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Explain how the artistic expressions of diverse people and cultures contribute to communities around the world

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Students must be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the ways in which people from different places and cultures influence communities through art, music, literature, and other cultural expressions

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Art, music and literature often illustrate the values and beliefs of diverse cultures.

Art, music and literature can enrich communities and bring diverse groups of people together.

Exposure to diverse cultures through art, music and literature can promote cultural awareness.

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Examples of artistic expression

Different examples of how art, music, and literature have made meaningful contributions in various communities

Examples of how people and groups in communities spread beliefs as well as share and borrow customs or traditions

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https://givetodreams.org/student-interest/

Dreams is a Wilmington organization bringing equitable arts education to local children. The program includes instruction in music, dance, theatre, pottery, jewelry creation and digital arts. The website has an application for future students and a virtual tour of the facility.

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Date
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Student's Age*

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Student Gender:*

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Student's School*

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Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

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Student Interest Information

What kind of art is your child interested in/has experience with? (**Experience not required to attend DREAMS**). Please check all that apply:

Is your child currently having difficulty regulating aggressive, violent or self-harming behavior, or has your child had difficulty with such behavior in the past?*

Yes

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***Please note that if your child has had such incidence(s) in the past 3 months or if it is a chronic behavior pattern (ongoing for longer than 6 month period), your child may not be able to attend DREAMS at this time, however, this is discussed in detail at intake, thank you***

Is your child currently involved in after school activities (academic/extracurricular activities, sports, the arts)? DREAMS is a cumulative semester long program. To ensure a positive experience for all DREAMS students, students are allowed to miss 4 classes each semester. After 4 four absences our programs coordinators will reach out to discuss if DREAMS is the right fit for your child at this time.*

Yes

No

Approximate Annual Household Income*

Please indicate which form of verification you will bring to your intake/tour of DREAMS, upload or email to programs@dreamswilmington.org as an attachment.*

Current Tax Return

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Next Steps

Once we have received your interest form, we will contact you to set up an intake and tour of DREAMS, Center for Arts Education with you and your child. Please note that we must have all requested all documents. You may bring them with you. DREAMS is a free of charge arts education program. Failure to provide needed documentation will result in delayed or cancelled enrollment to DREAMS for your child. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the DREAMS application and/or programs feel free to call our program coordinators at DREAMS: (910) 772.1501. Thank you!

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DREAMS programming provides a home away from home, where kids feel safe and comfortable being who they are. Our programs seek to empower young people with opportunities to discover and develop their own voices.

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https://www.cucalorus.org/programs/

Dan Brawley, the founder of Cucalores, has created an organization that goes beyond its annual film festival.  Brawley's vision includes the Lumbee Film Festival highlighting  new films made by American Indians, Native Americans, and Indigenous Filmmakers.  Cucalores supports young filmmakers as well.  The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Magic Cheese Film Festival is produced by youth from Wilmington, North Carolina, who are taking classes at the DREAMS Center for Arts Education.

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Cucalorus supports a smörgåsbord of programs to connect with our community and the world! Check ‘em out below; click for more details!

Jengo’s Playhouse: A pastel-painted community cinema and central Cucalorus headquarters. This quirky hotspot for multimedia arts can be rented out and used by community groups.

Pop-Up Cinema: An outdoor screening series at venues throughout the community.

NC Film Forum: A series of free discussions with filmmakers from across the state of North Carolina.

Filmed in NC: Supports emerging and established artists with a proven record for producing singular and original work exhibiting potential for meaningful community impact and generating substantial economic activity in NC.

Works-In-Progress Lab: The Works-in-Progress Lab (WiP) focuses on strengthening community impact for films about social justice.

Lumbee Film Festival: This festival showcases bold, original new films made by American Indians, Native Americans, and Indigenous Filmmakers.

Surfalorus Film Festival: A fun-and-sun-filled cinematic synthesis of all things aquatic, showcasing the year’s hottest surf films and ocean documentaries with a series of outdoor sunset screenings and accompanying festivities.

Regional Education & Engagement: Promotes media literacy and provides opportunities for youth and underserved populations to explore the arts.

The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Magic Cheese Film Festival: The festival is produced by youth from Wilmington, North Carolina who are taking classes at the DREAMS Center for Arts Education.

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Community Programs We Support - Cucalorus Film Festival

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Cucalorus supports a smörgåsbord of programs to connect with our community and the world!

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https://cameronartmuseum.org

The Cameron Art Museum conducts many programs and classes for students throughout the year and over the summer. This summer, CAM will hold a Juneteenth celebration and
a special read-aloud of the Faith Ringgold classic book Tar Beach in front of the original art work! Participants will then create their own marker drawings on fabric to tell their own stories.

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https://www.thalianhall.org

Thalian Hall has been standing since 1855 and has been a fixture of Wilmington arts and culture for over a hundred years. Today, Thalian Hall plays an important role in arts education for local children. The annual Pied Piper Theatre produced by THCPA and the Junior League provides a first experience with live theatre to every first and 2nd grader in New Hanover County. Thalian Hall also offers theatre classes for children throughout the year.

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Historic Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts

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Thalian Hall is a historic theatre and performing arts center located in downtown Wilmington NC, serving the local community since 1858.

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https://youtu.be/22jNRRpsj24

https://www.startasl.com/deaf-culture-art-and-literature/

Even without sound or understanding of ASL, John Maucere conveys emotion and visual interpretations of his poem.  This video would inspire conversation about what story the poet is working to convey.

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0:00 / 2:20•Watch full video

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Cassie Lightfoot's dreams come to life one night when she is able to fly above her city and experience it from a new perspective. The story incorporates African American history and author Faith Ringgold's own personal story. This book has won the Coretta Scott King book award and accolades from many teachers.

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Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

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Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

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The story is about an Indian boy named Kailash and his American pen pal, Elliot. As they write to each other, they find common ground with topics like their families and school, yet also observe their cultural differences.

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Sing to the Moon by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl

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Sing to the Moon by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl

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A young Ugandan boy dreams of adventures and travel to exotic places. His grandfather shares stories of his boyhood escapades and shares books about thrilling events, exciting urban landscapes and tantalizing riches.

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This book was inspired by Walkerville South, in southeast Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, whose beaches are famous for their unique rock formations. The children in the book use the beach and its landscape to create an imaginary world of exploration and play.

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This book, set in Mauritania, explores the idea of using clothing as a form of religious expression. It was inspired by the author's time living in Mauritania.

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Before this Thai mother can ease her baby into sleep, she must soothe the animals and keep them from disturbing her baby. This book is a good link between the lullabies American children grow up hearing and the ones used in other cultures.

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A History of Pictures for Children by David Hockney and Martin Gayford

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A History of Pictures for Children by David Hockney and Martin Gayford

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Artists David Hockney and Martin Gayford give children the benefit from their expertise and perspective on famous art pieces, cave dwellings and even video games.

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Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse by Alexandria Giardino and Felicita Sala

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Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse by Alexandria Giardino and Felicita Sala

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Chilean poet Pablo Neruda is looking for inspiration for a sad poem.  He finds it in an unexpected place - an onion from his friend Matilde's backyard garden!

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This is the origin story of Juan Felipe Herrera, the poet laureate of the United States from 2015-2017. He learned English as a child attending kindergarten in the United States.

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Here's Looking at Me: How Artists See Themselves by Bob Rack

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Here's Looking at Me: How Artists See Themselves by Bob Rack

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This book is about the self portraits created by artistic masters like Van Gogh. Comparing self portraits to actual photos of artists can inspire interesting conversations about why an artist chose to depict himself/herself in that way.

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Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Lisa Guglielmo

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Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Lisa Guglielmo

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Most children have seen Disney characters from a very young age, but few know the names of the men and women who first drew these characters. Mary Blair was a Disney cartoonist during the Great Depression. Her illustrations helped bring entertainment and comfort to Americans during a difficult time in our nation's history.

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Painting: One Minute Painting Lesson (PBS North Carolina)

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Painting: One Minute Painting Lesson (PBS North Carolina)

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This quick lesson has a lot of information about the development of art from cave paintings to the modern era. The narrator speaks really quickly. If you slow the speed to .75, it's easier to follow the narration.

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Interpreting Ancient Art in Social Studies

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Interpreting Ancient Art in Social Studies

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https://youtu.be/TJYQtQkmDqs

This teacher uses the See, Wonder, Think technique to teach his sixth graders how to look at art, analyze it, and discuss it. He guides the students to ask questions and then answer their own queries.

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0:00 / 10:00•Watch full video

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Interpreting Ancient Art in Social Studies

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Hayley Levitt, TEDed - Who Decides What Art Means?

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Hayley Levitt, TEDed - Who Decides What Art Means?

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https://youtu.be/HoXyw909Qu0

The debate about who decides art's meaning is as heated a debate as who decides what constitutes art. Hayley Levitt's video outlines this debate and presents various opinions on how to interpret art.

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Who decides what art means? - Hayley Levitt

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Amy E. Herman, TedEd - How Art Can Help You Analyze

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Amy E. Herman, TedEd - How Art Can Help You Analyze

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https://youtu.be/ubEadhXWwV4

Art is fun and enriching, but it also helps develop critical thinking skills. This is important as we look at art from other cultures. How are these artists influenced by their culture? What about their environments made them the artists they are today?

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How art can help you analyze - Amy E. Herman

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https://youtu.be/pg1NpMmPv48

Broug's video explains how the complex, beautiful patterns of traditional Islamic designs begin with geometric shapes you can draw with a compass or a ruler. Islamic design is a great example of mathematic principles being a language that translates across different countries and cultures.

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The complex geometry of Islamic design - Eric Broug

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Young Artists for Haiti - Wavin' Flag (2010) 

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Young Artists for Haiti - Wavin' Flag (2010) 

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https://youtu.be/nB7L1BIDELc

First graders in 2022 weren't even born yet when a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti.  At least 160,000 Haitians were killed during the earthquake and the aftershocks.  Millions were affected by the damage.  Canadian artists formed Young Artists for Haiti and sung a version of the song "Wavin' Flag" by Somali-Canadian artist K'naan. "Wavin' Flag" raised $1,000,000 for the Haitian relief efforts.  Devastating natural tragedies occur every year, and it is common for artists to donate time and money to help those affected.

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This website includes visual examples of art from thirteen different art periods. It also includes short videos, a narrative about each period, and other suggestions for sources of information.

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Looking back through Western history, it's incredible to see how many types of art have made an impact on society. By tracing a timeline through different art movements, we're able to not only see how modern and contemporary art has developed, but also how art is a reflection of its time.

For instance, did you know that Impressionism was once considered an underground, controversial movement or that Abstract Expressionism signaled a shift in the art world from Paris to New York? Like building blocks, from Realism to Lowbrow, these different types of art are interconnected. As the creative pendulum swings, artistic styles are often reactions against or homages to their predecessors. And by looking back at some of the most important art movements in history, we have a clearer understanding of how famous artists like Van Gogh, Picasso, and Warhol have revolutionized the art world.

These visual art movements are fundamental to understanding the different types of art that shape modern history.

Italian Renaissance Art

From the 14th through 17 century, Italy underwent an unprecedented age of enlightenment. Known as the Renaissance-a term derived from the Italian word Rinascimento, or "rebirth"-this period saw increased attention to cultural subjects like art and architecture.

Italian Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael found inspiration in classical art from Ancient Rome and Greece, adopting ancient interests like balance, naturalism, and perspective. In Renaissance-era Italy, this antiquity-inspired approach materialized as humanist portrait painting, anatomically correct sculpture, and harmonious, symmetrical architecture.

Artists to Know: Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian

Iconic Artwork: Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli (1486), The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci (1495 - 1498), Mona Lisa (c. 1503 - 1506), by Michelangelo (1501 - 1504), The School of Athens by Raphael (1509 - 1511)

Toward the end of the Renaissance, the Baroque movement emerged in Italy. Like the preceding genre, Baroque art showcased artistic interests in realism and rich color. Unlike Renaissance art and architecture, however, Baroque works also emphasized extravagance.

This opulence is evident in Baroque painting, sculpture, and architecture. Painters like Caravaggio suggested drama through their treatment of light and depiction of movement. Sculptors like Bernini achieved a sense of theatricality through dynamic contours and intricate drapery. And architects across Europe embellished their designs with ornamentation ranging from intricate carvings to imposing columns.

Artists to Know: Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Bernini

Iconic Artwork: The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio (1599 -1600), The Night Watch by Rembrandt (1642), The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Bernini (1647 - 1652)

Following the extravagance and power of Baroque art came the lighthearted and flirtatious movement, which blossomed in 18th-century France before spreading to other European countries. The term Rococo derives from rocaille, a method of decoration using pebbles, seashells, and cement to adorn grottoes and fountains in the Renaissance. During the 1730s, the rocaille decoration inspired scrolling curves in ornamental furniture and interior design. In painting, this decorative style transferred to a love of whimsical narratives, pastel colors, and fluid forms.

Artists to know: Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Antoine Watteau, François Boucher

Iconic Artwork: by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1767)

Neoclassicism is an 18th-century art movement based on the ideals of art from Rome and Ancient Greece. Its interest in simplicity and harmony was partially inspired as a negative reaction to the overly frivolous aesthetic of the decorative Rococo style. The discovery of Roman archaeological cities Pompeii and Herculaneum (in 1738 and 1748, respectively) helped galvanize the spirit of this movement.

Artists to Know: Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Antonio Canova

Iconic Artwork: The Oath o the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David (1784-1785), The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David (1787), Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David (1793), The Grande Odalisque by Ingres (1814)

Romanticism was a cultural movement that emerged around 1780. Until its onset, Neoclassicism dominated 18th-century European art, typified by a focus on classical subject matter, an interest in aesthetic austerity, and ideas in line with the Enlightenment, an intellectual, philosophical, and literary movement that placed emphasis on the individual.

