I spent a wonderful afternoon with my mom yesterday walking around downtown Grand Rapids. There is a huge art contest going on for the next two weeks - over 1200 artists are displaying their work and vying for a $250,000 top prize awarded by popular vote. It's spread out within a 3-mile radius with almost 160 venues hosting artwork (some inside and others outside). Anyone can register to vote for their favorite works, but I just wanted to see the artwork. The weather was perfect and the downtown area was crowded with people walking, talking, eating, and looking at all the artwork.
The artwork is quite varied: from paintings to sculptures, photographs, balloon creations; and a wide range of media is used. Some take very little space while other works take an entire wall. One is even on a scaffold 72 feet in the air. I have never been a strong follower of art, probably because I'm not very artistic (just ask my students - I can't draw anything!). I tend to be quite conservative in my taste for art; it needs to look like something as opposed to abstract or modern art. So I wasn't sure what to expect when I went downtown. But it was a really neat experience seeing all the different perspectives from the artists and sharing the whole ArtPrize experience with the West Michigan community.
Some of the pieces we saw really moved me. There was a series of paintings done by a woman as she recovered from an addiction showing the different stages in her recovery process and the stages of her self-discovery. I was fascinated by a piece taking up two walls inside the UICA building that looks 3-D from a distance but looks quite different up close. A life-size moose made entirely of nails was intriguing (this really looks more impressive than it sounds); I'm still curious how it was put together. And a sculpture made of plastic army men glued together in the form of a woman and painted orange (the international color of peace) with the title PEACEISNOWHERE made a statement on the futility of war. Look at the title carefully: it can be read two ways. An artist also painted a block-long fence with a beautiful garden and meadow scene complete with a little door and pathway. I hope it remains when the contest is over.
On the other hand, some of the displays didn't seem like art to me. The artist spending several days on top of his scaffolding seemed more of a publicity stunt to me, although he had painted some things on his easel. And the balloon sculptures, although colorful and elaborate, seemed on a different level than some of the other things I saw. A local event planner's entry consisted of a series of 100,000 different colored paper airplanes tossed off the roofs of several buildings in a rainbow of color. It's a great event and thousands of people came to see it, but is it really art? There was also performance art and interactive art.
As we walked and talked about the artwork, the question came up: What is art? After talking with several people I'm realizing there are different interpretations as to what comprises art. Is it something involving effort, following a specific form, something that viewers can understand or interpret, or something else? I looked up several definitions and came up with these concepts: Art is "the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions" (Wikipedia), "the products of human creativity" (Princeton), and "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form" (Oxford American Dictionary).
All of these definitions deal with the concept of creativity. Although I don't understand each piece of artwork I saw, I can see that it was born from the artist's need to create. To make something that conveys some emotions or shows something in a new way. I think art involves the investing of one's self. And we have the best example of that in God. When I look at God's creation I see a master artist. Through the waves rolling up to shore, to the beautiful budding flowers, and the colorful fall leaves. I see colors, shapes, and textures throughout nature and am reminded of the artistry of God. How remarkable that He has given people the innate desire to create as well. Hopefully the artwork that doesn't speak to me will speak to someone else. I know it spoke to the artist as he/she created it. I'm glad that ArtPrize is taking place. I think it's great for the city of Grand Rapids and West Michigan, it's a great opportunity for the artists to showcase their work (even if they don't win a cash prize), and it's a great opportunity for everyone to look at, study, and discuss the various entries as well as the concept of art.
How would you define art?
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An Unexpected Gift
This morning I received an unexpected gift. We had a two-hour fog delay at school and no, that's not really the gift I'm referring to! Instead of sleeping in, I got up at my normal time with plans to go and get some extra work done at school. As I was getting ready to leave the house I noticed something outside the front window. When I moved closer to the window I saw that it was a large, ugly spider making a web.
If you know me well, you know I hate spiders and am actually a little afraid of them. Normally I would ignore it and hope it would be gone when I returned. But as I looked at it I could see the silk coming from the abdomen, and I saw how it's legs moved to connect the silk with the web; I became fascinated with the spider. And then I realized my unexpected gift from God. The gift of time. This morning I could take the time to stay and watch the spider. I stood there at the front window for 10 minutes just watching it spin it's web, becoming more and more amazed as I watched. The skill, the symmetry, the constant motion. After a few minutes I could actually appreciate the beauty of the spider. Having the spider outside and me inside also helped. Of course, anyone passing by the front of my house would have wondered what I was doing, staring intently out the window!
