio Museum Resource lesson plan because you could incorporate examining the aspect of "monumental" in sculpture. These students could look at what monumentality means in these sculptures, and relate it to their class project. Overall there are many possibilities, and because I haven't been to a sculpture park before this, chances are many students have not either. I would love to search for a place similar to this while I'm teaching to take my students there for a field trip.
Overall this was a positive experience and I would definitely go back to the Pyramid Sculpture Park to look at more of the sculptures. It is a great place to bring family and friends, and walk pets!
September 26, 2015
This event is an arts fair held at the Pyramid Sculpture Park and Museum. The arts fair consists of about 40 tents of vendors selling artwork, jewelry, clothing, home decorations and other items. The venders were located on a path inside the sculpture park, followed by a few business' booths and some food. The sculpture park itself is a 400 acre park outdoor museum focusing on monumental pieces of sculpture in an environment of meadows, forests, and various gardens. They also feature a 10,000 square foot Ancient Sculpture Museum displaying Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan sculpture thousands of years old. The sculpture park consists of many large scale sculptures (7 feet or higher) in which are contemporary. The fair was placed in a certain section of the sculpture park. Here, local artist displayed and sold their unique handmade works of art. There was also live entertainment, food and drinks, and family fun! The event was Saturday September 26th from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5. I went with two other friends who also enjoy art. It was a good experience, despite the fact that it rained while we were there. We also peeked in the ancient sculpture museum where there were about 50 pieces of ancient artwork. The museum, sculpture park, and fair all seemed like a primarily local and family welcoming function.
I really love art fairs because you can see local artists' work and talk to them in person about their processes. The artists seemed local, considering many of them knew each other, and the fair-goers also seemed like it wasn't their first time at the event. There were many vendors selling handmade jewelry, and many of these artists were mother daughter pairs. I loved talking to the jewelry makers because I'm currently taking a metals class. My favorite artist was a man who painted fictional characters with acrylic on cardboard. He layered the cardboard so the characters looked three-dimensional. These works of art would be perfect gifts for children. It was a very fun event for me because I went with friends who also enjoy art, and it was my first time to a sculpture park. The pyramid sculpture park is very exciting in that throughout its forest and grassy trails you find magnificent large scale sculptures. As an artist and art educator I love looking at works of art, whether it is in museums or on a landscape. For me, the experience was very enjoyable.
This connects to the art classroom in many ways. First, the fair is a great place to speak to local artists and learn about their processes. There aren't many opportunities to talk to local artists, especially in one place. It is also a great place to get to know your community members as well. The sculpture park is a wonderful place to take students, especially small children because you wouldn't have to worry about them touching pieces or breaking anything in a museum. It is an outdoor facility, therefore there is a lot of room to run around. These sculptures are contemporary and would be great to discuss using Visual Thinking Strategy questions. You could investigate themes such as form, use of space, texture, scale, emotion, and color. This park would be a great place to take students learning my Miami Portfolio Museum Resource lesson plan because you could incorporate examining the aspect of "monumental" in sculpture. These students could look at what monumentality means in these sculptures, and relate it to their class project. Overall there are many possibilities, and because I haven't been to a sculpture park before this, chances are many students have not either. I would love to search for a place similar to this while I'm teaching to take my students there for a field trip.
Overall this was a positive experience and I would definitely go back to the Pyramid Sculpture Park to look at more of the sculptures. It is a great place to bring family and friends, and walk pets!
pittsburgh symphony orchestra
BNY Mellon Grand Classics
Heinz Hall
Friday, November 27, 2015
This was an event over the holiday weekend where the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra played "Grand Classics" conducted by Manfred Honeck. The concert was about two and a half hours long, with a short intermission. The symphony played three arrangements in their pre-concert: A Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna written by Franz Von Suppe in 1844, Viennese Maiden Waltz written by Carl Michael Ziehrer in 1888, and Concerto No. 1 for Clarinet and Orchestra in F minor written by Carl Maria Von Weber in 1811. The last piece had 3 parts to the arrangement. After the intermission the symphony played the Step Right In! Waltz written by Ziehrer in 1904, a Suite from the Ballet Whipped Cream written by Richard Strauss in 1921-1922, Introduction, Theme and Variations for Clarinet and Orchestra in B-flat major written by Gioacchino Rossini in 1809, New Pizzicato Polka written by Johann Strauss, Jr. in 1892, and Drive in the Prater Park written by Max Schonherr in 1958. The conductor was from Austria, and made jokes the entire time about American Thanksgiving, especially because they were playing an arrangement from the ballet, Whipped Cream. The soloist, Michael Rusinek, is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and plays the clarinet. He was absolutely breathtaking. There were also young dancers from the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School who danced to the polka. The performance was extremely breathtaking and an enjoyable classical show.