Artists like Eugène Delacroix found inspiration in their own imaginations. This introspective approach lent itself to an art form that predominantly explored the spiritual.

Iconic Artwork: Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich (1818), Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830)

Realism is a genre of art that started in France after the French Revolution of 1848. A clear rejection of Romanticism, the dominant style that had come before it, Realist painters focused on scenes of contemporary people and daily life. What may seem normal now was revolutionary after centuries of painters depicting exotic scenes from mythology and the Bible, or creating portraits of the nobility and clergy.

French artists like Gustave Courbet and Honoré Daumier, as well as international artists like James Abbott McNeill Whistler, focused on all social classes in their artwork, giving voice to poorer members of society for the first time and depicting social issues stemming from the Industrial Revolution. Photography was also an influence on this type of art, pushing painters to produce realistic representations in competition with this new technology.

Iconic Artwork: The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet (1857), The Burial at Ornans by Gustave Courbet (1849 - 1850)

It may be hard to believe, but this now beloved art genre was once an outcast visual movement. Breaking from Realism, Impressionist painters moved away from realistic representations to use visible brushstrokes, vivid colors with little mixing, and open compositions to capture the emotion of light and movement. Impressionism started when a group of French artists broke with academic tradition by painting en plein air -a shocking decision when most landscape painters executed their work indoors in a studio.

The original group, which included Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frédéric Bazille, was formed in the early 1860s in France. Additional artists would join in forming their own society to exhibit their artwork after being rejected by the traditional French salons, who deemed it too controversial to exhibit. This initial underground exhibition, which took place in 1874, allowed them to gain public favor.

Iconic Artwork: Impression, Sunrise by Monet (1872), Bal du Moulin de la Galette by Renoir (1876), Water Lilies series by Monet (1890s - 1900s)

Again originating from France, this type of art developed between 1886 and 1905 as a response to the Impressionist movement. This time, artists reacted against the need for naturalistic depictions of light and color in Impressionist art. As opposed to earlier styles, Post-Impressionism covers many different types of art, from the Pointillism of Georges Seurat to the Symbolism of Paul Gauguin.

Not unified by a single style, artists were united by the inclusion of abstract elements and symbolic content in their artwork. Perhaps the most well-known Post-Impressionist is Vincent van Gogh, who used color and his brushstrokes not to convey the emotional qualities of the landscape, but his own emotions and state of mind.

Artists to Know: Georges Seurat, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard

Iconic Artwork: A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat (1884 - 1886), The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh (1889), The Yellow Christ by Paul Gauguin (1891)

At the end of the 19th century, a movement of "new art" swept through Europe. Characterized by an interest in stylistically reinterpreting the beauty of nature, artists from across the continent adopted and adapted this avant-garde style. As a result, it materialized in sub-movements like the Vienna Secession in Austria, Modernisme in Spain, and, most prominently, Art Nouveau in France.

The French Art Nouveau style was embraced by artists working in a range of mediums. In addition to the fine arts, like painting and sculpture, it featured heavily in architecture and decorative arts of the period. However, perhaps its most enduring legacy can be found in the poster-a commercial craft that Czech artist Alphonse Mucha helped elevate as a modern art form.

Artists to Know: Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt

Iconic Artwork: The Four Seasons by Alphonse Mucha, by Gustav Klimt

A truly revolutionary style of art, Cubism is one of the most important art movements of the 20th century. Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque developed Cubism in the early 1900s, with the term being coined by art critic Louis Vauxcelles in 1907 to describe the artists. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, the two men-joined by other artists-would use geometric forms to build up the final representation. Completely breaking from any previous art movement, objects were analyzed and broken apart, only to be reassembled into an abstract form.

This reduction of images to minimal lines and shapes was part of the Cubist quest for simplification. The minimalist outlook also trickled down into the color palette, with Cubists forgoing shadowing and using limited hues for a flattened appearance. This was a clear break from the use of perspective, which has been the standard since the Renaissance. Cubism opened the doors for later art movements, like Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, by throwing out the prescribed artist's rulebook.

Artists to Know: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris

Iconic Artwork: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso (1907)

Fascinated by new industry and thrilled by what lay ahead, the early 20th-century Futurists carved out a place in history. Growing out of Italy, these artists worked as painters, sculptors, graphic designers, musicians, architects, and industrial designers. As the early manifesto did not directly address the artistic output of Futurism, it took some time before there was a cohesive visual. A hallmark of Futurist art is the depiction of speed and movement. In particular, they adhered to principles of "universal dynamism," which meant that no single object is separate from its background or another object.

This is best exemplified in Giacomo Balla's Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash, where the motion of walking the dog is shown through the multiplying of the dog's feet, leash, and owner's legs.

Artists to Know: Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni

Iconic Artwork: Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash by Giacomo Balla (1912), Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni (1913)

Iconic Artwork: Fountain by Marcel Duchamp (1917)

Ranging from paintings and graphics to architecture and interiors, Bauhaus art dominated many outlets of experimental European art throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Though it is most closely associated with Germany, it attracted and inspired artists of all backgrounds. Bauhaus-literally translated to "construction house"-originated as a German school of the arts in the early 20th century. Founded by Walter Gropius, the school eventually morphed into its own modern art movement characterized by its unique approach to architecture and design.

Iconic Artwork: Yellow-Red-Blue by Wassily Kandinsky (1925), Wassily Chair by Marcel Breur (1925)

Art Deco is a modernist movement that emerged in 1920s Europe. While many different aesthetics compose the movement-including different color palettes and a range of materials, from ebony and ivory to wood and plastic-it is most frequently characterized by streamlined, geometric forms contrasted by rich ornamentation and linear decoration.

Paintings produced in the Art Deco style typically feature bold forms and busy compositions. Some, like those by Polish-born painter Tamara de Lempicka, depict dynamic portraits of stylish subjects. Typically, these figures are dressed in bright colors and set in abstract metropolitan locations.

Artists to Know: Tamara de Lempicka

Iconic Artwork: Tamara in a Green Bugatti by Tamara de Lempicka (1929)

A precise definition of Surrealism can be difficult to grasp, but it's clear that this once avant-garde movement has staying power, remaining one of the most approachable art genres, even today. Imaginative imagery spurred by the subconscious is a hallmark of this type of art, which started in the 1920s. The movement began when a group of visual artists adopted automatism, a technique that relied on the subconscious for creativity.

Tapping into the appeal for artists to liberate themselves from restriction and take on total creative freedom, Surrealists often challenged perceptions and reality in their artwork. Part of this came from the juxtaposition of a realistic painting style with unconventional, and unrealistic, subject matters.

Iconic Artwork: The Treachery of Images by René Magritte (1929), The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí (1931)

Abstract Expressionism

Abstract Expressionism is an American art movement-the first to explode on an international scale-that started after World War II. It solidified New York as the new center of the art world, which had traditionally been based in Paris. The genre developed in the 1940s and 1950s, though the term was also used to describe work by earlier artists like Wassily Kandinsky. This style of art takes the spontaneity of Surrealism and injects it with the dark mood of trauma that lingered post-War.

Jackson Pollock is a leader of the movement, with his drip paintings spotlighting the spontaneous creation and gestural paint application that defines the genre. The term "Abstract Expressionism," though closely married to Pollock's work, isn't limited to one specific style. Work as varied as Willem de Kooning's figurative paintings and Mark Rothko's color fields are grouped under the umbrella of Abstract Expressionism.

Iconic Artwork: Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) by Jackson Pollock

Rising up in the 1950s, Pop Art is a pivotal movement that heralds the onset of contemporary art. This post-war style emerged in Britain and America, including imagery from advertising, comic books, and everyday objects. Often satirical, Pop Art emphasized banal elements of common goods and is frequently thought of as a reaction against the subconscious elements of Abstract Expressionism.

Roy Lichtenstein's bold, vibrant work is an excellent example of how parody and pop culture merged with fine art to make accessible art. Andy Warhol, the most famous of the Pop Art figures, helped push the revolutionary concept of art as mass production, creating numerous silkscreen series of his popular works.

Iconic Artwork: Campbell's Soup Cans by Andy Warhol (1962)

In the middle of the 20th century, avant-garde artists in America and Europe began producing Installation Art. Installations are three-dimensional constructions that play with space to interactively engage viewers. Often large-scale and site-specific, these works of art transform museums, galleries, and even outdoor locations into immersive environments.

Inspired by Marcel Duchamp's Dadaist Readymades-a series of found objects contextualized as sculptures- this important genre was pioneered by modern masters like Yayoi Kusama and Louise Bourgeois. Today, contemporary artists keep his practice alive, crafting experimental installations from mediums like string, paper, and flowers.

Artists to Know: Yayoi Kusama, Louise Bourgeois, Damien Hirst

Iconic Artwork: Mirror Rooms by Yayoi Kusama

The seemingly contemporary art movement actually has its roots in Impressionism, when artists first began attempting to express movement in their art. In the early 1900s, artists began to experiment further with art in motion, with sculptural machine and mobiles pushing kinetic art forward. Russian artists Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Rodchenko were the first creators of sculptural mobiles, something that would later be perfected by Alexander Calder.

In contemporary terms, kinetic art encompasses sculptures and installations that have movement as their primary consideration. American artist Anthony Howe is a leading figure in the contemporary movement, using computer-aided design for his large-scale wind-driven sculptures.

Artists to Know: Alexander Calder, Jean Tinguely, Anthony Howe

Iconic Artwork: Arc of Petals by Alexander Calder

Photorealism is a style of art that is concerned with the technical ability to wow viewers. Primarily an American art movement, it gained momentum in the late 1960s and 1970s as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism. Here, artists were most concerned with replicating a photograph to the best of their ability, carefully planning out their work to great effect and eschewing the spontaneity that is the hallmark of Abstract Expressionism. Similar to Pop Art, Photorealism is often focused on imagery related to consumer culture.

Early Photorealism was steeped in nostalgia for the American landscape, while more recently, photorealistic portraits have become a more common subject. Hyperrealism is an advancement of the artistic style, where painting and sculpture are executed in a manner to provoke a superior emotional response and to arrive at higher levels of realism due to technical developments. A common thread is that all works must start with a photographic reference point.

Iconic Artwork: Untitled by Yigal Ozeri

Lowbrow, also called pop surrealism, is an art movement that grew out of an underground California scene in the 1970s. Traditionally excluded from the fine art world, lowbrow art moves from painted artworks to toys, digital art, and sculpture. The genre also has its roots in underground comix, punk music, and surf culture, with artists not seeking acceptance from mainstream galleries. By mixing surrealism imagery with pop colors or figures, artists achieve dreamlike results that often play on erotic or satirical themes. The rise of magazines like Juxtapoz and Hi-Fructose have given lowbrow artists a forum to display their work outside of mainstream contemporary art media.

Iconic Artwork: Incarnation by Mark Ryden

This article has been edited and updated.

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20 Revolutionary Art Movements That Have Shaped Our Visual History

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Art styles have emerged and evolved over time. Take a look at how all these different art movements have shaped the art world as we now know it.

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https://youtu.be/yAZgWXWGgwE
https://streetartmuseumtours.com/2020/05/24/comparing-street-art-and-fine-art/

Washington, DC, is a diverse city with a complicated racial history.  In the last twenty years, many traditionally diverse neighborhoods have been gentrified and stripped of their cultural identities.  Street art is a way to preserve a sense of culture and community in Black communities.  The above website offers a comparison of Street Art versus fine art.  You also can take virtual tours and in-person walking tours of DC street art, various art installations and museums.

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https://youtu.be/jERGXnQT9W0

Google has designed a fun app that analyzes a user's selfie and then determines what famous art face the user resembles. Are you a famous subject, like the Mona Lisa, or are you someone new to you? There are other features of this app which allow you to "project" the fine art into your space, find art using the color palette of your photos, use your phone as a "pocket gallery," and take a photo and transform it into classic artworks. An app like this on a school iPad would make class iPad time even more enriching.

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Art Selfie - a playful way to discover art by Google Arts & Culture

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https://youtu.be/vyicnH234zI

The late Jacques d'Amboise was a tremendously accomplished dancer and choreographer in his own right when he decided to begin teaching New York City schoolchildren how to dance. His children's classes and shows became legendary and the subject of at least one documentary. In this interview, d'Amboise discusses his strategies for teaching his young students, including his deaf students, how to dance. In communities where students didn't even have a safe place to play outside, d'Amboise's classes enriched the community and brought these students together.

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From 1980: Jacques d'Amboise on teaching dance to children

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https://www.artandobject.com/slideshows/artists-who-were-child-prodigies-throughout-history

Adults are not the only ones to make a mark in the art world. Some major artists began their careers at an early age as well.

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Most kids have the opportunity to experiment with creative outlets, whether it be coloring, finger-paints, or macaroni art. Extraordinary talent is not expected, however, in some rare cases innate ability can emerge and transcend the everyday skill of adolescent creativity. Known as a wunderkind or child prodigy, these juvenile geniuses, in the literal sense, are under the age of ten and contribute to a field at the same level of an adult expert.

While there are only a handful of recorded art prodigies throughout history, many esteemed artists began showing immense talent and intellect in their youth. It is also worth noting that many children through the ages have likely exhibited the skill level of a prodigy but were never able to capitalize or even document it due to societal restrictions. This article explores the intricacies of history's finest child prodigies as well as young artists, turned masters in the visual arts.

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Artists Who Were Child Prodigies Throughout History | Art & Object

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Most kids have the opportunity to experiment with creative outlets, whether it be coloring, finger-paints, or macaroni art. Extraordinary talent is not expected, however, in some rare cases innate ability can emerge and transcend the everyday skill of adolescent creativity.

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https://www.boldbusiness.com/society/art-and-its-impact-on-society-art-districts-revitalizing-communities/

A city with a thriving arts and culture scene is considered a benefit to people who want to visit, live and work there. It turns out creating a healthy art district is also a way to revitalize a community that has seen hard times.

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In the film “Dead Poet’s Society”, John Keating summons his students—and in a hushed voice, he shares a secret: “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Poetry, beauty, romance and love—this is what we stay alive for.”  Without a doubt, human beings have a deep-seated need to express an array of emotions—happiness, passion, grief, and hope. Art is the color, the shape, and the tune that translate these emotions into form.

From these expressions of art, a soul is elevated from a place of grief and despair to a place of hope and courage. The result oftentimes is a better person who contributes to creating a healthier community. In turn, a healthy community contributes to a strong nation—and a strong nation to a better world.

Far from being lofty, art and its impact on society stand on solid ground.

Everybody in the ecosystem benefits from the arts. How did its Impact on Society reverberates throughout all generations?

How the Arts Impact Communities

When arts and culture interweave in the fabric of a community, it helps cities attract tourists, diverse talent, brings about innovation and grows the economy. From citizens, individual artists, cultural organizations to businesses and government leadership—everybody in the ecosystem benefits from the arts. (This fact actually is one reason why there are non-profit organizations like Tessitura Network that provide excellent systems that help innovate, reimagine and transform the arts and cultural sphere toward success).

Individuals can benefit from art on both physiological and psychological levels. With art as a form of expression and release, instances of depression and stress are significantly reduced. Moreover, exposure to creative endeavors makes people more open and tolerant of other people’s views and opinions. Likewise, the interactions and social bonds made through art can help increase the community’s social capital.

Arts attract tourists and also different types of creative talent. This is extremely important in creating diversity and can directly be linked to more entrepreneurs and start-ups.

A thriving art district in a community serves as that community’s cultural hub. It helps preserve the region’s cultural heritage and identity by making it accessible to the locals and tourists alike. The vitality of art districts also encourages the youth to pursue creative endeavors.

Art and its impact on society are unique—it is localized and can almost be instantly felt. As art districts sit as the epicenter of cultural and artistic movements, related industries such as fashion and design, marketing and advertising, handicrafts and even food industries get an economic boost. The influx of tourists and arts patrons in the area generates more jobs and increases economic activities.

Art Districts and Creative Communities Making Bold Impacts

As city planners and decision-makers recognize the role of art and its impact on society, art districts and creative communities slowly emerge across the globe. Bold Business looked at art districts that had the largest impact on their communities. We compiled a list 10 art districts across the globe that we feel have demonstrated the largest impact on their communities and their economic growth.

Art and its Impact on Society—Not Just for Art’s Sake

Indeed, through arts and the establishment of art districts, cities can create space where members of the community can interact and tap the power of celebrating art to foster a cooperative spirit. Through these interactions, communities can grow the area’s social capital. A rich social capital makes it easier to involve the community in preserving and protecting the environment and push the implementation of government agendas—thus, helping pave the way to truly demonstrate how the arts impact communities.

Certainly, art and its impact on society play a significant role in civic participation. As citizens are converted into volunteers from just mere spectators, civic participation comes out naturally. Likewise, art can be a powerful tool to nurture and develop the community’s youth. By harnessing the energy and creativity of the youth to constructive endeavors, arts and arts districts can create a cycle that will ensure how the arts impact communities today will continue in the future.

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Art and Its Impact on Society: Art Districts Revitalizing Communities

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Art and its impact on society play a major role in reviving communities. Here’s our Top 10 Art Districts that demonstrate how the arts impact communities.

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https://www.pps.org/article/artsprojects

Dr. Felton Earls, a sociologist from Harvard University, conducted studies to see where the strongest bonds in communities were formed. He found the healthiest communities were the ones who had the most opportunities to come together and celebrate their shared culture. Coincidentally, these communities promoted artistic expression through town events, cultural designations (like heritage walks) and celebrations.

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By Tom Borrup
This excerpt from the book Civic institutions, like museums, public galleries, community art organizations, performing art institutions, arts councils and public arts organizations have a rare opportunity to lead significant change by engaging specific groups to help devise and carry out creative community-building neighborhood programs. But it needn't always be the institution that takes action. The selected stories shown below offer inspiring examples of how individual artists can also make a difference. Tom Borrup was director of the innovative Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis for more than 20 years, and is a nationally recognized leader in cultural and community development work. He wrote this book with Partnership for Livable Communities. The Creative Community Builder's Handbook: How to Transform Communities Using Local Assets, Arts and Culture (2007 Fieldstone Alliance), makes a compelling case that cultural projects are not simply a luxury but play a fundamental role in reviving the fortunes and boosting the prospects of poor, minority and other disadvantaged communities.
The Creative Community Builder's Handbook can be ordered from the publisher, Fieldstone Alliance. For more information see www.communityandculture.com or www.livable.com.

The links between the economic health of a community and the quality of its social bonds are becoming increasingly clear. Robert Putnam and other sociologists have supplied convincing evidence that strong social connections are necessary ingredients of economic success.

In looking for the ingredients that affect the physical well-being of people in different kinds of places, Dr. Felton Earls, a Harvard professor of public health, conducted an extensive, fifteen-year study in neighborhoods across Chicago. His research found that the single-most important factor differentiating levels of health from one neighborhood to the next was what he called "collective efficacy." He was surprised to find that it wasn't wealth, access to healthcare, crime, or some more tangible factor that topped the list. A more elusive ingredient--the capacity of people to act together on matters of common interest--made a greater difference in the health and well-being of individuals and neighborhoods.

The communities profiled here found opportunities for people to come together in creation and celebration of culture. They developed their social capital by cooperating, sharing, and seeking and finding shared goals, and by developing ties on a cultural level. These connections serve these communities well in their other endeavors--from economic development to civic participation to healthy living.

1. Promote Interaction in Public Space

Public spaces and marketplaces are essential ingredients in every community. Public space provides opportunities for people to meet and be exposed to a variety of neighbors. These meetings often take place by chance, but they also can come through active organizing. The art of promoting constructive interaction among people in public spaces has been nearly forgotten in many communities. Planners, architects, and public administrators have focused more on creating aesthetic places and on providing for the unimpeded movement and storage of automobiles than on creating places that encourage social interaction. More recently, public officials have been even more concerned with security and maximizing their ability to observe and control people in public spaces.

William H. Whyte asserted that crowded, pedestrian-friendly, active spaces are safer, more economically productive, and more conducive to healthy civic communities. "What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people," he wrote. Since the 1950s, city planners, developers, policy makers, and transportation engineers have built and modified communities in just the opposite vein.

While the design of public space influences its use, Project for Public Spaces notes that 80 percent of the success of a public space is the result of its "management," referring to how the space is maintained and activities programmed. In other words, even in the best-designed spaces for public interaction, activities need to be planned, and the space needs to be clean, secure, and well maintained, or it is unlikely to serve people well.

Public art administrators and cultural planners of all kinds can be significant players in designing, managing, and programming public space. Increasingly, artists are being tapped to collaborate with architects, landscape architects, engineers, and city planners in the design and creation of public spaces, buildings, roads, highways, and public transit facilities.
Providence, Rhode Island: WaterFire Igniting A New Urban Spirit
As important as the space, piece of art, or event is the process by which it is created. A puppet parade may simply be a group of artists marching in the street, or it may be the result of a lengthy, community-wide process involving hundreds of residents who brainstorm themes, construct and paint the puppets, plan the activities, and march together with their families and neighbors.

Success Story #1

WaterFire, a public art event in Providence, Rhode Island, brings unprecedented numbers of people together on a regular basis to share a profound experience. At the same time it instills pride, belonging, interaction, and human connection. Created by a public artist, WaterFire involves hundreds of volunteers and supporters, and it has become part of the community's collective identity.

Built at the convergence of two rivers, Providence covered its polluted downtown waterways in the 1950s with roads, rail yards, and expanded parking lots. In the early 1990s, the city uncovered, or "daylighted," the rivers and lined them with public promenades and pedestrian-friendly parks.

WaterFire, a public art event that takes place on the downtown waterways, became the needed catalyst for revitalization. The event involves music, performances, ceremonial bonfires, boats, and ritual and, when it is staged, transforms nearly one mile of Providence's downtown. One hundred fire baskets, or braziers, are placed at regular intervals in waterways that wind through the center of downtown. Filled with fragrant local firewood and set ablaze at dusk, they're fed late into the night by black-garbed "fire tenders" who make their way from fire to fire in small boats. Powerful and mesmerizing music, conducted through an elaborate speaker system, seems to emanate from the flames.

Artist Barnaby Evans conceived WaterFire as a one-time event in 1994, but citizens immediately recognized the power of Evans' spectacle, in which fire evoked a ritual feel and the flames symbolized the renaissance of the city. Their support, seconded by the city's mayor, led to the institutionalization of WaterFire as a community ritual in 1997.
www.waterfire.org
Evans created WaterFire Providence in 1997 as a nonprofit organization to carry on the public art event. Today, twenty-five events, or "lightings," are held each year, spring through fall. Each event attracts as many as 100,000 people to downtown Providence's public spaces. Multiple partnerships with social service, education, arts, and civic groups help promote other causes through the event and provide a steady stream of volunteers, weaving a fabric of community through multiple levels of participation.

Visitors now come from around the world, and local residents volunteer for and attend the event again and again. By working across public, business, and nonprofit sectors, the city revived its economy. Perhaps more importantly, WaterFire boosted the community's spirit and self-image beyond what anyone could have imagined.

2. Increase Civic Participation Through Celebrations
Delray Beach, Florida: Cultural Loop and History Trail Keeping Everyone in the Loop
Creating the kind of connections between people that lead to collective civic action is a challenge for any planner, organizer, or community builder. It?s a lot of hard work and there's no secret formula, but it's an essential ingredient in a democratic society. Annual or seasonal events such as festivals or farmers markets can be especially effective in communities with great social, ethnic, and economic diversity. The processes used to plan and carry out these events are at least as important as the events themselves.

Success Story #2

Planners and a multitude of artists involved in the Delray Beach Cultural Loop found inventive ways to connect a wide range of people for the first time through community-based cultural organizations. This process crossed ethnic boundaries and helped people celebrate together in a rapidly growing area of south Florida.

Situated on the Atlantic coast near Palm Beach, Delray Beach is an unusually diverse suburban community. There are numerous arts and cultural organizations in the community that offer exhibitions, performances, and classes and an equal number of historic groups and sites. Many churches and other places of importance serve as sites for ritual, ceremony, and social activity.

The Delray Cultural Loop and History Trail began as a one-time event on a weekend in November 2003. It consisted of a 1.3-mile rectangular route that led participants to sites representing all the city's major ethnic groups. In doing so, it showcased the community's rich and diverse cultural heritage. Partnerships between cultural and community-based groups rooted in the African American, Haitian, Anglo, and Latino communities were important to the event's success.

The cultural loop tour included fourteen churches, six civic institutions, and twenty-three additional historic sites, all welcoming passersby. A variety of artists projects--on utility poles, trees, sidewalks, and kiosks--lined the way. Each told a story of the people and the place. A vacant lot was occupied by the Open Door Project, displaying over one hundred used doors, painted and collaged in preceding weeks by people of all ages through workshops let by artist Sharon Koskoff. The spectacular collection of doors symbolized the people and events that helped open the doors of diversity and opportunity for individuals and the community.
www.delrayconnect.com www.delraybeach.com
A "green" market featuring fresh, locally-grown foods, holiday craft show, and outdoor art fair were other attractions along the route, and Old School House Square near the center of the rectangle featured music and entertainment. Miami-based artist Gary Moore set up a temporary barbershop in a vacant house in the African American neighborhood, offering free haircuts and a glimpse into the world of Black hair for travelers on the loop.

Delray Beach's Cultural Loop connected people in celebration of their own diversity. Although rapidly growing and predominantly prosperous, Delray Beach has ongoing healing and bridge-building work to do. The cultural loop was a unique event that helped locals to be tourists discovering their own hometown using familiar public spaces. At the same time, it gave visitors access to the diverse cultural riches and history of this south Florida beachside community.

3. Engage Youth in the Community

Including young people as meaningful contributors in the social and economic aspects of community building must not be overlooked and cannot be left to schools and parents alone.
Boston, Massachusetts: Artists For Humanity Creative Entrepreneurs Earn Respect
Engaging youth has a dual benefit: it brings more adults into the picture. Research in civic engagement by the League of Women Voters indicates that the factor most likely to get people more involved in community affairs is helping to improve conditions for youth. "Issues related to children, including mentoring and coaching, and education are those most likely to mobilize the untapped reservoir of volunteers."

Success Story #3

The Artists for Humanity programs in Boston does just that. It provides avenues for youth to become socially conscious and engaged entrepreneurs who bridge economic and cultural differences. Youth build confidence and gain business experience while working with professional artists as mentors and instructors.

Artists For Humanity (AFH) began in 1990, when Susan Rodgerson, an independent artist, worked with students at Boston's Martin Luther King Middle School to paint a mural. After it was complete, six students asked her if they could paint something else. That summer they showed up at her studio every day as she found things for them to paint, eventually turning their attention to designing and producing T-shirts to earn money. In 1992, Rodgerson and the six students incorporated as a nonprofit. While they secured more commissions and product sales, the group developed studio production activities in graphic design, commercial photography, silk-screen printing, sculpture, theatrical set design, ceramics, and painting. The organization later added warehouse space for offices and a gallery.

In 2004, AFH opened a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly "green" facility with 23,500 square feet of studio, gallery, performance, and office space in Boston's Fort Point Channel Arts District.
www.afhboston.com
The organization works with youth primarily between the ages of fourteen and eighteen from all parts of the city. Fundamentally, it is based upon a small business model, concentrating on what young artists can creatively produce, rather than following a social service model that attempts to address their shortcomings. Young artists are paid and participate in client meetings and contract negotiations. AFH is careful not to draw boundaries between commercial arts and fine arts--art as personal expression and art as a product for sale. By embracing both, the organization encourages youth to tap their intrinsic creativity.

Artists For Humanity operates as a structured, paid apprentice program to pair teens with experienced artists in a broad range of fine and commercial arts for product development and services to the business community. Participating youth represent the entire city and come primarily from low-income neighborhoods.The program employs roughly eighty young artists in its microenterprise programs each year and serves over three hundred through drop-in programs. The young artists receive an hourly wage and have the opportunity to earn a 50 percent commission on each individual work they sell through the gallery, shows, or negotiated contracts. T-shirts, murals, graphic design, and fine art works are the primary earned-revenue sources. While AFH has earned over $1.7 million since 1996, foundation grants and corporate sponsorships still account for the largest share of the organization's budget.

4. Promote the Power and Preservation of Place

When people become involved in the design, creation, and upkeep of places, they develop a vested interest in using and maintaining these spaces. When they have a true sense of "ownership" or connection to the places they frequent, the community becomes a better place to live, work, and visit. The residents' feelings of respect and responsibility for the place bonds them to that place and to each other. No architect or town planner can design or build a place that does that.

"The sooner the community becomes involved in the planning process the better--ideally before any planning has been done," write Kathy Madden and Fred Kent of Project for Public Spaces in the book How to Turn A Place Around. "And people should be encouraged to stay involved throughout the improvement effort so that they become owners or stewards of the place as it evolves."
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Hope Community Building the Urban Village
Citizen involvement in public decision making is too often reactive and negative in character. People are inclined to involve themselves when the status quo is threatened. But citizen involvement is best when community members and grassroots organizations take the lead.

Success Story #4

Hope Community in Minneapolis stimulates the creative juices of its citizens in shaping and uplifting their community's self-image. The organization has not only made people believe great things are possible but also it has already accomplished many great things. Through an asset-based community-organizing strategy and "listening process," Hope Community brought people of multiple ethnicities together in small-group dialogues. Hope has organized three major listening projects--each including more than three hundred adults and youth--focused on jobs and education, the meaning of community, and the design of a park. In fact, the organization has designed an entire neighborhood with concern for children as the unifying factor based upon what it learned from listening. Engaging people through their cultural traditions and involving artists as catalysts have become key parts of Hope's strategy.

The Phillips neighborhood just south of downtown is the poorest and most racially diverse of Minneapolis's eighty-six neighborhoods. It serves as home to a long-standing and politically organized Native American community, as well as burgeoning Latino and East African immigrant communities. Hope Community, Inc., is a community development corporation steeped in a tradition of "creating not just housing but community." As of 2005, Hope owned and managed 89 units of housing and over 6,500 square feet of community space, with plans in motion for 250 more units and 20,000 square feet of new commercial space.

Hope embraces active listening and a cultural focus in all it does. In 1997, Hope began its Listening Project to help learn about residents' ideas on education and jobs. More than thirty dialogue groups helped deepen Hope's relationships with the community and its understanding of these issues. A larger project with over three hundred participants, including many youth, later focused on the meanings, struggles, and hopes people attach to neighborhoods and communities.
www.hope-community.org
These discussions led into a project to redesign Peavey Park, an underutilized, crime-ridden park that the Minneapolis Park Board had scheduled for an overhaul. The listening and visioning process enabled Hope to engage broad-based participation and to recognize that building community was the central purpose of the park. Hope arrived at the design through a series of creative workshops that were later translated into a formal design and adopted by the Park Board.

As Hope brought together what it learned with its core activity of creating a safe environment for children, it embarked on a bold project to envision a larger community it called Children?s Village. The organization commissioned professional planners to draw up designs for this sixteen-block area and presented them to city leaders and the media. In 2003, Children's Village Center opened. It is a four-story, thirty-unit, low-income housing complex that includes offices for a staff and a community center. It sits prominently as the first of four developments at the intersection of two major city thoroughfares. When complete, these well-designed centers of community activity will signal a massive turnaround for a neighborhood long infested with drugs, poverty, and hopelessness.

5. Broaden Participation in the Civic Agenda

Some people have argued that social capital--the volunteer organizations and efforts that provide the glue in any community--has eroded steadily over the past two generations, as seen by the drops in participation in social and civic groups. This crisis may really be one in which the old tools for involving people in civic issues are no longer sufficient to meet new challenges. The tools may have lost effectiveness as the population diversifies.

At the same time, many social, civic, and cultural functions have been "professionalized" in ways that exclude participation of ordinary citizens. From community to community across the United States, professional arts organizations have grown up where voluntary groups once stood. This trend has severed the practice and experience of the arts from day-to-day life. Participation in cultural activities (as opposed to spectatorship) connects people to each other and to their community institutions, providing pathways to other forms of participation. Thus, arts and culture can create opportunities for political expression, community dialogue, shared cultural experiences, and civic work.
Danville, Vermont: Danville Transportation Enhancement Project Where Artists Meet the Road
Within the arts, there is a vital yet lesser-known field of practice that strives to develop cultural understanding and civic engagement. Community-based arts practitioners bring members of a community together to solve problems, build relationships, and get involved in ways that rebuild social capital.

Success Story #5

In rural Danville, Vermont, artists and highway planners engaged citizens to solve a road construction dilemma. The Danville Transportation Enhancement Project found a unique way to identify and resolve touchy issues of values and aesthetics.

Danville is a community of 2,200 people in the northeastern part of Vermont. It sits on U.S. Highway Route 2, part of the National Highway System and one of the major east-west roads across northern New England. With the White Mountains as a backdrop, Danville boasts some of New England's most unspoiled and spectacular scenery.

The town is anchored by a classic village green with a Civil War monument, bandstand, distinctive school, general store, courthouse, and churches. The Danville Village Improvement Society was formed in 1896 to beautify the town. The following year it placed an elegant stone watering trough on the green, an amenity still in use today. The society also installed street lamps and planted rows of shade trees on the green and along the streets surrounding it. The past one hundred years have brought little change to the town and its appearance.

The purpose of the Danville Transportation Enhancement Project was to plan for the redevelopment of a portion of U.S. Highway 2 through the town's village center. The Danville project needed to find a way to upgrade road conditions and meet federal highway requirements, while respecting the aesthetic, economic, and cultural fabric of the community.

Highway expansion in a rural area, where the most valuable currency is often aesthetic, can be difficult and controversial, pitting residents, businesses, local officials, and state officials against each other. Many quaint towns and villages have lost all sense of place and have been economically and socially devastated by such expansion. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is a leader in the national movement among transportation agencies toward context-sensitive design solutions and public involvement. Vtrans aims to bring communities together early in the planning process to help design environmentally responsible transportation infrastructure that promotes safety and efficiency while preserving the community's vision of itself.

A local review committee was formed as part of the legislated highway planning process. Two artists were selected--landscape architect David Raphael as lead artist and sculptor Andrea Wasserman--to joining the local review committee. The Danville project implemented the principles of context-sensitive design and the time-honored Vermont traditions of public meetings, civil discourse, and representative democracy. Artists, working closely with engineers and residents, infused the process with creative problem solving and openness to new ideas.

Raphael and Wasserman led community meetings, interviewed residents, and circulated questionnaires. They helped residents envision the future of the village and its central green, and they took the community through a review of preliminary VTrans designs. The civic engagement process was the most important aspect of the project. It was purposefully inclusive, sensitive, engaging, and ongoing. Having artists, rather than highway engineers, lead the process seemed less threatening to community participants, and they were more effective at devising satisfying alternatives.

A final design and enhancements were presented to the Danville community in late 2002. Construction and completion are scheduled through the latter part of the decade. Enhancements include gateways with signage, lighting, landscaping, granite posts, and sidewalk markers to alert motorists that they are entering a village center. Streetscape designs reinforce the village character and improve aesthetics and pedestrian comfort.
www.danvilleproject.com
Almost as important as the road design, a number of related activities emerged from the community process, especially those involving youth? -- projects that got started right away. They include a student photography project that led to postcards and a Danville calendar. Other students carved stone figures to be embedded along three miles of concrete sidewalk. Youth planted seedlings in the project's right-of-way, and they designed tile markers, a ceramic playground mural, and clay cutouts of hands to hang in the village green.

Putting a team of artists at the helm of highway design may seem risky. However, when the most difficult part of highway construction is sorting out and negotiating individual and community values, feelings, and aesthetics, it makes sense--and it works. The Danville Transportation Enhancement Project made everyone an expert in highway construction. In so doing, the Danville project met the needs of local residents and the state highway department. Community members of all ages gained a new understanding of the function and possibilities of highways, as well as a greater understanding of what they can do when they work creatively together.

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5 Ways Arts Projects Can Improve Struggling Communities

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From Florida to Minnesota, cultural groups step out into the neighborhoods to solve pressing problems.

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https://speakartloud.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/25-ways-art-impacts-the-community/

This is an extensive list of the ways art has a positive impact on a community. These are important things for students to consider and compare to the ways the arts impact their family, their school community, their neighborhood, and their town.

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Art, in its many forms, is connected to the community. Art serves to enrich the physical, economic, social and cultural elements of a community.

Below is a list of 25 ways I believe art positively impacts community, along with a few pictures to inspire thought. As you read through this list please reflect on how these items may or may not be true and share your thoughts.

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1. Art defines physical space
2. Art reflects community values
3. Art can start a dialogue
4. Art brings people together
5. Art creates a sense of belonging

6. Art activities help improve social well-being
7. Art helps with neighborhood beautification
8. Art reveals truth
9. Art drives economic development
10. Art portrays a community

11. Art creates a sense of pride
12. Art exposes community conflict
13. Art increases business
14. Art documents community history
15. Art helps us understand others point of view

16. Art encourages expression
17. Art brings in tourism
18. Art promotes diversity of culture
19. Art can help to build personal and professional relationships
20. Art tells the story of community members and leaders

21. Art is inspired by community and reflects the community back
22. Art encourages engagement in community activity
23. Art gives community something to share with others
24. Art educates and informs us on issues
25. Art entertains and bring joy to community

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Art, from the formal to the informal, is connected to the community.  Please feel free to share your own ideas of how you believe art impacts the community.

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https://ipaintmymind.org/blog/8-pieces-of-art-that-literally-changed-the-world-to-share-with-your-students/

This article has several good examples of ways artists have made us think more deeply about the way art intersects with other disciplines, such as science and the economy. One drawback is that it leaves out many phenomenal artists, such as Wilson Bentley. Bentley pioneered a way to photograph snowflakes. It is because of Bentley that we can truly see what a structural miracle snowflakes are.

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All works of art create change and push already existing ideas in new directions and into new dimensions. However, there's some art works that burst into existence at just the right moment, fueled by a changing world, a visionary mind, or a powerful new collective movement. These pieces of art have the potential to radically change both the art world, and the wider world.

Although there are many works like this to choose from, below is my curated list of 8 of the pieces of art that changed the world. They're great pieces to design a lesson plan around, as they bring in art history, exciting formal elements, culture, science, and history in general.

Each of these pieces are symbolic of what's so special about art education and art history: that it's such an interdisciplinary subject, and bleeds into tons of other topics. Art education is a great way to get students interested in other subjects, and to connect with different kinds of learners where they are! Check out our recent article 11 Rock Solid Statistics That Prove How Vital Art Education Is For Kids' Academic and Social Achievement .

Fountain by Marcel Duchamp

What better way to start off this list, then with Duchamp's ? Widely considered a turning point in modern and conceptual art, Duchamp created Fountain in 1917. He simply took a urinal off of a bathroom wall, turned it on its side, and signed it "R. Mutt". He submitted the piece to an exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in New York City, although it was never shown.

By choosing a common object that was pre-made, Duchamp tested the prevailing assumptions about what made something art. The Fountain was conceptual, in that its artistic quality and value came largely from its capacity to make viewers think, have open conversations, and disagree about what it meant. It caused a huge uproar at the time, with its fair share of critics.

Today, the piece is seen as an important landmark in the development of Conceptual art, and as a huge jumping off point for future artists. Through Fountain, Duchamp also introduced the Readymade, an art form typified by the use of premade, found objects.

Code of Hammurabi, Babylon

The Code of Hammurabi is famous for its sculptural prowess and refinement, as well as for its role as the first and most complete set of written legal codes discovered by archaeologists and historians. The legal codes enshrined in the massive stele were set out by King Hammurabi, the ruler of ancient Babylonia from the years 1792 BC to 1750 BC. The 282 laws carved into the statue governed the kingdom of Babylonia, which covers most of modern-day Iraq.

The top of the stele features a large carving of King Hammurabi receiving the right to rule and govern from Shamash, the Babylonian god of justice. In the carving, the sovereignty of King Hammurabi is symbolized by a measuring rod and tape that Shamash is handing King Hammurabi. The rest of the monolith is covered with 282 laws written in cuneiform. Although many of the laws would seem cruel by today's legal standards, the Code of Hammurabi was actually the first time that a person was seen as innocent until proven guilty.

The carving of the laws and the sculptural images on top all show enormous skill and refinement in Babylonian imagery and art. The code is carved out of dionite, a very hard and difficult to carve material. The forms of Hammurabi and Shamash are carved with great mastery, and display the full knowledge of a society that was highly advanced in the realms of art, trade, and law.

