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December 12, 2009
August 4, 2008
When does it stop being art, and start being craft?
Recently I had the experience of flipping through a friends scrapbook. Until this moment in time I would have always called scrap booking a craft It is hard to describe what set this album apart, that made it an album of collage, each page a unique work of art that was part of a larger series. If they had been hung on a wall in a gallery, no one would have questioned their right to be there. I also viewed a gallery that had on display a collection of collage that was in my mind, clearly craft.
They both used the nice decorative papers that you can find in any scrap booking section of a store. They both used photographs and they both used text as a part of their work. One engaged the viewer, evoked emotions and seemed to be asking and answering questions. The other evoked boredom, it was safe. The only question I had was I wonder if AC Moore carries that paper.
I participate in both the creation of art, and the creation of craft. For me, it is very clear what I am doing by how safe it feels. And yet this answer seems unsatisfying in that as I develop my skills, it becomes easier and safer, but I still have something to say.
Craft or Art…. Not a simple question.
August 3, 2008
John Cate to play at the Teapot Gallery
I was quite excited to hear that John Cate was going to be playing at the Teapot Gallery. I saw him perform at the Iron Horse in Northampton and quite enjoyed the show. He has a clip of the show on his website, so check him out there and come Friday Aug 8th to the Teapot.
August 1, 2008
Poetry
This last year I worked on a literary magazine. Wee Right Güd, the literary magazine for the 7th and 8th Grade of PVPA. Of the many things I learned, I learned to enjoy poetry again.
I loved it as a child, but as a student in school, we disected poems as if they were strange dead bugs. This did not encourage a love of poetry, nor did it inspire me to take what I had learned about structure and write my own. It made me question my own ability. If we can find flaws in the great masters, how many more flaws will my own poems have. What I did not understand was that the so called flaws should have told me more about my instructors than they did about the poems. Unfortunatly, as a child we do not have the experience to know that so often it is their own fears talking. What I learned last year from the students editoral board of Wee Right Güd, is that at many times, it is the imperfect that is the most enjoyable.
I am fairly unfamilar with Poetry in Westfield, but I am not going to let that stop me from including what i do know.
I know that the Teapot Gallery has thier SPOKEN WORD SERIES 7pm-9pm Tuesdays. Jesters also has a Spoken Word Evening on Mondays
In looking for others, I did find this site, and it is well worth checking out :
http://poetrynews.wordpress.com/
a weekly online calendar/magazine which chronicles
poetry-related events in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA
as well as the greater Hartford/Springfield area.
You will also find links to poetry in NYC, Albany, Boston and other areas
July 30, 2008
Art in the Schools.
Today I saw the article on MacDuffie School in Springfield on Masslive.com .
It caused me to reflect on the state of art in our public schools in Westfield. My knowledge of this is limited to my view as a parent with children who attended Papermill Elementary School and North Middle. I have a great deal of respect for many of the individuals who teach, my complaints are not with them. They are with the situation as a whole that has schools trying to scrape out an art progam with very limited funding and little support.
As I write this, I am struggling with the question of should I contact the VIP Program in Westfield or the school board. This does not seem like it should be a question, but it is. My own children have left the Westfield School system as it was not meeting their needs. The question is which is a better use of my time, supporting a school that puts arts as a priority, or trying to help a school system that has disappointed me.
The article talks about a school that includes a major curriculum focus on the arts. I love hearing things like this. It gives me hope for the school systems. My own recent frustration with our school system is with the physical educaton system. This past year my daughters were in two different Middle Schools. One of my daughters failed gym. According to her it was because the boys in her group would not let her play, because they were worried about winning. I have not had a chance to hear from the school because they are out for the summer. It does disturb me that I did not know she was failing prior to the end of the school year. I will be following up on this when they come back.
My other daughter had the option of using her dance classes that she takes out of school to meet the physical education requirement. She was able to take theater and music classes at school instead of a gym class. For that matter, she could have chosen to have taken any one of a number of dance classes.
July 29, 2008
Some thoughts and ideas-
In Westfield our choices are pretty limited for buying supplies. One advantage of having a local arts group is that you could more easily take advantages of the bulk discounts offered by the larger online suppliers like Dick Blick They are currently offering the following.