This event was wonderful, possibly just because I love symphonies. It was not my first time to the Pittsburgh Symphony, but it was my favorite. The music was very uplifting and joyful throughout the entire program. They played a waltz, a polka, and there was a lot of "oompahs" considering the program was mostly Austrian music. My favorite was the Waltz by Ziehrer because in the middle of the song there was a section of unexpected whistling, and an overall intriguing dynamic. I related to this show over others because the soloist was a clarinet player, and I used to play the clarinet. His talent was apparent as he made the instrument range from beautiful flute sounds to jazzy saxophone sounds. The conductor was wonderful, he engaged the audience very much and made jokes with the musicians. The young dancers were cute during their number as well. At the end there was an unexpected anvil solo that made the crowd go wild.
This could be connected in the classroom any way that music could be connected to the art education classroom. My idea during the show was to assign students to a piece of music, and they would have to find an equivalent piece of art work created at the same time in the same location as the piece was written. This could be a good connection to art history, but also a cool way to see how musical trends relate to artistic trends in the world over time. Bringing a group of students to a symphony would be an extremely enriching experience either way. The students could also sketch during the pieces, or if songs could be played during class this could work too. My old art teacher would always play classical music while we were painting in the studio. She claimed it effected our skills in a positive way. Hearing musical patterns could be transformed into an artwork, or a style of music (such as Austrian classical) could be compared to a style of art.
Heinz Hall
Friday, November 27, 2015
This was an event over the holiday weekend where the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra played "Grand Classics" conducted by Manfred Honeck. The concert was about two and a half hours long, with a short intermission. The symphony played three arrangements in their pre-concert: A Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna written by Franz Von Suppe in 1844, Viennese Maiden Waltz written by Carl Michael Ziehrer in 1888, and Concerto No. 1 for Clarinet and Orchestra in F minor written by Carl Maria Von Weber in 1811. The last piece had 3 parts to the arrangement. After the intermission the symphony played the Step Right In! Waltz written by Ziehrer in 1904, a Suite from the Ballet Whipped Cream written by Richard Strauss in 1921-1922, Introduction, Theme and Variations for Clarinet and Orchestra in B-flat major written by Gioacchino Rossini in 1809, New Pizzicato Polka written by Johann Strauss, Jr. in 1892, and Drive in the Prater Park written by Max Schonherr in 1958. The conductor was from Austria, and made jokes the entire time about American Thanksgiving, especially because they were playing an arrangement from the ballet, Whipped Cream. The soloist, Michael Rusinek, is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and plays the clarinet. He was absolutely breathtaking. There were also young dancers from the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School who danced to the polka. The performance was extremely breathtaking and an enjoyable classical show.
This event was wonderful, possibly just because I love symphonies. It was not my first time to the Pittsburgh Symphony, but it was my favorite. The music was very uplifting and joyful throughout the entire program. They played a waltz, a polka, and there was a lot of "oompahs" considering the program was mostly Austrian music. My favorite was the Waltz by Ziehrer because in the middle of the song there was a section of unexpected whistling, and an overall intriguing dynamic. I related to this show over others because the soloist was a clarinet player, and I used to play the clarinet. His talent was apparent as he made the instrument range from beautiful flute sounds to jazzy saxophone sounds. The conductor was wonderful, he engaged the audience very much and made jokes with the musicians. The young dancers were cute during their number as well. At the end there was an unexpected anvil solo that made the crowd go wild.