Galloping Horse by Eadweard Muybridge

Galloping Horse is a unique entry on this list in that it represents a revolution in the arts and the sciences! Muybridge was an early experimenter in the field of photography and is known for his work in capturing motion. He pioneered the use of several different cameras at the same time to capture motion in stop-motion frames, as well as the zoopraxiscope, which allowed him to project the images quickly one after another to give a spectator the illusion of a moving picture.

Galloping Horse was a break-through in motion photography, as it captured each fraction of a movement in a horse's gallop, allowing for people to see something that happened much too fast for the human eye in full, glorious detail. For the first time, people could see how a horse moved, and show for certain that a horse's hooves never left the ground all at the same time.

Guernica By Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso is a revolutionary artist in many ways. His paintings established the Cubist movement and were some of the first and most well-known experimentations with abstraction. However, Guernica makes this list for a very different reason. It's a testament to the power and influence that a painting can have on public sentiment and political will.

Guernica is a massive and chilling depiction of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica, ordered by the Spanish Nationalists and executed by the Nazis and Italian Fascists. The painting is awash with the brutality of war, violence, death, fire, and dismemberment. It's striking monochrome grays and blacks add to the grim atmosphere of the piece.

Picasso painted it to display at an exhibition intended to raise money for the antifascist cause in Spain, and would not allow it to be displayed there until Franco's regime was toppled. It's seen as one of the most powerful anti-war paintings or pieces of art ever created, and is a beloved symbol of justice and accountability for Spain and the Basque religion in particular.

7,000 Oak Trees by Joseph Beuys

7,000 Oak Trees is a key development in the realm of environmentally-focused art, and marks the beginning of a whole movement of conceptual performance or earthwork pieces that seek to address environmental health. Joseph Beuys was a mid 20th-century German artist known for his conceptual art pieces that often included an element of performance.

7,000 Oak Trees was a response to the urbanization that went hand in hand with the destruction of natural habitats in Kassel. Germany. Over several years, Beuys worked with volunteers to plant 7,000 oak trees in the city, with each accompanied by a monolithic basalt marker. More than just an ecological intervention, 7,000 Oaks was a symbolic beginning for the burgeoning German environmental movement. As the trees grew and aged, so too did environmental consciousness and an awareness of how humans alter the ecosystem.

Rhythm 0 by Marina Abramovic

Marina Abramovic was one of the early innovators of feminist performance art, which pushed at the limits of bodily endurance and social norms, all in the interest of questioning the social position of women in the world. Rhythm 0 is one of her best known and most shocking works, and was performed in 1974. Abramovic stood still next to a table she'd filled with 72 objects. For 6 hours, she invited spectators to do whatever they wanted to her with the objects, aiming to find out how far onlookers would go when given full freedom. The items ranged from a rose all the way to a gun loaded with a single bullet.

At the beginning of the performance, the audience was kind and restrained. They simply smeared honey on her, offered her a kiss, or twirled her around. As time went on, however, the onlookers felt further and further away from the normal boundaries of social behavior. They cut off her clothes, shoved thorns into her bare stomach, and eventually, one audience member held the gun to her head.

Other spectators intervened and a fight broke out. At the end of the six hour period, Marina started moving toward the audience, who all ran away. She believed that they were fearful of actually having to confront her, but were able to hurt her and harm her because she had made herself into an object for them during the performance. The powerful performance piece spoke volumes about objectification, control, and power.

Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons

Whether you hate him or love him, Jeff Koons has left a mark on the art world. In much the same way that Marcel Duchamp tested the limits of art with The Fountain, Jeff Koons has pushed the envelope throughout his entire career as an artist.

Through his artwork, Jeff Koons asks if art has to be made by the artist or if it can be designed by an artist and made ad infinitum by a workshop. Can art be manufactured on a large scale? Can it be sold for millions of dollars? When does art stop being art and start becoming marketing or advertising?

Balloon Dog is a perfect example of the ethical questions Koons' practice bring to the surface. Balloon Dog was first created by Koons in 1994 for an exhibition called Celebration. Since then, it's been reincarnated in countless colors, sizes, and poses, netting Koon millions of dollars. You'll most likely recognize this iconic piece, from ads, museum gift shops, tv shows, or magazines.

The Sunflower Quilting Bee At Arles By Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold is a multimedia artist who's been working since the 1970s, and she's a powerful voice speaking on race, exploitation, and power in America. Although her paintings and performance pieces are no less masterful and moving, Ringgold's most well-known art is her series of story quilts. Inspired by 14th and 15th century Nepali paintings on fabric, Ringgold began to create quilt paintings in the 1980s and 1990s, sewing quilts and painting narrative scenes atop them.

By engaging with the often feminine-coded realm of craft, and creating these gorgeous and complex works of art, Faith RInggold elevated textiles, quilting, and craft in general to the vaulted world of high art and museums.

In The Sunflower Quilting Bee At Arles, Ringgold paints a scene of 8 powerful black women from throughout history displaying a beautiful quilt emblematic of their accomplishments and legacy. She includes women like Sojourner Truth, Ida B Wells, and Frannie Lou Hammer, as well as her fictional character, Willa Marie Simone. As in other quilts by Ringgold, she subverts the largely white, male canon of art history, and has Van Gogh standing off to the side, surrounded by his characteristic sunflowers, but having little to do with the scene of joy and celebration. Faith Ringgold often places herself and other black women into the narrative of art history, and moves the "Old Masters" off to the side. It's a symbolic reclamation and re-establishment of the missing women and non-white artists in mainstream art history before the 1970s.

The Power Of Art

Hopefully each of the entries on this list piqued your interest, and led you down a rabbit hole of research and exploration. Each of the 8 pieces transcends being a simple object or event, and bleeds into the realms of politics, law, social justice, science, and philosophy. Art co-exists with all of the other forces and movements of any given society and works to both question authority and propose new ways to live and strive for progress.

At IPMM, we believe that access to art and art education is essential to every student's growth and development. Art is a human right, and should never be hoarded as a luxury. When we teach our students about art, they become more conscientious, creative, and aware. Our art programs in public schools are intended to provide kids with the complex skills, and well-rounded knowledge they need to thrive, and art is a big part of that! Learn more about our Shared Walls program, and check out more resources for arts lovers, students, and art educators of all kinds!

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8 Pieces of Art That Literally Changed The World (To Share With Your Students) -

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These 8 pieces of art that changed the world, are perfect to share with your students to inspire and create interdiscplinary connections.

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Art Contests for Students Around the World

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Art Contests for Students Around the World

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https://www.samanthasbell.com/art-contests-for-kids/

There are art competitions for students of all ages open to kids around the world. Some of the competitions have themes such as ocean conservation, crystals, heroes, and a food representing your country.

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There are lots of online art contests for kids, and as I come across them, I'll post them on this page. Please check into them before submitting artwork. If I hear that a particular contest is not a good one to enter, I won't list it again.

Why should children enter art contests? Contests can be another way to help build confidence. Find out more here.

To find out more about a certain contest, click on the name below. If you have a contest you'd like for me to list, please contact me.

If you'd like to see a list of past contests, click here.

Writing Contests:

A lot of artists are also writers. If you're interested in writing contests, click HERE.

Art Challenge (All Countries)

Deadline: May 28, 2021

Ages: All

Art Contests with Deadlines that Vary
If you do not live in the country indicated, you can enter any that say "All Countries". Contests marked "All Countries" are for young artists living anywhere in the world.
Deadline: Deadline Varies by Country. Contact your country representative. You can find the information here.

Ages: 6 - 17

Deadline: Varies. Contact your representative.

Ages: High School

Deadline: Ongoing

Ages: All

DEADLINE: End of Each Month

Ages: 12-19

Deadlines: Awards giving in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Ages: 16 and under

Art Contests with Set Deadlines

DEADLINE: April 25, 2021

Ages: 3-15
$10 Entry Fee
DEADLINE: April 30, 2021

Ages: 5 and Up
$10 Donation
DEADLINE: May 8, 2021

Ages: Grades Pre-K - 12

Portrait, collage, poem, or video

DEADLINE: Must be received by May 29, 2020 Deadline Extended! May 31, 2021

AGES: 7-15

DEADLINE: June 1, 2021

Ages: 19 and Under

DEADLINE: June 4, 2021

Ages: 3 and Up

DEADLINE: Postmarked June 4, 2021

Ages: Grades 1-12

DEADLINE: June 14, 2021

Ages: 11-18

DEADLINE: July 31, 2021

Ages: 6-16

DEADLINE: September 30, 2021

Ages: 5-14

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There are lots of online art contests for kids, and as I come across them, I'll post them on this page. Please check into them before submitting artwork. If I hear that a particular contest is not a good one to enter, I won't list it again. Why should children enter art contests?

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United States House of Representatives Student Art Competition

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United States House of Representatives Student Art Competition

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https://www.house.gov/educators-and-students/congressional-art-competition

Each House member accepts submissions to this competition.  A panel of district artists selects one art submission to be the winner from their district.  The winner's art is hung in the Capitol Building in a public gallery for a year.  Winning submissions also are available at the link above. I remember passing these galleries when I worked on Capitol Hill and being amazed by the incredibly talented and diverse submissions.

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Where are the best places in the world to see art?

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Where are the best places in the world to see art?

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https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/the_hot_list/the-14-best-art-museums-in-the-world-and-the-iconic-masterpieces-they-house-56252

There are over 55,000 art museums worldwide, and several of the world's best are here in the United States. This website is a list of fourteen of the best art museums in the world and includes a guide to finding the works of renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Rothko, and Vermeer.

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Currently, there are more than 55,000 museums in 202 countries around the world. And while art museums are some of the most important cultural institutions-preserving history, displaying humanity's creativity, and providing unique insights across cultures and identities-it's no secret that not all of them are created equal. Despite taste in art being highly subjective, there are numerous ways to rank museums, like by the number of visitors annually, or by how progressive the curatorial programing is, for instance. For this list, we've identified the 14 greatest art museums across the globe according to which have the largest and most comprehensive collections of iconic art. What makes an artwork iconic, you ask? These are the artworks that show up in pop culture, by artists who are "household names," and are likely to be recognized by those who haven't formally studied art history. Is the art cannon problematic in that it's completely Eurocentric and dominated by white male men? Absolutely. Without going into a debate over what makes a great museum great, here are the world's best art museums based on the number of famous masterpieces they house, in no particular order.

Though we just said this list wasn't ranked, it's hard not to mention the Louvre in Paris first, no matter what criteria we're judging by. It sees the most foot traffic (in 2018 the museum hosted 10.2 million visitors); it's physically the largest (spanning an area of 782,910 square feet), and it holds about 380,000 works of art, some of which are absolutely history's most iconic. From Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres' Grande Odalisque (1814), to Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People (1830), to a little painting by Leonardo da Vinci called the Mona Lisa (c.1503-1506), all the famous masterpieces in this historic museum will leave you star struck. No wonder the United Arab Emirates paid France over $500 million to license the "Louvre" name for their Abu Dhabi museum, and Beyoncé chose to shoot a music video there -the Louvre is truly as good as art museums get.

Trying to list all of the masterpieces in New York City's Museum of Modern Art is overwhelming, making it an easy contender on this list. The museum's evolving collection of almost 200,000 works of modern and contemporary art includes famous pieces like Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night (1889), Salvador Dalí's The Persistence of Memory (1931), and Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907). Other pieces not-to-miss are Andy Warhol's Gold Marilyn Monroe (1962) and Frida Kahlo's Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair (1940). MoMA is reopening on October 21 with expanded galleries and spaces, and we can't wait to visit.
STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM
St. Petersburg, Russia
The second largest art museum in the world, the State Hermitage Museum also boasts the world's largest collection of paintings. The epic museum complex is made up of six buildings, including the Winter Palace, which was previously the residence of Russian emperors. Although its collection comprises over three million items, spanning from the Stone Age to the early 20 th century, only a small portion of the art is on permanent display. Works by Rubens, Titian, da Vinci, Picasso, Cézanne, and Goya are all represented in the museum, so it's hard to highlight just a few masterpieces, but perhaps the most famous works are Camille Pissarro's The Boulevard Montmarte in Paris (1897), Vincent Van Gogh's Thatched Cottages and Houses (1890), and Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son (1669).

Formerly the Bankside Power Station, the brick building was transformed into the Tate Modern in 2000 and is officially the most popular attraction in the UK, accommodating 5.9 million visitors last year. Housing one of the largest collections of Surrealism in the world, the Tate Modern has Dalí's masterpieces Forgotten Horizon (1936) and Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937). Other noteworthy works include Nan Goldin's Nan one month after being battered (1984), Umberto Boccioni's Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913), Mark Rothko's "Seagram Murals" (1950), and Piet Mondrian's Composition B (No.II) with Red (1935).

Founded in 1819 as the Royal Museum of Paintings, the Prado's collection largely reveals the artistic tastes of Spanish royalty. The museum possesses the most extensive collection of famed Spanish painter Diego Velazquez's work, and the most well-known masterpiece in the museum is easily Velazquez's Las Meninas (1656). Art enthusiasts will also recognize Hieronymus Bosch's triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-1515) and Francisco Goya's The Third of May 1808 (1814).

While this museum is small and young (it opened in 2008 and its permanent collection features just 38 commissioned works!), it features prominent pieces from artists who you're sure to know of, like Yoko Ono, Yoshitomo Nara, and Jeong Hwa Choi. Other must-see pieces include Do Ho Suh's Cause and Effect (2012) and Yayoi Kusama's Love Forever, Singing in Towada.

Whether you recognize it from the show Gossip Girl, or tune-in annually to watch red carpet footage of the Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest and most popular art museum in the United States. With more than two million items from around the world, dating from antiquity to present, it's almost impossible to view all of the art that this museum has to offer. Some definite must-see masterpieces include Jaques Louis David's The Death of Socrates (1787), Claude Monet's The Water Lily Pond (1899), Pieter Bruegel the Elder's The Harvesters (1565), and the Vermeer collection in Gallery 632, since there are only 36 known surviving paintings by Johannes Vermeer, and the Met has five of them.

