Art History's Top 100 -- The Middle Ages and the Renaissance

It's official -- I love my art appreciation class.   There was a definite spring in my step when I went to the Visual Arts Center last Wednesday night to find out what Rosalie Mack had culled from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to share with her students.   Here are a few highlights from her highlights:

Mother-in-law gargoyle

Gargoyles  --  Who doesn't love a good gargoyle?  This creature (known as the "mother-in-law gargoyle") graces the exterior of the gothic cathedral Notre Dame in Paris.  It probably won't come as a surprise to hear that the creator of this sculpture wasn't exactly enamored of his in-laws.  And I'm betting that this homage didn't do much to endear him to them either.  In addition to being totally cool looking, gargoyles often function as rain spouts.   

Holy Trinity by Masaccio

Masaccio's Holy Trinity --  While religious art isn't really my cup of tea, I have been thinking about this painting all week.   Masaccio's rendition of the Holy Trinity is noteworthy because it was the first painting to use perspective.  Many wealthy members of the community had chapels built in their honor.  These patrons (pictured on the far sides of the work) commissioned a painting that looked like a chapel instead.  Legend has it that when the work was first unveiled, viewers fled the church in fear because it was so realistic looking.   Perhaps the words "I once was what you are and what I am you also will be" written above the skeleton in the open coffin had a bit to do with the impact as well.    

Mack's example of linear perspective

One of the many fun things about Mack's class is that she breaks up the session about halfway through with an arts activity.  This week she showed us how to incorporate perspective into a drawing by using a vanishing point.  She quickly sketched out three different versions:  eye level, worm's view, and aerial.  (This is the eye level view.)  It was astonishing to watch her drawing transition from being totally flat to having depth with a few well placed strokes.   Then it was our turn.  And while I am nearly paralyzed at the thought of putting pencil to paper to do anything other than write, I created a reasonable facsimile of her drawing.  It was seriously exciting.   

Michelangelo's David

David -- There's little doubt in my mind that Michelangelo's David is the most beautiful sculpture of all time.  I have had the pleasure of visiting the David at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence on two different trips, and it was hard each time to pull myself away.   Michelangelo's attention to detail is incredible.  You can see the veins in his hands (not to mention his incredible six pack).  The David was sculpted from a 14' piece of Carrara marble, and it was Michelangelo's intention to have the work mounted on a pedestal.  Consequently, he purposefully made the dimensions of the statue disproportionate, with the head and shoulders larger than the lower half of the body.   Truly a stunning piece of art.

Michelangelo was a painter as well, with the Sistine Chapel being his most famous work.  I can hear you saying, "Tell me something I don't know!"  Well, what you might not know is that Michelangelo was also a poet, and that he wrote a poem about how physically demanding painting the Sistine Chapel was.  I haven't found an official translation of the poem, but I like this version (also endorsed by Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky).  http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/poem/2010/01/labor_pains.html

If reading about this class is giving you the yen to study a little art history yourself, check out the Khan Academy website http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/   It is an incredible resource.  (Thanks to Rosalie for sharing!)

Next week's class will cover art from the 1600s - early 1800s.   I can't wait.

Art History's Top 100 -- Ancient Art

Thank you, Mrs. McKelvin.   McKelvin was my high school humanities teacher, and it was her class that opened my eyes to the world of art.   Rosalie Mack is, I'm sure, the equivalent to many students in Charlotte County.  Until Mack retired last year, she worked as an art teacher (both studio art and art history) at Punta Gorda Middle School and then Charlotte High School.    She has now brought her skills to the Visual Arts Center, and I was the first person to sign up for her six session course entitled "Art History's Top 100."

The immediate question, of course, is how Mack could possibly choose THE top 100 works of art.  While acknowledging that the selection was arbitrary, Mack says her goal is to familiarize students with the works of art that we are most likely to come across in our lives, whether's it's in the news, in popular culture or in cocktail party conversation.   It works for me!  I am just happy to have the chance to discover (or rediscover, as the case may be) some artistic greatest hits.