This could be connected in the classroom any way that music could be connected to the art education classroom. My idea during the show was to assign students to a piece of music, and they would have to find an equivalent piece of art work created at the same time in the same location as the piece was written. This could be a good connection to art history, but also a cool way to see how musical trends relate to artistic trends in the world over time. Bringing a group of students to a symphony would be an extremely enriching experience either way. The students could also sketch during the pieces, or if songs could be played during class this could work too. My old art teacher would always play classical music while we were painting in the studio. She claimed it effected our skills in a positive way. Hearing musical patterns could be transformed into an artwork, or a style of music (such as Austrian classical) could be compared to a style of art.
American college dance Festival (ACDA)
Ohio University
February 28, March 1, and March 2, 2015
This event was a three daylong workshop that I took part in through my Dance Theatre Company at Miami University. Based off of our 2014 Dance Theatre winter concert, three dances were chosen to perform at this festival and the performers in these pieces were also invited to take classes by master teachers at the festival. I took six classes, danced in one concert, and watched four concerts total. There were a variety of eastern and central colleges that took part in the festival, such as colleges from Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, and Ohio. The classes were set up as a first come, first serve basis, where dancers waited outside the room in hopes of being included in the maximum capacity. The classes I took involved contemporary, acting, street dance, compositional partnering, stretching and technique, and disco jazz. All of the teachers were extremely talented, knowledgeable and engaging. The concerts included various works from all of the colleges and were very different from the classes. The choreography set by professional and student choreographers, was indescribable. Each piece formed their own vocabulary of movement, and each piece was truly an artwork that considered a title, aesthetic, costuming, lighting, movement, bodylines, music, and rhythm. Each piece was an investigation of space, time, and subject, and all of them were abstract. These pieces were also adjudicated by three professional judges, who gave feedback to the dancers directly after the concert. This experience wasn’t just a concert, it was a learning opportunity.
I experienced overwhelming inspiration overall throughout the three day workshop. From the classes, to the concerts, I learned so many technical and creative ideas that can be utilized in the dance world. Because I love the idea of exploring conceptual art, I loved watching the performers use their talent and minds to create a work of art. Just as you can critique a painting, you can critique a dance piece as well. Some of the pieces were stranger than others, and some were obviously more advanced than others. The ones that stood out to me among the rest were those who utilized the most innovative choreography to tell a story. For example, a piece named “Salaryman” began with a duet of a female walking into light while a male chased her with an umbrella. The piece went on to a large cast that showed business people with newspapers dance a fast paced number that involved immense rhythm and partnering. It’s hard to explain the advanced ability and movement, but it was definitely one of my favorites. Another piece that stood out to me was a duet that began with a male chugging a bottle of water. Throughout the next 10 minutes, these dancers battled literally an infinite number of water bottles that were tossed on the stage. When the piece was over, they laid there amongst 500 or more water bottles covering the stage. This was indeed conceptual.
This experience is really not for everyone considering many people would be confused or even bored at some of the dances that performed throughout the festival. However, this is often true with many contemporary art works. Each piece was indeed a contemporary work of art. They could almost be considered a kinetic sculpture that explored an idea. This experience could connect to the classroom solely with the ideas of creating the piece and exploring a conceptual topic. Furthermore, students could relate contemporary dance pieces to art pieces, or create pieces of art that reflected a dance piece they have watched.
I’d love to explore the connection of dance and art in a more thorough fashion, but when choreographing a dance you definitely go through the same design process that artists do, but you may consider multiple more variables, and living things! Movement is a vector for art, and can be very literal or abstract. Over my period of dancing, I have become more drawn to the more abstract dances, just like I’ve loved experiencing abstract art works.
February 28, March 1, and March 2, 2015
This event was a three daylong workshop that I took part in through my Dance Theatre Company at Miami University. Based off of our 2014 Dance Theatre winter concert, three dances were chosen to perform at this festival and the performers in these pieces were also invited to take classes by master teachers at the festival. I took six classes, danced in one concert, and watched four concerts total. There were a variety of eastern and central colleges that took part in the festival, such as colleges from Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, and Ohio. The classes were set up as a first come, first serve basis, where dancers waited outside the room in hopes of being included in the maximum capacity. The classes I took involved contemporary, acting, street dance, compositional partnering, stretching and technique, and disco jazz. All of the teachers were extremely talented, knowledgeable and engaging. The concerts included various works from all of the colleges and were very different from the classes. The choreography set by professional and student choreographers, was indescribable. Each piece formed their own vocabulary of movement, and each piece was truly an artwork that considered a title, aesthetic, costuming, lighting, movement, bodylines, music, and rhythm. Each piece was an investigation of space, time, and subject, and all of them were abstract. These pieces were also adjudicated by three professional judges, who gave feedback to the dancers directly after the concert. This experience wasn’t just a concert, it was a learning opportunity.