As I watched I began to wonder about spiders and this spider in particular. So I brought my laptop to the living room window and did a little quick research. I found out that this is an Orb Weaver Spider who actually eats the web every evening and then makes a new one in the morning. They have three claws on their legs; one more than most spiders. The third claw is used to walk on the non-sticky part of the web. Once the web is finished the spider either waits in the middle or moves nearby, still attached to a web thread so it can feel the vibration when an insect is trapped. Then it bites the insect and wraps it in silk before eating it. There are actually over 2800 species of Orb Spiders!
The spider finally finished the web and then crawled over several areas, lifting various threads to check them. It then climbed up a slender thread that led up from the web and attached to the roof ledge. The spider curled it's legs up and rested on the edge of the ledge and I headed off to school.
When I returned home this afternoon, I hurried to the living room to check on the spider. It was hanging upside down in the middle of the web, and there were about a dozen tiny flies stuck in the web. A couple were moving, still trying to escape. And two were already wrapped.
I have never taken the time to really look at spiders (and still prefer them to stay outside and away from me), but the fact that God showed me this one and then gave me the time and desire to just sit quietly and study it was a wonderful gift this morning. It was also a wonderful time to meditate on God's magnificent creativity.
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
(image from www.biology-blog.com/.../ orb-weaver-spider.html)
If you know me well, you know I hate spiders and am actually a little afraid of them. Normally I would ignore it and hope it would be gone when I returned. But as I looked at it I could see the silk coming from the abdomen, and I saw how it's legs moved to connect the silk with the web; I became fascinated with the spider. And then I realized my unexpected gift from God. The gift of time. This morning I could take the time to stay and watch the spider. I stood there at the front window for 10 minutes just watching it spin it's web, becoming more and more amazed as I watched. The skill, the symmetry, the constant motion. After a few minutes I could actually appreciate the beauty of the spider. Having the spider outside and me inside also helped. Of course, anyone passing by the front of my house would have wondered what I was doing, staring intently out the window!
As I watched I began to wonder about spiders and this spider in particular. So I brought my laptop to the living room window and did a little quick research. I found out that this is an Orb Weaver Spider who actually eats the web every evening and then makes a new one in the morning. They have three claws on their legs; one more than most spiders. The third claw is used to walk on the non-sticky part of the web. Once the web is finished the spider either waits in the middle or moves nearby, still attached to a web thread so it can feel the vibration when an insect is trapped. Then it bites the insect and wraps it in silk before eating it. There are actually over 2800 species of Orb Spiders!
The spider finally finished the web and then crawled over several areas, lifting various threads to check them. It then climbed up a slender thread that led up from the web and attached to the roof ledge. The spider curled it's legs up and rested on the edge of the ledge and I headed off to school.
When I returned home this afternoon, I hurried to the living room to check on the spider. It was hanging upside down in the middle of the web, and there were about a dozen tiny flies stuck in the web. A couple were moving, still trying to escape. And two were already wrapped.
I have never taken the time to really look at spiders (and still prefer them to stay outside and away from me), but the fact that God showed me this one and then gave me the time and desire to just sit quietly and study it was a wonderful gift this morning. It was also a wonderful time to meditate on God's magnificent creativity.
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
(image from www.biology-blog.com/.../ orb-weaver-spider.html)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Happy
These are some of the things that made me happy this week:
1. African Children's Choir
I've seen this choir several times and am always awed by their energy and enthusiasm. Last Sunday evening was no exception. They sang and danced joyfully. We also heard stories of past choir members and how, because of this program (Music For Life), they have completed college and are working in their home countries to make this world a better place. It's a good reminder for me to think about how I can impact my part of the world for God.
(African Children's Choir)
2. Weather
The weather in west Michigan this past week has been absolutely beautiful. It seems more like summer than fall except for the beginning color changes in some of the trees. But it's been so nice to have sunny days, cool mornings, and warm afternoons.
3. Medication
Along with the beautiful weather comes fall allergy season. Since I stopped getting allergy shots last March it's been fine until the last month. I finally gave in and was retested for allergies this week and will begin getting shots again next week. I also have several prescriptions which help.
4. Surprising My Parents
My dad turned 70 this past Tuesday and I surprised him and my mom by dropping by with a card and gift from my sister (and her family) and me. It was fun to surprise them and then celebrate with a birthday dinner at a local restaurant. (It did help that I arrived at dinner time!)
5. Church Choir Rehearsal
We had a guest clinician, Pearl Shangkuan from Calvin College, conduct our choir rehearsal last Wednesday evening. She gave us some great suggestions to help with our sound.
6. Second Graders
I have really been enjoying getting to know my new class. They are a great group of kids and make going to work fun each morning.