Red Cow and First Chinese Horse -
Caves of Lascaux, France

The first class was a whirlwind survey of ancient art, with the focus on genres of art rather than specific artists.  In two and a half hours, we went from the cave drawings of Lascaux, France and Altimira, Spain (circa 25,000 - 15,000 BC) to the Pantheon in Rome (which, according to the internet, "opened" in 126 AD).   It is truly astonishing that the cave drawings (made from raw earth materials) have survived over the ages.  The works are thought to be tributes to the gods who were responsible for providing food to the people.  As we looked at the slides, I realized that I had actually seen the cave drawings of Lascaux on a long ago bike trip to the Dordogne Valley.  Sadly, my strongest memory is not of the drawings but of the riders on our trip who were claustrophobic and refused to enter the caves.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge (circa 2000 BC) in England made the cut, and a visit to this mysterious site is definitely on my bucket list.   To this day, scientists and paleontologists don't know the purpose of the structure--perhaps a calendar of some sort, perhaps a place to celebrate pagan gods.  Two amazing facts:  1)  Stonehenge took over 2000 years to build, so there was a lot of buy-in to whatever was going on.  2)  Some of the enormous stones were transported from over 200 miles away.  (They know this because the type of stone used is not indigenous to the area.)  We're not talking about a time when you could just load these huge boulders up on a flatbed and haul them.  Most likely, the stones were rolled on logs from their home to the building site.  Pretty amazing stuff.

Bull-Leaping Fresco

My favorite art of the class came from the Palace of Knossos (circa 3000-1200 BC)
located  on the Greek Island of Crete.  The palace  ruins contain a number of frescoes, including this depiction of everyone's favorite athletic event--bull leaping.  There were apparently several types of bull-leaping, but what is shown here is a gymnast running full force at a bull, grabbing its horns, and catapulting himself over to the other side of the animal.  This puts some perspective on the vaulting event at the Olympics.  A form of bull-leaping (with cows instead of bulls) is still practiced today in Southwest France.  I'm generally up for new experiences, but I think I'd sit on the sidelines for this one.

By the end of the evening, we had covered 16 of Art History's Top 100, and I was already looking forward to the following week's class.   Next up: the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.



 

Fighting Hunger One Bowl at a Time

Note:  A version of this article was published in the September 12th Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte edition of Florida Weekly.  I participated in the first leg of the event -- the bowl making.  Suffice it to say that my bowl will not be the first one chosen at the dinner!  

Fighting Hunger One Bowl at a Time by Nanette Crist

To most of us, an empty bowl is a sign that it’s time to push back from the table after a satisfying meal.    Getting three square meals a day is just one of those things you take for granted.  For many people in Charlotte County, however, an empty bowl represents hunger rather than a full stomach.  The purpose of the Empty Bowls Dinner, now in its 14^th year, is to remind people that there are many children and adults in our community who do not know where they will get their next meal.

In the Beginning…

The Empty Bowls Dinner has humble origins.  In the spring of 2000, Joann Winkler, a fifth grade teacher at Liberty Elementary, was teaching a class of children who had been identified as being at risk of dropping out.    Winkler was always on the hunt for projects that would both engage her students and sow the seeds of community service.  Winkler heard about Empty Bowls, a national grassroots effort to raise awareness about hunger, from one of her colleagues.   The concept was simple.  Groups of people get together to make bowls and then serve a meal at which the bowls are sold.  Proceeds from the event are donated to organizations that feed the hungry in the local community.   Winkler knew it would be a great “service learning” project for her kids—and lots of fun.   

The project required funding to purchase clay and other materials and food.   Winkler and her nascent Empty Bowls committee turned to the Arts & Humanities Council and received a $500 grant to fund the program.  

Forty students participated that first year.  They made the bowls in their art classes.  A simple lunch (featuring Campbell’s chicken noodle soup) was prepared and served by the students in the Liberty Elementary cafeteria.  The event raised $250.  

My bowl

Gaining Momentum

With each passing year, the Empty Bowls Dinner has grown.   Other school arts teachers became aware of the project and got their students involved by incorporating bowl making into their curricula.   Charlotte County high school and middle school students make many of the bowls that are sold at the annual benefit dinner. 