I experienced overwhelming inspiration overall throughout the three day workshop. From the classes, to the concerts, I learned so many technical and creative ideas that can be utilized in the dance world. Because I love the idea of exploring conceptual art, I loved watching the performers use their talent and minds to create a work of art. Just as you can critique a painting, you can critique a dance piece as well. Some of the pieces were stranger than others, and some were obviously more advanced than others. The ones that stood out to me among the rest were those who utilized the most innovative choreography to tell a story. For example, a piece named “Salaryman” began with a duet of a female walking into light while a male chased her with an umbrella. The piece went on to a large cast that showed business people with newspapers dance a fast paced number that involved immense rhythm and partnering. It’s hard to explain the advanced ability and movement, but it was definitely one of my favorites. Another piece that stood out to me was a duet that began with a male chugging a bottle of water. Throughout the next 10 minutes, these dancers battled literally an infinite number of water bottles that were tossed on the stage. When the piece was over, they laid there amongst 500 or more water bottles covering the stage. This was indeed conceptual.
This experience is really not for everyone considering many people would be confused or even bored at some of the dances that performed throughout the festival. However, this is often true with many contemporary art works. Each piece was indeed a contemporary work of art. They could almost be considered a kinetic sculpture that explored an idea. This experience could connect to the classroom solely with the ideas of creating the piece and exploring a conceptual topic. Furthermore, students could relate contemporary dance pieces to art pieces, or create pieces of art that reflected a dance piece they have watched.
I’d love to explore the connection of dance and art in a more thorough fashion, but when choreographing a dance you definitely go through the same design process that artists do, but you may consider multiple more variables, and living things! Movement is a vector for art, and can be very literal or abstract. Over my period of dancing, I have become more drawn to the more abstract dances, just like I’ve loved experiencing abstract art works.
Hooded truths contemporary art forum
Oxford Art Museum
March 5, 2015
This event was a lecture at the Oxford Art Museum, where Chicago artist Candice Hunter spoke about her series of artwork entitled "Hooded Truths." In her work she explored the image of the hoodie, and used it as a thread to express her feelings on slavery and the treatment of minorities. She spoke about various moments in American History regarding the treatment of slaves, but she investigated the reality and truth of each event, and claimed that some events were not correctly valid historically. This caused some controversy in the short student feedback portion of the event. Most of her works were installation and 2D prints or photos. She used the process of photo transfer, traditional collage and repetition of images. I enjoyed most of her works in that they represented an innovative approach to express a difficult subject. She also shared photos of viewers in her gallery that took photos inside an installed hoodie sculpture. She desired for people to understand the pain individuals go through that have heavy stereotypes tagged to them.
My experience was filled with frustration to be honest, but that might be a good thing considering her topic and works were meant to be a conversation starter. Personally, I felt that Hunter was very biased in her approach, however, she did feel strongly about the subject, and she even mentioned that all of her previous and current works involve a controversial topic that she feels strongly about. I think I was mostly frustrated by the forum because she never once considered another perspective, opinion, or source of information throughout her speech and even into the discussion. When students brought up apposing viewpoints, instead of investigating further their ideas in relation to hers, she became very defensive. However, Hunter is very passionate about this topic which can be seen through her work. She clearly is successful in rendering her viewpoints through portraits and collage, and I really liked her approach regarding the universal hoodie. Personally, I didn't attach many assumptions to individuals wearing hoodies, but this could be further discussed.
In my classroom I could talk about symbols including the hoodie, and ideas, assumptions, and stereotypes that might be attached to this iconic image. Students could then chose their own universal symbol and create projects surrounding this icon. A project like this could really involve students in visual culture and assumptions through image. Students could also investigate Hunter's topic and artworks as well as the historical component of stereotypes and slavery. This would be a good approach to integrating their education, and it could allow them to use their own voices for change.