If 10 people each needed $17.50 worth of supplies, they would each save $3.50, not to mention the savings on shipping when it is split 10 ways.
SAVE $10 off orders of $100 or more!
SAVE $25 off orders of $150 or more!
SAVE $35 off orders of $175 or more!
Another advantage is the ability to bring in teachers, to grow in our artistic ability.
July 28, 2008
Scarecrow Art- Create and enter your own.
Scarecrow Trail Westfield 2006
Enter YOUR creation in the Scarecrow Trail Contest.
On display downtown October 22nd through November 1st.
Download an Entry Form (PDF format)
Help Us Advertise! Download a Printable Flyer (PDF format)
The Rules
- Contest is open to: Individuals, Families, Groups or Businesses
- 7 categories of entry to be judged:
- Youth – 12 & under *Adult help okay
- Teen – 13 to 17 years of age
- Adults – 18 plus
- Families – Very much welcomed!
- Groups – Classrooms, clubs, schools, teams, friends, organizations, neighbors
- Artists – Wide Open!!!
- Business – Subtle and small use of company colors, logo okay. All business entries will have a 6 x 12″ sign attached upon display
- Judging will have a 1st, 2nd & 3rd place award.
- FRAMES: Can be 1″ PVC or wood but must be two legged and 37″ from bottom to tailbone. Overall height cannot exceed 6′6″ including hat. PVC frame kits for $13.00 are available from BFBC or from Betts Piping Supply, 77 Coleman Ave., Westfield (see Scarecrow Kit Frame Guide Flyer – PDF format).
- Entry Fees:
- Individual: $10.00
- Family: $15.00
- Groups: $20.00
- Businesses: $30.00
All entries will be officially numbered.
- Each Scarecrow creation must be constructed to withstand all weather conditions. They will be on display on the light poles throughout downtown Westfield or at a business location from October 22ns till November 4th, 2006.
- The BFBC, WOW or Westfield G&E is not responsible for anything lost or damaged to your creation.
- This is a hometown community event and therefore no political, religious, sexual, or excessively violent scarecrow creations will be allowed.
Calling all MA Artists.
CALLING ALL MASSACHUSETTS ARTISTS CREATING IN ALL DISCIPLINES STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!! The Artists Foundation (AF) has collaborated to create on-line tool to better determine how many artists of all disciplines are living and creating in Massachusetts. www.artistsfoundation.org
Welcome to Westfield Art- the beginings
To make a long story short, I came to live in Westfield for many reasons. I have had my art on the back burner of my life while I have been raising kids. Now that my kids are older, I have returned to the pursuit of my art. I have been told that there is nothing in Westfield, that this group and that group are unfriendly to outsiders. I listened to what i was told, rather than finding out for myself. For years I have been working outside of Westfield, so it just seemed easier to go outside of Westfield. Westfield is my home, and this is where I want to pursue my art.
I started an art Program in town called Art Above at the Tea Pot Gallery. This came to a sudden halt as the AAB closed the second floor of the due to access issues. This also put a halt to my planned showing of my work in the second floor gallery.
So, once again I have started my search for art in Westfield. Right off the bat, someone recommended one of the groups I had been told was unfriendly. This made me think about the fact that I had not given any of the groups a chance. I decided to continue my search to find Art, bring art to Westfield and really give my city and all its organizations a chance. This is my story. I will try to always stick to facts, but I know that my opinion will color everything I say no matter how hard i try not to let it. I welcome input and feed back from others. Please feel free to contact me at artabove@pensandquills.com with suggestions and questions.
Rennata
July 27, 2008
Museum Passes at the Athenaeum
Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum, Westfield residents can reserve a museum pass online using TixKeeper, our new online museum pass reservation system. Follow the instructions on the screen. If you are not a Westfield resident, you can request a pass at the reference desk in person on the day you wish to use a pass. You may not reserve museum passes through the online catalog.
Museum passes are located at the Information Services Desk and can be reserved by Westfield residents by calling us at 413-562-0716.
For more information, take a minute to visit these museum websites: