Artistic Inspiration in Las Vegas!

How many people do you know go to Vegas and come home raving about artistic inspiration? If you're reading this blog, you know at least one!

I just spent a few days in Las Vegas. Not being a gambler, I still wanted to go to there to see what all the fuss is about.

Here are just a few of the things that inspired my creative juices:

• Casinos-any one of them! Lighting effects; lighting sculptures; bold, attention getting graphics.
• Shows-set designs; staging effects; over-the-top costuming.
• Architecture-jaw-dropping Mandalay Bay; Mirage; Venetian; Paris Las Vegas.
• and of course, the "Ocean's Eleven" scene-the fountains at the Bellagio

Symbolism

I watched the 140 year old church across the street burn on Monday. From what I see of it today, I'm not sure if it will be able to be restored.

In its life, it has been an Episcopalian church, a Grange Hall, and a residence. Though I've lived across the street from it for over 25 years and heard lots of stories, no-one can remember a connection to the Jewish faith. Why then, is there a prominent Star of David carved on the front? In the middle of the Star of David, there are what appears to be flowers or something like it. Incidentally, the carving was saved.

Here we have a symbol that to most of us means one thing but, to whomever carved it, it meant something else. For those of us who took art history lessons, there was always a lively debate about the symbolism in some paintings. Unless the artist left a specific written record, symbolism is often a personal interpretation.

By the way, if anyone knows anything about a Star of David with flowers on the inside, please let me know!

Which comes first?

From Bowling Green, Kentucky, in a news story about a proposed performing arts center:

“The key issues in some ways has to do with where do you start?” he said. “Do you start by supporting building a performing arts center, or do you start by trying to build a demand for the arts?”

Sounds like the proverbial "Which comes first? The chicken or the egg?" The article goes on to suggest that people get involved in the arts for personal reasons, rather than economic benefit. So when it comes to selling an arts center to the community you should target those personal reasons. My own thought is that the elected officials of any community will evaluate your project based on economic benefit. You need these people to approve your building and zoning issues, your traffic patterns, and your impact on the neighborhood. And dollar signs are the best way to approach them.

If you want to read the entire article, please follow this link:

http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/stories/public/200503/20/0004aaZZ_news.html

The Creativity Concept

At bigger corporations, money is spent on "creativity" building-they bring in a facilitator who leads the employees through "exercises" designed to generate ideas for the company. Ideas can be anything from improving marketing to coming up with new products.
This same concept would make an ideal "family night" activity. You can get crayons, cheap watercolors, plain paper, construction paper, glue etc. from any department store and they're not expensive. Moms, Dads, and Grandparents have to draw/paint the same things that the kids draw and paint - that's what makes it fun!
In my class I set up a still life-not fruit and flowing tablecloths like the Old Masters, but a "beach" still life. I use a bucket, frisbee, rubber ducky and a beach towel. The kids love it.
You never know how creative your family can be. It's easy to come up with ideas when you let the kids be involved.

Rewards of teaching art to children

This past week was the end of my current contract as a visiting artist teaching art to elementary school kids in a school with no art teacher and no formal art program.

At the beginning of the school year, I had a 1st grader who announced to me that he "hated art" and wasn't going to do the lessons. Two days ago he showed me his art project and wanted it put up in the school hallway. Another child thought the current project "too hard!" but by the end of the hour he had completed a beautiful drawing that showed he had an eye for color. A teacher of one of the bilingual 3rd grades had her children produce cards for me as a thank-you for the art lessons throughout the year. Many of them made me laugh, but one drawing had be with a brush and palette in my arms painting something on an easel. What attracted my attention was that I was wearing a beret! Now I don't remember attending any class with a beret on, but somewhere she had seen the stereotypical depiction of an artist and decided that was me.

During the year it has always buoyed me up that when I entered a classroom with my "art cart" the children were always pleased to see me and were upbeat about anything I was going to present to them. Wouldn't it be great if art was as uplifting to all people?

Art advocacy site

I came across this site which is dedicated to the advancement of all arts:

http://www.artslynx.org/aotl/about.htm

It has articles and speech transcripts. I especially like the article on how to be an advocate for the arts.