Overall I enjoyed going to this Contemporary Art Forum because it brought up an interesting approach to a well known topic. It allowed me become engaged with the topic; whether it brought up positive or negative emotions is irrelevant. I enjoyed Hunter's medium and installation pictures, as well as the student feedback at the end.
March 5, 2015
This event was a lecture at the Oxford Art Museum, where Chicago artist Candice Hunter spoke about her series of artwork entitled "Hooded Truths." In her work she explored the image of the hoodie, and used it as a thread to express her feelings on slavery and the treatment of minorities. She spoke about various moments in American History regarding the treatment of slaves, but she investigated the reality and truth of each event, and claimed that some events were not correctly valid historically. This caused some controversy in the short student feedback portion of the event. Most of her works were installation and 2D prints or photos. She used the process of photo transfer, traditional collage and repetition of images. I enjoyed most of her works in that they represented an innovative approach to express a difficult subject. She also shared photos of viewers in her gallery that took photos inside an installed hoodie sculpture. She desired for people to understand the pain individuals go through that have heavy stereotypes tagged to them.
My experience was filled with frustration to be honest, but that might be a good thing considering her topic and works were meant to be a conversation starter. Personally, I felt that Hunter was very biased in her approach, however, she did feel strongly about the subject, and she even mentioned that all of her previous and current works involve a controversial topic that she feels strongly about. I think I was mostly frustrated by the forum because she never once considered another perspective, opinion, or source of information throughout her speech and even into the discussion. When students brought up apposing viewpoints, instead of investigating further their ideas in relation to hers, she became very defensive. However, Hunter is very passionate about this topic which can be seen through her work. She clearly is successful in rendering her viewpoints through portraits and collage, and I really liked her approach regarding the universal hoodie. Personally, I didn't attach many assumptions to individuals wearing hoodies, but this could be further discussed.
In my classroom I could talk about symbols including the hoodie, and ideas, assumptions, and stereotypes that might be attached to this iconic image. Students could then chose their own universal symbol and create projects surrounding this icon. A project like this could really involve students in visual culture and assumptions through image. Students could also investigate Hunter's topic and artworks as well as the historical component of stereotypes and slavery. This would be a good approach to integrating their education, and it could allow them to use their own voices for change.
Overall I enjoyed going to this Contemporary Art Forum because it brought up an interesting approach to a well known topic. It allowed me become engaged with the topic; whether it brought up positive or negative emotions is irrelevant. I enjoyed Hunter's medium and installation pictures, as well as the student feedback at the end.
Emotional creature
Emotional Creature is a Miami University Theatre production that I saw on October 4th. This show was a compilation of multiple vignettes of the secret life of girls around the world. Each vignette was performed as a monologue by one of the characters, with group dialogue and dance breaks built in throughout. The production began with girls in the U.S. and expressed ideas that many of us have witnessed as high school students, or heard of through television shows. As the production went on, the topics became more heavy and difficult to listen to, and the audience was experiencing private subjects and worldly issues regarding females. Topics such as pregnancy, rape, and female circumcision were presented in a way where the audience was searching for an answer to their problem they were mourning about. The characters presented themselves in true form when sympathizing for these characters; they fully committed to the roles.
There were three actresses in particular that I felt were amazing in their performance. When presenting deep topics such as these, it's hard to move a crowd when the audience knows the actresses are not experiencing these problems first hand. Upon arrival, I said to myself, "I wonder if this show will display women in a vulnerable or strong light." Meaning, will discussing these topics just give females less superiority because we are too weak and emotional to handle our lives? Or will the show actually show women as strong willed human beings? I still don't know the answer to this question even after the show. Yes, we should make people aware of the problems women are facing, but should we sulk about them, or try to proactively change them? This is something that could be used as a big idea in art. Women could create a statement regarding their gender's struggles, rights, or political viewpoint. They could even create a series regarding the different obstacles women around the world might encounter. These types of activities can even be accomplished by men, and talked about in English, or Social Studies classes. Students can assess the situations of women rights and create an artistic movement to comment on the topic or even change its position in society.
