Saturday, July 17, 2010

Saturday Sharing (My Finds Are Yours)


In today's edition of Saturday Sharing, video shots of Iceland will cool you down if you exert too much energy exploring the art- and creativity-related sites I've posted here.

✭ The new photojournalism site AfricaKnows shows what a good eye and gift for words can produce.

✭ The much-honored artist and writer Faith Ringgold has created a conceptual study on race and color in America: Racial Questions and Answers. It should make you think.

Go here for Ringgold's blog, where you can learn about her commissions and other art-related and writing activities. Ringgold's signed collectors' posters may be viewed and purchased here.

Working with the Experimental Printmaking Institute and her foundation Anyone Can Fly, Ringgold also has created a limited-edition print to benefit the children of Haiti: "Where do all the children go when their world coming tumbling down?" (An image of the original acrylic on canvas may be seen on Ringgold's blog. A few of the prints are still available to purchase.)

Ringgold, for those who don't know, is renowned for her painted story quilts. Images of many of her quilts may be viewed here. Go here for her PBS quilter's profile.

✭ I've never visited Iceland. These live video shots offer reason enough to go. Can you imagine sticking your hot summer feet into that coolness?

✭ For those whose creativity thrives under discipline, Yvonne Adele offers a template and instructions for bringing ideas to fruition. Liz Massey writes her own newsletter at Creative Liberty.

✭ Go here to learn how you can participate in The One Hundred Postcard Project, described as "a grassroots initiative to revive the art of personalized, material human connection through the writing of postcards and letters."

✭ It's not too late to sign up for the August 30 and October 11 Mondo Beyondo classes: lessons, activities, and exercises to "uncover your deepest wishes and dreams and explore what it takes to realize them." Check out the blog for ideas, inspiration, and stories. A "Dream Lab" exploring rest, play, and the power of kindness currently is in session.

✭ As readers know, I have become a fan of fine mosaic art. My friend Nancie Mills Pipgras, who with her husband Bill Buckingham edits the wonderful magazine Mosaic Art Now, recently reposted a feature about the Chicago Transit System's "Train" mosaic, which is in CTS' Belmont Station. The artist is David Lee Csicsko; the mosaicist and fabricator is Erin Adams. The "Train" is one of those artworks that makes you smile the instant you see it. It's magical. And that magic is infectious: A FaceBook Group, "Rub the Eye for Luck", has popped up. It describes itself as a "movement to generate not only a state of mind, but to also come up with unique ways to encourage folks in Chicago and ALL around the word to pay it forward. The concept all starts with a quick rub of the eye for luck. . . ." If after viewing the video below you agree, then pay it forward with a smile and do something to brighten someone's day. Then go join "Rub the Eye".

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

As always, so useful. Thanks M.

sarah said...

wonderful links - I have their tabs open all across the top of my browser! Thank you for an interesting Sunday morning.

Anonymous said...

i enjoyed...

the blog of mosiac art now

the 100 postcards

and the eye rubbing was cute

Joyce Wycoff said...

Maureen ... always a treasure trove, today's was especially fun since I've just taken up mosaics. What inspiration! Thanks ... thanks ... thanks!

Anna said...

Maureen, i wanted to email you, but i couldn't find a way to do that - so, Bradley moore from shrinking the camel suggested i share a couple of links with you from a recently launched blog Transpositions (http://itiablog.wordpress.com), which I mentioned on my own blog, Goannatree. I shared the links to a few thought-provoking posts about the role of the Christian Artist which have raised some questions about the nature of both “Christian art” and the artist’s sense of membership with the church.

I commend the following posts to you.

In The Burden of Autonomy (http://itiablog.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/the-burden-of-autonomy/), Sara Schumacher discusses what happens when a client says "do whatever you want."

Jenn Craft's post, Christianity, Creation, and Art (http://itiablog.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/christianity-creation-and-art/) along with her two-part series titled Where Does our Service Lie?: The Christian Artist and the Church (Part 1 - http://itiablog.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/where-does-our-service-lie-the-christian-artist-and-the-church-part-1/) (and Part 2 - http://itiablog.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/where-does-our-service-lie-the-christian-artist-and-the-church-part-2/) explore what it means to be a Christian artist.

I normally wouldn't put so many links in a post and i hope this doesn't get caught by a spam filter!!

I hope you'll take a look and let them know what you think!