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.

Recognize the importance of art in education

Advocate for the Arts
Quote from the Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona:

"I realize that the gains in positioning arts education within the curriculum are challenged by pressures caused by mounting budget deficits. We cannot let our arts programs perish in an attempt to enhance other academic achievements or to balance a fledgling education budget."

Chances are, when any school budget is addressed, art, drama and music programs are the first to be cut for the simple reason that these aren't the subjects that are mandated to be tested.
In reality, a well-rounded, multiple-subject education is the best gift any child could have.

The Next Creative Age

Advocate for the Arts
Interesting comment found recently:
it is clear that the pervasive worldwide spread of the Internet, digitization and the availability of white collar skills abroad, mean huge cost savings for those global corporations. Consequently, this shift of high tech service jobs will be a permanent feature of economic life in the 21st century. On the positive side, some economists believe that this will improve the profits and efficiency of American corporations and set the stage for the next big growth-generating breakthrough. But what will that be?

Many, like the Nomura Research Institute, argue that the stage is set for the advance of the "Creative Age," a period in which America should once again thrive and prosper because of our tolerance for dissent, respect for individual enterprise, freedom of expression and recognition that innovation is the driving force for the U.S. economy, not mass production of low-value goods and services.

Today, the demand for creativity has outpaced our nation's ability to create enough workers simply to meet our needs.

Arts Advocacy Day

"Monday, March 14–Tuesday, March 15, 2005 Washington, DC
Arts Advocacy Day 2005 is strategically timed to give grassroots advocates the opportunity to shape federal arts policy and educate Members of Congress. Arts Advocacy Day is held in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus, and many Members of Congress will be involved in the day's events. "

For more information, visit the Americans for the Arts website at:
www.AmericansForTheArts.org

Actress Sela Ward quote

I came across this quote from actress Sela Ward. She was accepting a Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in Jackson, Mississippi. I thought it was so inspiring, I just had to pass it along:

"The thought of taking the education of the arts out of our school system is horrifying for me," said the star of "Sisters."
"The arts inspire the success of a community."

Steve Martin supports art gallery

Kudos to actor/writer Steve Martin for supporting a local California art museum. Not only does he lend them pieces from his own collection, he recently donated money to the museum for acquisitions and to further art education.
The arts community needs more patrons like him!

Cutting art from the curriculum

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/03OpOPN95020105.htm
This article is from the Daytona Beach News Journal. It talks about cutting the arts from the school curriculum because "there isn't enough time" for them.
Well, gee! Children in the United States are in school about two weeks per year less than European kids and about three weeks less than Japanese or Korean kids and here is a school system cutting the hours in the day! Children need more instruction, not less, and the type of instruction that includes the arts makes it easier for kids to learn!
What is this school system THINKING?!!!

Starting out!

This was my New Year's resolution - to start a blog about art advocacy. There are many websites out there that promote art education but I'm more interested in grass roots (read: cheap!) ways to make sure everyone has access to the visual arts.
Too often art is taught in schools as a kind of "add-on" or extra. Now I'm not saying that Math and English aren't important but art is just as important to learning. There are plenty of studies out there that prove that art education teaches creativity and that children involved in art are "well-rounded" and are more likely to succeed intellectually.
I liken that to exercising-you wouldn't be involved in an exercise program that just worked leg muscles, would you? You'd want to exercise your whole body to be fit. Well that's how I see education-it should be the whole brain, not just the Math parts!
I came across an article last year in the Harvard Business Review. Long story short, it said that companies were starting to look at MFAs instead of MBAs to run them. Seems MFAs are the ones with the creativity and vision...
Anyone out there with an innovative ideas or comments that further art education, please post or e-mail me!