There were three actresses in particular that I felt were amazing in their performance. When presenting deep topics such as these, it's hard to move a crowd when the audience knows the actresses are not experiencing these problems first hand. Upon arrival, I said to myself, "I wonder if this show will display women in a vulnerable or strong light." Meaning, will discussing these topics just give females less superiority because we are too weak and emotional to handle our lives? Or will the show actually show women as strong willed human beings? I still don't know the answer to this question even after the show. Yes, we should make people aware of the problems women are facing, but should we sulk about them, or try to proactively change them? This is something that could be used as a big idea in art. Women could create a statement regarding their gender's struggles, rights, or political viewpoint. They could even create a series regarding the different obstacles women around the world might encounter. These types of activities can even be accomplished by men, and talked about in English, or Social Studies classes. Students can assess the situations of women rights and create an artistic movement to comment on the topic or even change its position in society.
To write love on her arms
On October 7th, 2014 I attended a speaker event where Jamie Tworkowski, the founder of “To Write Love On Her Arms,” spoke on behalf of this organization and its history of development. This event was one of the most inspiring lectures, which is why I chose to reflect on it regarding Art Education.
To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. It exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
Jamie’s lecture started off with him introducing himself, but before he spoke about TWLOHA specifically, he introduced a young woman who traveled to Miami with him and is known for her poetry. She won an exclusive slam poet of America title and she was a very enthusiastic and engaging speaker. She talked a little bit about her background as a poet and the meanings behind her poems, and of course shared a few of her inspiring works. Her poems are written in a very complex way expressing much contemplation, emotion, and rhythm. Poetry is an art of its own. It expresses an idea in an artistic fashion and is written in a specific design that is appealing and intriguing to listeners. Students could easily look at the works of famous poets and design an artwork based off of the theme and descriptions, or students could even write their own poems in correlation to the artworks they create. It would also be interesting to create artist statements in the format of a poem. A graphic design student who is a friend of mine shared an exercise she did in a class where the students were given a phrase or a few sentences from a book. They had to design the book cover based off of the couple sentences given, along with the title, which wasn’t much information. This type of exercise is very open for interpretation, and could be used to collaborate Language Arts and Art.
Not only does poetic literature relate to art and the way it could be taught, but the idea of To Write Love On Her Arms is based off of a social statement, which is a format of the majority of famous contemporary works. TWLOHA is a non-profit that is meant to inform about and prevent suicide. Jamie’s testimony was not only informative about this social concept, but he came off as very humbled by the success of the organization and he focused the attention not on his success, but the importance of the message of suicide prevention. TWLOHA was inspired by a single individual, a young woman who he met by chance through a friend. She was mentally and emotionally struggling and contemplating her life. In order to get her immediate help, he sold T-Shirts to pay for her medical bills. He claims that the phrase, “To Write Love On Her Arms” just stuck, and it grew as more people viewed his Myspace page. His popularity skyrocketed when the musician from The Script asked to wear one of his shirts during a concert.
So why is this important to Art Education? T-Shirts could be potentially considered a form of art, but not only is a social statement being spread through wearable art, this is exactly like our Call To Action Artists we learned about earlier in the year, which I was also very inspired by. I would love to one day have my art be used as a widely resourceful non-profit. People like Mel Chin, Naomi Natale, Alfredo Jaar, and JR all support a specific social statement and contribute with their artwork. One day I hope to use an artistic idea tied with a strong belief to better my community, whether that could mean locally or worldwide. I would also love to travel, but we’ll see. Jamie and To Write Love On Her Arms is a big inspiration to me, as well as Naomi Natale’s 100 Million Bones project and The Cradle project. This is such a cool way that artists and art educators can contribute to others.