6. Walking
While walking with my dog, Tosca, this week I saw a young father playing baseball with his child. It was also fun to see houses and lawns being prepared for the new season. And Tosca's joy when I take her leash down is the kind of joy I want when I think of spending time with God. (Unfortunately I don't always have that joy yet ... that's my goal for this year.)
7. Church
I was so blessed by our worship service at church this morning. The whole service was based on Psalm 1. We had a guest artist from Hope College who painted a tree during the service; it was beautiful. Our songs and scripture were filled with images of trees rooted deep; our roots must be deep in God's word. We'll be memorizing a verse from each book of the Bible during the next 66 weeks dealing with trees and growing strong in Christ - each week we'll receive a new verse to learn based on that week's sermon topic.
8. Anticipation
The Wizard of Oz movie will celebrate it's 70th anniversary this week as movie theaters across the nation will show the film on wednesday evening. I've seen it once before on a big screen and it's like a new movie; there are so many little details that you miss on television. I'm excited to see it again with my cousin! (although I will be skipping church choir just this once).
1. African Children's Choir
I've seen this choir several times and am always awed by their energy and enthusiasm. Last Sunday evening was no exception. They sang and danced joyfully. We also heard stories of past choir members and how, because of this program (Music For Life), they have completed college and are working in their home countries to make this world a better place. It's a good reminder for me to think about how I can impact my part of the world for God.
(African Children's Choir)
2. Weather
The weather in west Michigan this past week has been absolutely beautiful. It seems more like summer than fall except for the beginning color changes in some of the trees. But it's been so nice to have sunny days, cool mornings, and warm afternoons.
3. Medication
Along with the beautiful weather comes fall allergy season. Since I stopped getting allergy shots last March it's been fine until the last month. I finally gave in and was retested for allergies this week and will begin getting shots again next week. I also have several prescriptions which help.
4. Surprising My Parents
My dad turned 70 this past Tuesday and I surprised him and my mom by dropping by with a card and gift from my sister (and her family) and me. It was fun to surprise them and then celebrate with a birthday dinner at a local restaurant. (It did help that I arrived at dinner time!)
5. Church Choir Rehearsal
We had a guest clinician, Pearl Shangkuan from Calvin College, conduct our choir rehearsal last Wednesday evening. She gave us some great suggestions to help with our sound.
6. Second Graders
I have really been enjoying getting to know my new class. They are a great group of kids and make going to work fun each morning.
6. Walking
While walking with my dog, Tosca, this week I saw a young father playing baseball with his child. It was also fun to see houses and lawns being prepared for the new season. And Tosca's joy when I take her leash down is the kind of joy I want when I think of spending time with God. (Unfortunately I don't always have that joy yet ... that's my goal for this year.)
7. Church
I was so blessed by our worship service at church this morning. The whole service was based on Psalm 1. We had a guest artist from Hope College who painted a tree during the service; it was beautiful. Our songs and scripture were filled with images of trees rooted deep; our roots must be deep in God's word. We'll be memorizing a verse from each book of the Bible during the next 66 weeks dealing with trees and growing strong in Christ - each week we'll receive a new verse to learn based on that week's sermon topic.
8. Anticipation
The Wizard of Oz movie will celebrate it's 70th anniversary this week as movie theaters across the nation will show the film on wednesday evening. I've seen it once before on a big screen and it's like a new movie; there are so many little details that you miss on television. I'm excited to see it again with my cousin! (although I will be skipping church choir just this once).
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
S'Mores Anyone?
School is back in session, and I've been enjoying getting to know my new group of second graders. While we were discussing our summer vacations last week, several students mentioned campfires and making s'mores as one of their favorite summer activities. As we were talking I realized I haven't had a s'more all summer. And the more I started thinking about s'mores, the more I really wanted one. But I don't have any camping plans, and I don't have a fire pit (or a gas stove), so I put the thought out of my mind.
Until...I went grocery shopping over the weekend. Guess what was on sale - right on the aisle - calling to me???
So I went home with all the ingredients to make s'mores ... except the campfire.
That's O.K. I can improvise!
Didn't taste nearly as good as a true, campfire s'more, but it was better than nothing.
P.S. I tried the microwave for the second one. Still doesn't have the full, roasted marshmallow effect, but it was nice and gooey! Maybe I'll have to get a firepit.
Until...I went grocery shopping over the weekend. Guess what was on sale - right on the aisle - calling to me???
So I went home with all the ingredients to make s'mores ... except the campfire.
That's O.K. I can improvise!
Didn't taste nearly as good as a true, campfire s'more, but it was better than nothing.
P.S. I tried the microwave for the second one. Still doesn't have the full, roasted marshmallow effect, but it was nice and gooey! Maybe I'll have to get a firepit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)