Originally built as a train station for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, this stunning museum in Paris is now home to some of the most renowned 19 th and 20 th century artwork, including works by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, and van Gogh. If you're a fan of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, put visiting this museum on the top of your to-do list. Edouard Manet's Olympia (1863), Vincent van Gogh's Self-Portrait (1889), and Paul Cézanne's The Cardplayers (1890-1895), are just a few of the iconic works in the museum's collection.

Although this museum is small, it's home to some of the most iconic Dutch paintings of the Golden Age. Located in the heart of The Hague, Mauritshuis has Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665), Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632), Carel Fabritius' The Goldfinch (1654), along with many more works you'll likely recognize.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY
London, England
The Art Institute of Chicago has over 300,000 works of art, many of which are famed masterpieces. The museum has more than 30 Monet's alone, including his renowned "Haystacks" series. Visitors will also recognize Gustave Caillebotte's Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877), Grant Wood's American Gothic (1930), and Georges Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884).

Home to England's national collection of Western European paintings from the 13 th to the 19 th centuries, the National Gallery contains over 2,300 works, many of them extremely recognizable. Most Art History 101 classes will review The Arnolfini Portrait (1434)by Jan Van Eyck, The Ambassadors (1533)by Hans Holbein, The Hay Wain (1821) by John Constable, and The Fighting Temeraire (1838) by Joseph Mallord William Turner-all of which can be found at London's National Gallery.

Another National Gallery that certainly doesn't disappoint is Washington D.C.'s. It's the only place in the U.S. that you can publicly view Leonardo da Vinci's work; his portrait Ginevra de' Benci (1474 -1478) is on display there. Along with the Renaissance master, you can view works by the "Mother of American modernism" Georgia O'Keeffe, including her "Jack-in-the-Pulpit" series. And in 2016, after a three-year renovation, the Gallery's East Building was reopened, and it now includes more than 500 works by artists like Alexander Calder, Barbara Kruger, Jasper Johns, Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

Florence's Uffizi Gallery is undoubtedly on our list because it showcases one of the world's most famous Renaissance masterpieces-Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus (1482-1485). And if that wasn't enough to get this gallery on the "best museums" list, other masterpieces on display there include Titian's Venus of Urbino (1538), Caravaggio's Medusa (1597), and Leonardo da Vinci's The Annunciation, all iconic works that have carved out a noteworthy place in the art-historical canon.
RELATED ARTICLES: 12 Must-See Art Galleries in Washington, DC Destination Art: 15 Permanent Public Artworks Worth Traveling The Globe To Experience Was History's Greatest Art Theft an Inside Job? The Creators of the "Last Seen" Podcast on Investigating the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist
A list of the museums with the most famous collections wouldn't be complete without the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, as it comprises one of the most important art collections in Europe. While Pablo Picasso's masterpiece Guernica (1937)-dramatically depicting the devastation of the Spanish Civil War-is definitely the star of the show, other significant art to see there includes Salvador Dalí's Face of the Great Masturbator (1929), and Joan Mirò's Man With A Pipe (1925). The collection of over 21,700 works doesn't just include Spanish artists-you can also see Mark Rothko's Untitled (Orange, Plum, Yellow) (1950) and Francis Bacon's Lying Figure (1966).

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The 14 Best Art Museums in the World, and the Iconic Masterpieces They House

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Currently, there are more than 55,000 museums in 202 countries around the world. And while art museums are some of the most important cultural institutions-preserving history, displaying humanity's creativity, and providing unique insights across cultures and identities-it's no secret that not all of them are created equal.

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https://www.usip.org/blog/2020/02/discovering-peace-through-art-afghanistan

Afghanistan has known decades of occupation, war and brutality.  ArtLords is a group of Afghan artists working to turn the paradigms of war into artistic expression.  As Ambassador Rahmani says, “If young artists can imagine turning blast walls into healing works of art, I know we can have peace in Afghanistan.”

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An ArtLords' painting on display at a USIP-hosted showing, January 28, 2020. The Kabul-based organization combines art and activism to enact social change in Afghanistan.

For an entire generation of Afghans, peace remains an idea-something they overwhelmingly desire, yet few have actually experienced. With reports that a U.S.-Taliban deal is expected by the end of February, there is newfound hope that the violence may come to an end. Experts say the political roadmap laid out by the U.S. negotiating team, while fraught with challenges, offers a "massive opportunity" for ending America's longest war and nearly four decades of continuous conflict in Afghanistan.

But while potential intra-Afghan negotiations will aim to hammer out the parameters of a unified Afghan state, the task of healing Afghan society remains. Living in a conflict zone has warped many Afghans' daily routines and fomented fear and distrust within communities. For the national peace process to succeed, Afghans will need to create a vision of peace that replaces the role that violence currently plays in their daily lives.

ArtLords: Reimagining Peace

It's a daunting task, but one that ArtLords has made part of their core mission. The group, founded in 2014 by Omaid Sharifi and Kabir Mokamel, has deemed themselves "artivists"-part artists, part activists advocating for social change. They see artistic expression as a noninvasive way of changing behaviors and attitudes-and discovering what peace looks like.

The organization's name reimagines the negative stereotype associated with "lords" in Afghanistan, as Kabir and Omaid noted that warlords and drug lords have historically found haven in the country. "We wanted to be the positive lords, the lords that bring empathy, love, and kindness," said Omaid at a recent USIP event featuring a gallery of the group's work and a live mural painting where attendees painted collectively. "We wanted to become the voice of the millions that don't have a voice and a means to speak out."

Their work encompasses a range of styles, but a major motif involves repurposing symbols associated with conflict. "Our heroes have always been someone with an AK-47, or with a sword, and all of them are men," said Omaid. "We wanted to have heroes that are women, municipality workers, doctors. Changing the narrative, giving people the opportunity to imagine something different."

ArtLords cofounders Omaid Sharifi and Kabir Mokamel share their vision for ArtLords and Afghanistan at USIP, January 28, 2020.

ArtLords has grown quickly in size and notoriety, with features in Reuters and on BBC. Today, they have an internationally recognized platform, and their commitment has made them steadfast partners in the country's peace process-something that USIP has come to know firsthand.

USIP and ArtLords have worked together on numerous projects over the years, including an anti-corruption campaign that featured murals in five Afghan provinces and a mural project that dealt with men, peace and security. USIP Senior Program Officer Belquis Ahmadi says the collaboration has been successful in large part due to the group's "passion to raise awareness about citizens' responsibility in curbing corruption and their innovative approach," adding "[ArtLords] made it easy for us to select them as our implementing partner."

Looking back on their early days, the group admits it's hard to believe how far they've come. "We did not envision ArtLords to be this big," said Omaid. "As people who had other jobs, responsibilities, families, we wanted just to contribute to some level of solving a problem in our city."

But their success comes as no surprise to Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the United States: "Artists, with their abilities to imagine worlds beyond our own and to find beauty even in times of darkness, are natural leaders on our journey towards peace."

Finding Peace Under Siege

ArtLords currently operates a wide array of programs-including a new initiative called Let's Talk Afghanistan, which helps promote empathy and tolerance by connecting communities that have been isolated from one another during the conflict.

But the hallmark of ArtLords' work is the group's murals. In the last five years, the group has painted over 1,700 murals in 21 provinces across Afghanistan. Omaid and Kabir say the idea stemmed from their desire to push back against the barb wire and blast walls that line the streets of Kabul.

"Mentally, I felt under siege," said Kabir of the blast walls that have sprung up across the nation's capital. Omaid noticed a similar effect on his own mental health, saying, "These walls are becoming my interior wall."

As these physical symbols continued to encroach on public spaces in Kabul, ArtLords decided to paint murals over them. "I imagined if I could put a message or an image on it, the wall will disappear," said Kabir.

The murals often depict memorials to victims of Afghanistan's longstanding conflict, as well as messages promoting peace and anti-corruption. But what makes ArtLords' murals unique is not just that they replace a negative symbol with a positive one-it's that they serve as a platform for reconnecting communities. ArtLords relies heavily on volunteers, and Omaid says this allows Afghans to rediscover what it feels like to contribute to positive change: "They get a brush and start painting. They ask questions ... They want to have a voice in whatever narrative that we are trying to say."

Resistance-Both Present and Future

Omaid and Kabir openly acknowledge that fulfilling ArtLords' mission is not without risks. Despite their positive message, and Afghans' overwhelming desire for peace, there are still those who benefit from the violent status quo.

But ArtLords remains unfazed. "These gunmen, they don't scare us," said Omaid. "Kabir and I grew up in the same country they grew up in. The only difference is that they have a gun and we got a brush and pen."

Looming on the horizon are many critical and challenging questions that will need to be addressed in a sustainable peace process, including power sharing, the reintegration of the Taliban, and how long-held animosities can give way to healing. ArtLords sees a role for themselves in the reconciliation process-but made clear that they would not accept a return to the 1990s, when the Taliban drove Afghanistan's artistic community largely underground. "[The Taliban] have to accept me as a reality of Afghanistan," said Omaid.

Kabir also addressed the issue, saying, "Whatever the Doha talks are about, a lot of young Afghans won't accept a recipe that is cooked outside of Afghanistan for Afghan problems."

Maintaining Positivity Through Conflict

Both Omaid and Kabir admit that the gravity of their mission does weigh on them from time to time. "Do I look sane to you?" joked Omaid. "You feel overwhelmed, you feel responsible to do something," but at the same time "that encourages us, that inspires us."

With Afghanistan possibly taking a new step on the path to peace, ArtLords draws inspiration from the change they've already seen. "There's some beautiful stuff happening every day. Personally, it keeps me going," said Kabir. "I believe in the young spirit of Afghans ... everyone blames me that I'm crazy to have such high hopes for Afghanistan, but I really do, and I see it every day."

And while ArtLords sees hope in Afghanistan, Ambassador Rahmani believes Afghans see hope in ArtLords: "If young artists can imagine turning blast walls into healing works of art, I know we can have peace in Afghanistan."

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Discovering Peace Through Art in Afghanistan

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For an entire generation of Afghans, peace remains an idea-something they overwhelmingly desire, yet few have actually experienced. With reports that a U.S.-Taliban deal is expected by the end of February, there is newfound hope that the violence may come to an end. Experts say the political roadmap laid out by the U.S.

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https://theculturetrip.com/africa/articles/10-contemporary-african-artists-you-should-know/

Some of the oldest art known to mankind originated in Africa. Artistic expression has been a part of African culture for centuries. This is a list of modern African artists who use a variety of mediums - sculpture, metal, recycled materials, paint and the spoken word - to express their artistic visions.

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Contemporary African Artists You Should Know

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Culture Trip curates a list of both leading and emerging artists who continue to influence the evolution of contemporary art in Africa.

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https://www.prestigeonline.com/my/pursuits/art-culture/10-of-the-most-famous-asian-contemporary-artists/

The artists highlighted in this article are known for their visually stunning and unique expressions of Asian culture. Can Guo-Qiang from China was the artistic and visual director for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, which was lauded for one of the most incredible opening ceremonies in modern times.

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Asia has probably produced some of the biggest talents when it comes to contemporary art.

Cai Guo-Qiang, Pacita Abad, Tiffany Chung and Ai Weiwei are some of the famous names who have used this art form - which emerged in the late 20th century - to bring focus to the issues of our times ranging from personal matters such as isolation to socio-political causes such as migration.

From everyday things like pins, chairs, tables and even fireworks, to videos and paintings, these artists use common objects as a form of expression. In fact, Ai's recent 2020 documentary Coronation made headlines for bringing to light the harrowing realities of the coronavirus situation in Wuhan.

In the last few decades, Asian contemporary artists have not only introduced unique styles to art but also helped trigger important debates on pressing issues. In the process, they have also won prestigious honours and awards, along with showcasing their work in various art galleries and museums.

Here's a look at 10 of the most famous Asian contemporary artists of all time that you should know about.

Ai Weiwei, China

One of China's most famous contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei is not only known for his art but also his strong political opinions. He has openly criticised the Chinese government and has faced consequences many times. He was briefly placed under house arrest in 2010 for voicing his anger against government corruption that led to the deaths of thousands of schoolchildren in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, he was held in custody for three months before being released under government surveillance and travel restrictions. In 2015, he moved to Berlin after receiving his passport from the authorities, and then to England in 2019 where he currently resides.

Some of Ai's famous works include Sunflower Seeds (second picture) and Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads. The former is an installation created using millions of individually handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds, weighing approximately ten tonnes and spread like a bed in a room. Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads is a series of sculptures representing the twelve Chinese zodiac signs inspired by an 18th-century fountain-clock.

Also interested in architecture, Ai started his own firm FAKE design in 2003. He has also collaborated with other architectural firms on projects like the Beijing National Stadium, famously known as 'Bird's Nest,' and London's Serpentine Gallery Pavillion.

Yayoi Kusama, Japan

Considered by many as one of the most influential Asian contemporary artists to have emerged from Japan, 91-year-old Yayoi Kusama is renowned for using polka dots as a motif. Her artwork highlights themes such as anti-war, patriarchy and anti-capitalism. She was one of the most sought-after artists in the contemporary art scene in the West during her stay in the US in the 1960s.

Following a decline in health, she moved back to Japan in 1973 and stayed out of the public eye. In 1993, she made her comeback at the 45th Venice Biennale with the acclaimed Infinity Mirror Rooms exhibition - an installation using mirrors to create an impression of intense repetition. She has also collaborated with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Lancôme and authored books such as Manhattan Suicide Addict (1978) and her autobiography Infinity Net (2003).