To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. It exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
Jamie’s lecture started off with him introducing himself, but before he spoke about TWLOHA specifically, he introduced a young woman who traveled to Miami with him and is known for her poetry. She won an exclusive slam poet of America title and she was a very enthusiastic and engaging speaker. She talked a little bit about her background as a poet and the meanings behind her poems, and of course shared a few of her inspiring works. Her poems are written in a very complex way expressing much contemplation, emotion, and rhythm. Poetry is an art of its own. It expresses an idea in an artistic fashion and is written in a specific design that is appealing and intriguing to listeners. Students could easily look at the works of famous poets and design an artwork based off of the theme and descriptions, or students could even write their own poems in correlation to the artworks they create. It would also be interesting to create artist statements in the format of a poem. A graphic design student who is a friend of mine shared an exercise she did in a class where the students were given a phrase or a few sentences from a book. They had to design the book cover based off of the couple sentences given, along with the title, which wasn’t much information. This type of exercise is very open for interpretation, and could be used to collaborate Language Arts and Art.
Not only does poetic literature relate to art and the way it could be taught, but the idea of To Write Love On Her Arms is based off of a social statement, which is a format of the majority of famous contemporary works. TWLOHA is a non-profit that is meant to inform about and prevent suicide. Jamie’s testimony was not only informative about this social concept, but he came off as very humbled by the success of the organization and he focused the attention not on his success, but the importance of the message of suicide prevention. TWLOHA was inspired by a single individual, a young woman who he met by chance through a friend. She was mentally and emotionally struggling and contemplating her life. In order to get her immediate help, he sold T-Shirts to pay for her medical bills. He claims that the phrase, “To Write Love On Her Arms” just stuck, and it grew as more people viewed his Myspace page. His popularity skyrocketed when the musician from The Script asked to wear one of his shirts during a concert.
So why is this important to Art Education? T-Shirts could be potentially considered a form of art, but not only is a social statement being spread through wearable art, this is exactly like our Call To Action Artists we learned about earlier in the year, which I was also very inspired by. I would love to one day have my art be used as a widely resourceful non-profit. People like Mel Chin, Naomi Natale, Alfredo Jaar, and JR all support a specific social statement and contribute with their artwork. One day I hope to use an artistic idea tied with a strong belief to better my community, whether that could mean locally or worldwide. I would also love to travel, but we’ll see. Jamie and To Write Love On Her Arms is a big inspiration to me, as well as Naomi Natale’s 100 Million Bones project and The Cradle project. This is such a cool way that artists and art educators can contribute to others.
dance theatre concert
I am a part of the Dance Theatre company on campus, and performed in the 2014 winter Dance Theatre concert that was held on November 15th and 16th in Hall Auditorium. This concert was an accumulation of works choreographed by both students and guest choreographers who are alum of Dance Theatre. Choreographers worked all semester creating the dances that were performed, with the exception of one choreographer who set his piece over a short period of 5 days in September.
In order to choreograph a piece for a Dance Theatre concert the student must apply to be a choreographer. This application is a thorough description of the dance you desire to create, starting with a theme or portrayal of an event through a certain style of dance, all the way down to the specifics of how long the piece is, how many dancers will be in it, and how you will act as a director in rehearsals. The hopeful choreographer then presents his/her application to the company, shares the music they have chosen, and gives a brief dance combination in the style that reflects their idea. I attempted to choreograph this semester with a dance regarding my Artwork Series theme, but sadly did not get chosen. However, I decided to make myself available for a maximum amount of dances and was casted in 4 out of the 8 pieces. I love dancing, but I also love the process of choreographing a piece, something I hope to do in Dance Theatre. This relates to Art Education because just as an art piece reflects a “big idea,” so too do the pieces in our concerts.
A few examples of themes throughout the concert are the journey one can face in depression, the over-stimulating reality of the modern world, an individual’s timeline, family dynamics with a façade, and bringing books to life. Each piece was very different in presentation, style, music, dancers, and length. The dances were all strategically designed to fully encompass symbolism and emotion of the statement, and all were performed with the same intention. When working with kids regarding a big idea through art, they go through the same process of creating a work. Once they become inspired by a big idea, they can use various elements and principles of design to create a cohesive piece. Just like this, dancers use technique and intentional body shapes to paint a canvas with their bodies. Dance doesn’t always have to utilize proper technique, which is the evolution of modern in the dance world. However, every movement in muscle is either intentionally aligned, or intentionally unaligned to create tension and abstract movement.
