You Rock Brittany from New Zealand!!

A few minutes ago I came across this video and with little knowledge of what It was I was happily blown away!   She speaks with wisdom beyond her years.  I hope our leaders are listening with open hearts and minds!!!   Check out tcktcktck.org.

http://datewithhistory.com/uploads/#!/media/gzhm6c

Thank you Ira Glass!

HELP......

I spent the last few days with my ears fixed to the voices coming from my laptop.  I was listening to Help by Kathryn Stockett.  For Seventeen hours I cried, laughed, and listened in great anticipation hoping for the safety of the three women telling their stories. 
            When you grow up in a Midwest town with the population of 10,000 and 9,900 of them are white you do not acquire a good understanding of racism and what really happened.  We learned about the civil rights movement in American history, but to a seventh grader it might as well have been 1000 years ago.  
            There are people out there that would like you to think that the time era in which this book took place was 100 generations ago.  To put this in perspective, our parents were in College when the first African Americans were integrated into “white colleges”.   Our parents were watching TV when Martin Luther King marched Washington for civil rights.  Fifty years may seem like forever to those of use who were not alive, but to those who witnessed the inequality I’m sure it is still fresh in their memory. 

As an artist I continually ask myself why am I making what I am making.  How does it fit into our world, socially, politically, and personally?   Over the years I have become frustrated in the lack of impact I see art making in the world.  I don’t care about the million-dollar price tag, unless that million is going towards a good cause.  I don’t care too much for the pedestal or the museum.  I care about art that opens hearts and minds to a belief that we can be better than we are.  I listen to music and my heart swells. As I listened to this book my eyes opened a little wider and I understand a little more.   How can I/we make this same impact?           

On many levels this book does exactly what art should.  Kahryn Stockett took a personal experience and shared it with the world in a way that made me think, feel, and want to make a difference.  Our country has come a long way, but we can do better and it is my belief that as an artist our job is to make the rest of humanity feel like it is within our reach.   

Today there is an outcry for social equality all over the world.   In the 60’s and 70’s people stood up and were heard.  Why can’t we have the same impact today?   Where is the support from big name musicians/artists?  I don’t know the answer or even where I’m going with this, but it is food for thought. 

How art changes lives.

Yesterday I was blessed to come across a Ted Talk by Louie Schwartzberg.  His images made me feel so small, but in a way that didn't seem empty.  Life can become really heavy, but when you come across true beauty like Louie Schwartzberg has captured, it makes you remember how amazing our world is. Even if it is for a second your heart becomes a little lighter and your dreams obtainable.

Water printer

This is pretty amazing.  I'm wish there was more content to speak of, but the Impact is impressive.

Moving Up!

   Moving up to Rochester that is.  On Sept 1st I started a year long residency at Genesee Pottery in Rochester NY   I'm nervous and incredibly excited.  It feels a little unbalanced being in a studio again, but at the same time it already feels like home.  Genesee is full of my three favorite things.... clay, community, and education.
   Monday was my first class and Oooo was I nervous.  I had all the major symptoms of nervotitus.  Shaky voice, bad grammar, A.D.D., stomach rot, bad jokes.... I'll stop there, but you get the point.  Although it was pretty obvious I was a newbie the class went pretty well.  It is really rewarding and the class was off to an awesome start with coil and pinch pots.  Their creativity and skill was really impressive.   It reminded me how important it was to play.  We can learn a lot by letting go of expectations and following intuition.  My biggest hope for the class is that they get as much out of me as I will out of them.
   As for my own studio work we will just have to wait.  I'm starting off making the bowls I'm required to make for the Chili bowl fundraiser.  It is actually relieving having somewhat of an assignment.  Otherwise I don't know what I would be making right now.
   Tonight I set a couple new goals for myself.  Two nights a week I am on studio monitor duty at the Pottery.  While things are slow I should either be reading or working on this blog.  If you catch me doing otherwise please call me out on it.

Moving Out!

  While working at the bar last night I was pleasured to meet two young men who were excited about life and in love with what they were doing.  Life had yet to taint their idealistic views of the future.  It brought back so many memories.  Although I was a bit envious of their youth I was excited to hear the passion and love in their voices.  It wasn't that long ago that I was writing an artist statement that was full of ambition and dreams of changing the world.  Somewhere along the way I have lost hope that my dreams were obtainable and I long to find that hope again.  No matter what the reason is for this refreshing and new excitement it is welcome!!

   I've been considering moving out of the art center for awhile now, but for some reason I felt like it meant that I had failed, but finally making the decision to do so has been a huge relief.  Something about the Idea of having a studio in my basement has made me really excited about making work.  I'm excited to challenge myself with new material and techniques.  I'm excited to clean and arrange a space to make it my own.  The last few months have been full of anxiety and embarrassment about the lack of time I've been in the studio and now that I have 24 hour access to my studio hopefully I'll be able to really get into making work again.  Wish me luck!! :O)