Takashi Murakami, Japan

In the contemporary art scene, Murakami is famous for his Superflat post-modern art movement - a style that aligns historical Japanese art forms with contemporary pop culture. His art has largely been influenced by Japan's otaku culture, a display of obsessive interest in anime and manga. This was the inspiration for sculptures such as Miss ko2 and My Lonesome Cowboy which was auctioned for US$15.2 million in 2008.

In the mid-1990s, he created Mr. DOB - a character that is today a pop culture phenomenon. Named after the Japanese slang "dobojite" meaning "why?", Murakami created the sharp-toothed character after studying the popularity of famous cartoon icons such as Mickey Mouse, Doraemon and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Some of his works, such as the Polyrhythm and the atomic bomb themed Sea Breeze, reflect on his experiences of post-war US-Japan relations. He has collaborated with many luxury fashion brands and artists including Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. He also wrote and directed the 2013 sci-fi film Jellyfish Eyes.

Christine Ay Tjoe, Indonesia

Born in West Java's Badung, Ay Tjoe is one of the most celebrated contemporary artists in her country. Early in her career, she explored a printmaking technique of the intaglio family known as drypoint before shifting to textiles. From intricately layered paintings on paper to encompassing sculptures, her art displays human emotions, her inner thoughts and other sensory experiences.

Her works have been showcased in Grand Palais in Paris, White Cube in London and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanagawa among other art galleries and museums. Ay Tjoe is also one of the highest-grossing female Indonesian artists at global auction houses. In early 2018, her painting 3->2 #05 (second picture) sold at Christie's for US$318,500.

Haegue Yang, South Korea

The first female Asian artist to win the prestigious Wolfgang Hahn Prize and the honouree of the Republic of Korea Culture and Arts Award (Presidential Citation) in the visual arts category, Yang's work spans from classical sculpture to minimalism. She uses everyday objects to convey important socio-political messages, raise questions on identity, and discuss the subject of isolation. She is sensitive to and critically investigates the post-modern condition, contemporary civilisations and themes such as limits.

Yang's work has been featured at renowned events and places such as Munich's Haus der Kunst and Venice Biennale. Handles (second picture), her recent exhibit at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, comprises geometrical sculptures covered with bells, industrial design handles, vinyl patterns on walls and sounds of birds. The bells represent the ones used in Korean shamanistic rites. She is also a Professor of Fine Arts at her alma mater the Städelschule in Frankfurt and has previously taught at Sweden's Malmö Academy of Art.

Pacita Abad, Philippines-US

Abad, who in 1984 became the first woman to receive Philippines's 10 Outstanding Young Men award, influenced the world of art through her portrayal of marginalised women of colour. Her political activism forced her into exile to the US in 1970, where she began her career as an artist. Her travel experiences shaped her artistic style, and she graduated from drawing tropical landscapes to producing abstract art.

She is known for mastering a technique called trapunto, inspired by an Italian quilting method of stuffing different materials in the canvases to give an elevated effect. Her famous 1991 artwork Caught at the Border (second picture) - a powerful message on immigration - was created using this method. It shows a migrant peering from behind a prison window and is embellished with mirrors reflecting the viewer's face.

Abad created over 5,000 artworks, had more than 60 solo and over 70 group exhibitions at various museums and galleries till her death in 2004. Her work is displayed in various art collections in over 70 countries.

Tiffany Chung, Vietnam-US

Known as one of Vietnam's most renowned contemporary artists, Chung depicts human migration, conflict, displacement, urbanisation and human transformation through her art. She draws inspiration from her own life as a Vietnamese refugee in the US following the Vietnam War.

A graduate and master of Fine Arts, Chung uses her knowledge of archaeology and cartography to create paintings in the form of meticulously drawn maps chronicling geological events and recent humanitarian crises. Her 2019 solo exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum titled Vietnam, Past is Prologue - comprising paintings, maps and videos presenting the stories of Vietnamese refugees spread around the world - is just one of the examples. Her art has been exhibited at Venice Biennale, Johann Jacobs Museum in Zurich, and Museum of Modern Art in New York as well as renowned museums in many other countries. She currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City, where she co-founded the independent non-profit gallery Sàn-Art.

Han Sai Por, Singapore

A full-time sculptor since 1996, Han is the founding president of Singapore's Sculpture Society and remains the Honorary President. One of the most critically acclaimed modern sculptors in Asia, she is also the only dedicated stone sculptor in Singapore and has hewn outstanding pieces of art usually from granite and marble. One of her works 20 Tonnes - Physical Consequences (second picture) is notable because the monolithic blocks have been carved from a single block of granite. She has also produced masterpieces using sandstone and trunks of tembusu trees.

Han's first solo exhibition Four Dimensions was held at Singapore's National Museum Art Gallery in 1993. She has since featured in international institutions, public spaces and private collections in countries such as Malaysia, India, Japan, the UK and the US. She has been awarded numerous honours, including the Cultural Medallion for Art in 1995 and Leonardo Award for Sculpture at Chianciano Biennale in Italy in 2015.

Nam June Paik, South Korea

Originally a musician, it was Paik's first exhibition, Exposition of Music - Electronic Television, in 1963 at Galerie Parnass in Wuppertal which launched his career as one of the most prominent Asian contemporary artists of all time. At this show, Paik presented 13 television sets laid on one side with their reception altered so that each set had a different display.

After moving to the US in 1964, he created a remote-controlled robot called Robot K-456 - that played snippets of John F. Kennedy speeches - in collaboration with engineer Shuya Abe. Over the next two decades, Paik went on to garner appreciation for his television and video-based art.

His art found space in Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris, National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and Venice Biennale among other renowned art exhibitions. In 2007, a year after his death, Paik was honoured with the highest class in the Order of Cultural Merit by the South Korean government.

Cai Guo-Qiang, China

Cai was born in 1957 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. He studied stage design at the Shanghai Drama Institute from 1981 to 1985 and then left for Japan to learn gunpowder techniques for nine years. In 1995, he moved to New York City where he has lived ever since. He was the first Chinese artist to have a solo show at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. In the 2008 exhibition, one of the installations was Inopportune: Stage One, where Cai suspended nine cars from the ceiling and created an exploding effect with timed light displays.

In 2008, he also participated in the Beijing Olympics as the director of visual and special effects. His fireworks display - a series of 29 giant footprints, one for each Olympiad -was viewed by almost a billion people. Awarded the Japan Art Association's Praemium Imperiale in 2012, he left the viewers astounded with a 12-minute event titled One Night Stand at the annual Nuit Blanche celebration in Paris in 2013. The dazzling pyrotechnic display at midnight was an ode to love and took place on Seine river between Musée du Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. It concluded with silver fireworks spelling out the words "Sorry Gotta Go".

He went viral when a June 2015 video of a 1,650-foot chain of fireworks suspended by a helium balloon forming the shape of a ladder leaked on the internet. This was Sky Ladder (second picture), a work of art that Cai had tried to present earlier but didn't get permission from the authorities. He went on to carry this out in secret at the Huiyu Island Harbour in Quanzhou. His life and artworks are the subject of the 2016 Netflix documentary Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang which is rated an impressive 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
(Main and featured image: fundacaoserralves/ Facebook)

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10 of the most famous Asian contemporary artists of all time

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Asia has probably produced some of the biggest talents when it comes to contemporary art. Cai Guo-Qiang, Pacita Abad, Tiffany Chung and Ai Weiwei are some of the famous names who have used this art form - which emerged in the late 20th century - to bring focus to the issues of our times ranging from personal matters such as isolation to socio-political causes such as migration.

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https://www.spanish.academy/blog/10-innovative-contemporary-latin-american-artists-who-broke-the-mold/

These modern artists have explored such topics as genocide, immigration, and urban poverty in their work. Several of the artists from Cuba are social justice activists fighting for freedoms we take for granted in the United States.

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Get ready to meet 10 inspiring contemporary Latin American artists and see their amazing work. These are visionaries who rompen los moldes—break the mold.

Contemporary Latin American art is a general category of art originating from countries of that region from the mid-20th century to the present. Its dominant themes include conceptual, minimalist, protest, and performance art. Especially since the 1990s, Latin American artists have worked in a globalized context due to their growing exposure to the international art world.

Read this article to discover the most influential Latin American artists today who are creating meaningful art that is rich in history, infused with Latin American culture, and radical in appearance.

10 Amazing Contemporary Latin American Artists

This list includes some of the most outstanding Latin American artists working today to transform themselves and their communities by changing paradigms and breaking the mold. Their creativity and uniqueness look to evoke deep feelings in viewers.

1. Doris Salcedo

The starting point of Doris Salcedo’s art is the personal histories of political victims in her native Colombia. Salcedo creates understated sculptures and installations with complex themes related to genocide, trauma, racism, and colonialism.

Salcedo’s media include everyday objects such as household furniture, hair, and clothing. Since 1988, she has interviewed people whose family members were “disappeared” by the authorities during Colombia’s civil war. She regularly visits abandoned villages, murder sites, and mass graves.

According to Salcedo, “The way that an artwork brings materials together is incredibly powerful. Sculpture is its materiality. I work with materials that are already charged with significance, with meaning they have required in the practice of everyday life… then, I work to the point where it becomes something else, where metamorphosis is reached.”

2. Vik Muniz

Our next contemporary Latin American artist is Vik Muniz, a famous Brazilian artist and photographer. Initially a sculptor, he now focuses on photography and mixed media. His art shines a spotlight on the effects of globalization and economic inequality.

Muniz is known for repurposing everyday materials to create intricate and heavily layered recreations of canonical artworks. His eclectic media range from trash to peanut butter and jelly.

Layered appropriation is a recurring theme in Muniz’s work. In 2008, he photographed trash pickers in Brazil as figures from emblematic paintings and recreated the photographs in large-scale arrangements of trash. The 2010 film “Waste Land” documented the project to raise awareness of urban poverty.

3. Jose Alejandro Restrepo

José Alejandro Restrepo is a contemporary Latin American artist with more than 30 years producing electronic arts. His training and interests encompass the visual and performing arts, installation, photography, performance, and editorial production.

Restrepo’s work attempts to dismantle the ideology of the system. It touches on religious themes, such as punishment, redemption, and sacrifice.

A pioneer of video art, Restrepo uses video technology and electronic images to accentuate a deviation from the discourses of popular entertainment and mainstream contemporary art. He often re-appropriates and manipulates television images, reconstructing mass media messages to highlight the value given to images.

4. Zilia Sánchez

Zilia Sánchez Dominguez is a Puerto Rico-based Cuban artist. Her career began in set design and abstract painting for radical theater groups in Cuba prior to the Cuban revolution. Her work was part of the influential exhibition Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-85 at the Brooklyn Museum in 2018.

In the 1960s, Sánchez reinvented hard-edged, geometric abstraction by introducing shaped canvases and sensual undulating forms. In 1964, she traveled to New York, where she began making shaped paintings, a practice she further developed in Puerto Rico after settling there in the early 1970s.

Sánchez’s three-dimensional paintings feature pointy areas of the canvas that protrude into space. She blurs the lines between sculpture and painting by creating canvases layered with three dimensional protrusions and shapes. Her unique works are minimal in color and have erotic overtones.

5. Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara

21st century contemporary Latin American artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is an emerging Cuban performance artist and dissident known for his public performances that openly criticize the Cuban government. A self-taught artist, Alcántara hails from El Cerro, one of Havana’s poorest neighborhoods.

Cuban authorities have detained him over 20 times in the last three years. Officials have cracked down on their enforcement of Decree 349, a 2018 law that prevents artists from showing their work without approval by the ministry of culture.

Acting as a lightning-rod for violations of free expression, Otero’s works embody and raise awareness of Cuba’s ongoing repression of independent artists, writers, thinkers, and activists. In Otero’s piece, La Bandera Es De Todos (“The Flag Is for Everyone”), he wore the Cuban flag for thirty days.

After his most recent release, Otero declared, “We are going to keep producing art; it’s the biggest responsibility of our lives. We will keep fighting for a free Cuba.”

6. Tania Bruguera

Political and social justice are at the core of female Cuban artist Tania Bruguera’s performances, events, community projects, and exhibitions. She addresses oppressive systems and gives voice to the voiceless through her work.

She has been both awarded and arrested for her presentations. In 2014, the Cuban government arrested her for attempting to stage a performance in Havana’s Revolution Square. She had planned to set up a microphone and invite people to express their visions for Cuba.

Brugera’s art directly relates to the Cuban Revolution and immigrant rights. The artist explains, “For me, the most important moment for an art piece is when people are not sure if it’s art or not.”

In 2003, she developed the concept of arte útil (“useful art”)—art that transcends representation to offer practical solutions to social issues. Such art has led to backlash from the Cuban government. Most recently, Cuban officials detained Bruguera in Havana while on her way to a Black Lives Matter protest.

7. Paz Errázuriz

Some contemporary Latin American artists are celebrated photographers. In the 1970s, photographer Paz Errázuriz dared to document communities that were being marginalized in Chile under the Pinochet-led dictatorship. She photographed marginalized and oppressed communities including sex workers, psychiatric patients, and circus performers.

Ignoring laws that restricted women’s access to certain areas, she entered taboo sites such as brothels, psychiatric hospitals, circuses, and boxing clubs. The resulting portraits exude intimacy and warmth, as well as a reverence for their subjects.

According to Errázuriz, she focuses on “topics that society doesn’t look at… and my intention is to encourage people to dare to look.”

8. Mónica Mayer

Mónica Mayer is a feminist Mexican artist, activist, and art critic whose work encompasses performance art, graphic design, drawing, photography, and art theory. Art school piqued her interest in feminist activism, when she heard a group of male students state “that women were less creative than men because [they] gave birth.”