Because I was a dancer in the concert rather than a viewer, I can give a little insight on how Dance Theatre is different from other dance organizations. When in class, rehearsals, and on stage, we always try to improve ourselves by engaging our bodies 100% of the time. We desire to strengthen ourselves physically and technically in dance, so we always work to better the way we move. But most importantly, Dance Theatre teaches you to think. As dancers, company members, and choreographers we are always challenging ourselves to work our minds as much as our bodies. We learn many combinations in class at a fast pace, which forces us to quickly memorize the steps at hand before we refine them with our bodies. The faster you "pick-up," the more you can work on improving technique, style, and emotion. Dance Theatre also allows artistic expression to be the primary goal in our concerts. We think when we choreograph, we tell a story, we want the audience to think while they're watching. Just as an art piece is meant to bring out conversations, so to are our dances meant to do the same. The choreographers put an incredible amount of effort into directing their pieces, both thematically and strategically to meet their intended vision.
I consider myself a dramatic person when I dance (that could be good or bad depending…). But I definitely attempt to portray real/raw emotion to the audience in a way that reflects my character and the obstacles the individual faces. This is something I’ve accumulated through much experience in the Arts. It is also important to exaggerate movements and emotions on stage due to a large audience. I love dancing, and I hope I can continue my love for it in the future. Dance Theatre gives me a home where I can express my passions and work for high accomplishments.
In order to choreograph a piece for a Dance Theatre concert the student must apply to be a choreographer. This application is a thorough description of the dance you desire to create, starting with a theme or portrayal of an event through a certain style of dance, all the way down to the specifics of how long the piece is, how many dancers will be in it, and how you will act as a director in rehearsals. The hopeful choreographer then presents his/her application to the company, shares the music they have chosen, and gives a brief dance combination in the style that reflects their idea. I attempted to choreograph this semester with a dance regarding my Artwork Series theme, but sadly did not get chosen. However, I decided to make myself available for a maximum amount of dances and was casted in 4 out of the 8 pieces. I love dancing, but I also love the process of choreographing a piece, something I hope to do in Dance Theatre. This relates to Art Education because just as an art piece reflects a “big idea,” so too do the pieces in our concerts.
A few examples of themes throughout the concert are the journey one can face in depression, the over-stimulating reality of the modern world, an individual’s timeline, family dynamics with a façade, and bringing books to life. Each piece was very different in presentation, style, music, dancers, and length. The dances were all strategically designed to fully encompass symbolism and emotion of the statement, and all were performed with the same intention. When working with kids regarding a big idea through art, they go through the same process of creating a work. Once they become inspired by a big idea, they can use various elements and principles of design to create a cohesive piece. Just like this, dancers use technique and intentional body shapes to paint a canvas with their bodies. Dance doesn’t always have to utilize proper technique, which is the evolution of modern in the dance world. However, every movement in muscle is either intentionally aligned, or intentionally unaligned to create tension and abstract movement.
Because I was a dancer in the concert rather than a viewer, I can give a little insight on how Dance Theatre is different from other dance organizations. When in class, rehearsals, and on stage, we always try to improve ourselves by engaging our bodies 100% of the time. We desire to strengthen ourselves physically and technically in dance, so we always work to better the way we move. But most importantly, Dance Theatre teaches you to think. As dancers, company members, and choreographers we are always challenging ourselves to work our minds as much as our bodies. We learn many combinations in class at a fast pace, which forces us to quickly memorize the steps at hand before we refine them with our bodies. The faster you "pick-up," the more you can work on improving technique, style, and emotion. Dance Theatre also allows artistic expression to be the primary goal in our concerts. We think when we choreograph, we tell a story, we want the audience to think while they're watching. Just as an art piece is meant to bring out conversations, so to are our dances meant to do the same. The choreographers put an incredible amount of effort into directing their pieces, both thematically and strategically to meet their intended vision.
I consider myself a dramatic person when I dance (that could be good or bad depending…). But I definitely attempt to portray real/raw emotion to the audience in a way that reflects my character and the obstacles the individual faces. This is something I’ve accumulated through much experience in the Arts. It is also important to exaggerate movements and emotions on stage due to a large audience. I love dancing, and I hope I can continue my love for it in the future. Dance Theatre gives me a home where I can express my passions and work for high accomplishments.