In 1978, she moved to Los Angeles, where she interacted with pioneers of the American feminist art movement. Mayer brought her blossoming performance practice back to Mexico City, where she produced El tendedero (“The Clothesline”) in 1979. The interactive piece encouraged the public to finish the sentence: “As a woman, the thing I detest most about this city is…”

Mayer later founded two feminist art groups and has promoted her feminist ideology through channels outside of her practice. According to Mayer, “Doing research on women’s art, writing about them… teaching, protesting and supporting other women artists is part of my work.”

9. Luis Esquivel

Mexican artist Luis Esquivel is known for his unique neon artwork. Often inspired by electronic music, Luis fuses graphic art, textile design, and technology to form eye-catching and disruptive installations.

Striking neon color gradients and geometric shapes characterize Esquivel’s emerging hyper-modern style. Breaking the mold of traditional modes of art, he finds new forms of visual media and self-expression.

The works of this contemporary Latin American artist are an electric medley of traditional mediums and hypermodern digital media and visuals. The emerging artist works with innovative media including spray paint, digital print and acrylic paint, PVC, wood, mud, and other textiles.

10. Marta Minujín

Argentinian artist Marta Minujín spent the 1960s ensconced by the Pop art movement, and she occasionally collaborated with Andy Warhol. In stark contrast to Warhol’s work, Minujín’s plush sculptures and public performances invited active participation and physical contact.

In the 1960s, she began to transform multicolored mattresses into bulging forms that referenced the human body. They became central elements of art installations, in which Minujín encouraged participants to leave their inhibitions at the door and roll around in a sea of cushions.

Not many contemporary Latin American artists can do what Minujín’s does. Minujín’s work also addresses the problems that result from totalitarian rule and oppression. For example, in her series, La caída de los mitos universales (“the Fall of Universal Myths”), she erected replicas of monuments like the Parthenon using books banned by the former Argentine dictatorship.

When one of Minujín’s pieces is dismantled, its individual components are distributed to the public.

Break the Mold by Learning Spanish

Learning another language is a radical act. By learning Spanish, you’ll not only break the mold of your previous monolingual life, but also improve your cognition and decision-making abilities! At Homeschool Spanish Academy, we’ve been providing reliable service to Spanish learners for more than 10 years. Our unique program features flexible scheduling options, tailored Spanish packages, and high school Spanish credit with transcripts. Sign up for a free class today and get started on your journey toward becoming bilingual!

Want to learn more about Latin American culture? Check out our latest posts!

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Michelle Margaret Fajkus is a bilingual writer and longtime yoga teacher. A former advertising copywriter turned bilingual elementary school teacher, she is now a freelance writer, editor and translator. A native Texan, Michelle has Mexican roots and learned Spanish in middle and high school. She has become more fluent thanks to living as an expat in Guatemala. She lives with her family on beautiful Lake Atitlan.

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10 Innovative Contemporary Latin American Artists Who Broke the Mold

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Get ready to meet 10 inspiring contemporary Latin American artists and see their amazing work with this blog post made just for you!

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https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/aawr.jsp

Admittedly, Antartica isn't the first location to come to mind when talking about art, but there are important artists doing work here. This is a list of films, graphic novelists, photographers, writers and ethnographers bringing the culture of Antartica to a larger audience.

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https://bluethumb.com.au/blog/news-and-media/10-of-the-best-new-emerging-australian-artists/

Australia's recent crop of artists are as diverse as their subject matter - women's empowerment, indigenous tales told through paintings of the ocean, abstract paintings of the outback and incredibly detailed photographs of nature.

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Staying up-to-date with the Australian art scene or getting to grips with collecting art? Either way, finding up-and-coming artists can be quite the feat without a little direction. To help kickstart your collection, we've compiled a list of some of our favourite new emerging Australian artists that everybody should know about.

Amani Haydar

Lawyer, advocate, Bluethumb artist and 2018 Archibald Prize finalist - Amani Haydar has been shaking things up socially through the power of art. Last year was extremely fruitful for Amani, setting her on the path to popularity and respect for her paintings and illustrations, which frequently depict women expressing bittersweet emotion. Amani's self-portrait, 'Insert Headline Here' was a finalist in the 2018 Archibald Prize and her painting 'The Plight of the Victims' was a finalist in the 2018 Law Society of NSW Just Art Prize. Amani's personal and social context has been an expansive source of inspiration for her work. Sadness and emotion are balanced in her figurative works with an underlying sense of resilience and hope.

Learn more about Amani in our interview with her earlier on in the year, or browse her portfolio here.

Bradley Kickett

Noongar artist Bradley Kickett began painting in 2007, but it's only over the last three years that his unique style has developed into the hard-earned reputation he has today. Bradley's aerial view of fluid, abstract paintings are heavily influenced by his experience of Noongar country - from the oceans to the rivers; the wildflowers and the land from airview, the flow and the shapes of the earth - the elements consistently shape Bradley's technique. His ancestry additionally informs his work; the tales passed down to him from family and elders take life in Bradley's art.

See the world through Bradley's eyes here.

Johanna Hildebrandt

Celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of Australian flora and fauna, Johanna Hildebrandt 's acrylic paintings are a welcome edition to Bluethumb. The dynamic compositions are full of life and energy, with vivid colours and movement from her detailed birds. Like Post-Impressionist Henri Rousseau's jungle paintings, a noted influence, Johanna's work delivers a unique, dreamy and charming depiction of nature.

See more of Johanna's vibrant landscapes here.

Erin Nicholls

The detailed illustrative work of Erin Nicholls shows us urban scenes that have been influenced by her travels. She uses a restricted and controlled colour palette that is well balanced to contrast her realistic illustrations. More often than not containing a lonely figure with their back to the viewer, her work reminds us of stunning Studio Ghibli film stills, but even better, they put you into the film.

Explore Erin's work here.

Nadia Culph

Photographer Nadia Culph is immensely skilful at manipulating and controlling light. Her close-up still lifes are inspired by all of "nature's curiosities and wonders". Keeping her composition simple, Nadia creates stunning images that aim to bring the minuscule details of nature's blooms to the fore. As they say, the devil is in the detail!

Angela Hawkey

Art pretty much flows through Angela Hawkey 's blood. Raised in an artistic household with creative traditions, Angela has grown to experiment in photography, graphic design, ceramics - the list goes on. However, Angela is at her happiest with a paintbrush in hand and approaches the canvases with a free-flowing, unplanned and unpredictable mindset. "Even when starting with a subject or idea in mind, I freely deviate from the plan. I love the unexpected surprises and naturalness that comes from a relaxed style of painting." Colour and texture take centre stage in Angela's work, which forge thick, layered landscapes, abstracts and still life.

Shop Angela's art here.

Kate Gradwell

A former scientist who's found a second passion in painting, Kate Gradwell is quickly gaining the attention of the art world. The Sydney artist was a finalist in last year's Archibald Prize with her piece Yindyamarra. Outside of major portrait prizes, Kate uses her gift for conveying the atmosphere of light in her landscapes. Her glowing canvases capture the stunning scenery of her local area and favourite holiday spots. Discover more here.

Marinka Parnham

Melbourne-based painter Marinka Parnham has come full creative circle on her artistic journey. From textile designing to teaching, her experiences have ultimately shaped the energetic contemporary character that emerges in Marinka's work. Inspired by nature, landscapes and colour, flora and fauna are regular features within her art; her latest collection incorporates Australia's quintessential nature with bold pops of colour, making it a hit with modern homeowners and interior designers alike.

Click here to make one of Marinka's artworks your own.

Joseph Villanueva

Similar to many artists on Bluethumb, Joseph Villanueva notes that a key source of inspiration for his work comes from nature: landscapes in bloom, wondrous skies, garden vistas in explosions of flowers and bright colours. You'll have a hard time finding another artist doing what Joseph does, however - his sgraffito technique involves scratching through a layer of still-wet paint to reveal complementary colours underneath. Joseph's use of optimistic colour and free-flowing lines may seem like abstract creations at first, but look a little closer and it's clear that the compositions are grounded in figurations and structural elements describing the landscape.

Sophie Lawrence

Canberra artist Sophie Lawrence builds layers upon layers of small circles to create stunning large abstracts and landscapes that take form when viewed from a distance. With a passion for colour and the effect of combining different hues, her work is a stunning spectacle that has captured the hearts of many interiors-obsessed collectors across the country. There's a particular magic in her work that continually draws us in, which Sophie explains best of all: "My art is a kaleidoscope of colour and energy that are as beautiful close up as they are from a distance."

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10 of the Best New Emerging Australian Artists 2021

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Staying up-to-date with the Australian art scene or getting to grips with collecting art? Either way, finding up-and-coming artists can be quite the feat without a little direction. To help kickstart your collection, we've compiled a list of some of our favourite new emerging Australian artists that everybody should know about.

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https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2019/07/25/7-port-city-artists-you-should-know/4615531007/

These seven artists, including a professor from UNC-Wilmington, are represented in local galleries in the city. Their mediums vary from paintings to sculpture to mixed mediums.

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The Wilmington area is home to a dynamic arts community. Here are just a few of the artists making this a more interesting and beautiful place to live.
Pamela Toll, painter
As one of the four founders of Acme Art Studios in Wilmington, Pam Toll has been a longtime part of the local arts scene. And, for much of that time, she's been an instructor in the arts at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "I enjoy being around young people. It's great energy," she said. And much of her painting is narrative, but it's up to the viewer to decide what the story is. Her work has appeared in collections around the world, from Italy to Turkey. She's also one of the founders of the No Boundaries International Art Colony, which has a mission of cultural exchange.

Where you can find her: At Acme Art Inc., 711 N. Fifth Ave., which is open on Fourth Friday gallery nights. And she has a show, her Memoir Series, opening this month at the Wilma W. Daniels Gallery, 200 Hanover St. in downtown Wilmington.
Michael Van Hout, sculptor
Van Hout said he's been creating most of his life. He now mostly works with just his hands, pliers and wire to create whimsical animal and figurative sculptures. His work covers both large and small subjects. One of his recent interests is galimotos, kinetic wire toys/sculptures with wheels, and he's had shows devoted to them. A project that he's particularly proud of is art for a historic shirt factory recently converted into the South Front Apartments at 1510 S. Third St. in Wilmington. It includes a wire sculpture in a pocket garden and a mural covering the entire wall of the entrance.

Where you can find him: At www.michaelvanhout.com, at Art in Bloom Gallery in downtown Wilmington.
Fritzi Huber, visual artist, handmade paper
Huber has recently been working on a series that explores those areas where water meets the land, places of transition where we find flotsam, jetsam and evidences of existing life. "Lately, I've been looking at more inland bodies of water," she said. Particularly those trees that are dying because of saltwater intrusion. As someone obsessed with butterflies, she's also been exploring birds, flies and moths that can be confused for butterflies.

Where you can find her: At New Elements Gallery, as well as the Cameron Art Museum, which has four pieces of her work in its permanent collection.
Jeff Chase, painter and photographer
Chase has been an artist, and artist representative as a gallery owner and dealer, for more than 20 years. He owned Chase Gallery in Boston and briefly opened such a gallery in Wilmington in 2002. He said his art has gotten more abstract over the years.

"I try to bring a new perspective that can be interpreted by the viewer and express something felt and not seen," he said. When he's not creating, Chase is a real estate broker for MoMentum Companies in downtown Wilmington.

Where you can find him: At www.jeffchasestudio.com. In addition to showing his work in Raleigh and Boston, Chase also showcases his work at the MoMentum offices, at 103 S. Front St.
Abby Spangel Perry, visual artist
Nature and natural history play a large role in Abby Spangel Perry's art. "The subjects of my paintings and drawings are most often the smallest components of ecosystems," she said. "Like biological specimens, I set them on display by isolating them in space and drawing attention to their strange anatomy."

She also teaches painting, drawing, and design at Cape Fear Community College.

Where you can find her: At www.abbyspangelperryart.com. This summer, she is also stepping into the position of gallery coordinator for the Wilma W. Daniels Gallery at 200 Hanover St. at CFCC.
Paul Hill, sculptor
Trying to convey human spirit and human emotion is the ambition that Paul Hill has for his work. And he turned to sculpture as a way to convey those thoughts and feelings because he loves the transformative nature of it.

"I enjoy taking a flat piece of steel and turning it into something beautiful, that has substance."

Many of his pieces are public art, and he's particularly proud of one he did for the North Carolina Veterans Park in Fayetteville, where he was one of seven artists given a word to represent. Hill, who is a Vietnam War veteran, got 'courage' and he made his sculpture out of World War II surplus.

Where you can find him: At www.paulhillsculpture.com. And many of his works are a part of the pedestrian collection in Wilmington, including the dog piece "DoGoneGood," that's located next to the Arts council office at 221 N. Front St.
Gayle Tustin, painter and ceramic artist
During her artistic process, Gayle Tustin will make sketches, take notes, do research, and jot down words and phrases that come to mind. "Whether I'm working in clay, on canvas or paper, I begin by making marks and texture with brush strokes, scrapers, sandpaper, and more, until the direction of the piece starts to be revealed," she said. "The end result may be something totally different than what it started out as in the beginning."

Tustin is also one of the co-founders of No Boundaries Inc., a local international and cultural exchange.

Where to find her: On Instagram at gayle_tustin. She also has an exhibit at PinPoint Restaurant, at 114 Market St. in downtown Wilmington through Sept. 23.

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The Wilmington area is home to a dynamic arts community. Here are just a few of the artists making this a more interesting and beautiful place to live. Pamela Toll, painter As one of the four founders of Acme Art Studios in Wilmington, Pam Toll has been a longtime part of the local arts scene.