 In 2003 the Visual Arts Center joined the effort by opening its doors to host a free community bowl making event.  The event takes place over the course of two Sunday afternoons.  At the first session, pottery instructors Howard Hartke and Jack Vartanian demonstrate how to make a basic bowl using the pinch pot method.  Participants who want to do something a bit more creative have the chance to embellish their bowls by using molds or drawing on designs.    By the end of the day, over 300 pounds of clay has been transformed into bowls.   

And I Helped!

While Winkler has been the backbone of the Empty Bowls Dinner since its inception, she touts it as a project of the Charlotte County Public School System.   The Empty Bowls committee is comprised almost entirely of teachers and other school district employees.  The school board is 100% behind the project, and has hosted the event in the past.  And the project relies heavily on students both to create the bowls and to work at the dinner.  

To Winkler, student involvement is the key.  She says, “Empty Bowls is an opportunity for everyone to give back to their community.  Kids need to learn about doing for others at an early age, no matter where they are socio-economically.  It’s very powerful to be able to tell my students, ‘We raised $XX, and YOU helped!’  They feel like they have really contributed.” 

Joann Winkler and veteran Empty Bowlers

There’s no doubt that the kids are getting the message.   A few event veterans recently spoke to Winkler’s class about what it means to them to participate in Empty Bowls.  They talked about how it is a chance to “lead by example” and how they enjoy the responsibility of working at the event—whether it’s serving food, ferrying trays, or washing dishes.  They also said that they’re proud to help people who don’t have as much as they do.   

This year’s Empty Bowls Dinner will be held on Thursday, November 7th, from 4:00 – 7:00 at the New Day Christian Church.  The details are still in development, but for the price of admission each attendee will receive three samples of soups made by local restaurants, a hearty slice of bread, and water.   It’s a simple meal that someone who is hungry would be thankful to receive.   Entertainment will also be provided.  And, of course, participants will select a handmade bowl to take home as a reminder of the needs in our community. 

Winkler is hoping to serve 1500 meals at this year’s dinner.  That’s a lot of bowls, and there’s a gap between the number of bowls made by students and the VAC potters and the number needed for the benefit.   Winkler hopes that local potters who’ve made bowls that they feel are not up to snuff (for reasons imperceptible to the ordinary eye) will contribute their creations.  “Artist bowls” get a premium at the event.   

The Need in Charlotte County

Since the first Empty Bowls Dinner in 2000, more than $150,000 has been donated to organizations in our community that feed the hungry.  Last year the benefit raised $17,000, and Winkler is optimistic that that number can be exceeded this year.  The proceeds will be divided among three groups:  the Yah Yah Girls’ Back Pack Kidz program, the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition, and the Homeless Education Project.   

The Back Pack Kidz program fills over 1300 backpacks weekly during the school year with nutritious and kid-friendly foods and delivers them to seven Charlotte County elementary schools.   The backpacks are sent home with children who have been identified as being at risk of having little or nothing to eat over the week-end.  The backpacks are returned on Monday morning and the process starts all over again.    Over 1400 children are being fed through the program each week-end.  

The Charlotte County Homeless Coalition provides a multitude of services to people in need of shelter and food in our community.  These services include a food pantry, a hot meals program, and a 52 bed general population emergency shelter with a focus on families.   As of last, seven families  (27 people) were on the waiting list for a place to stay.  

The Homeless Education Project is a program run by the Charlotte County Public School System. Its goal is to help students who live in temporary accommodations to achieve academic success.  (Temporary accommodations include domestic violence shelters, cars, and public spaces such as woods or tents.)  Among other things, the Project runs a food pantry to facilitate the provision of adequate nutrition to these students.  In the 2012-2013 school year, the Project assisted 494 children; over 180 kids have registered already to participate this year.  

Empty Bowls is an inspiring example of our community coming together to help those less fortunate.  And it’s an event that everyone who wants to help can participate in, whether as a potter or a diner or both.    Soup’s on! 

Exposed: Face & Figure at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts

I am a big fan of the Lee County Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.   In fact, the traveling show that the Alliance hosted for Black History Month in 2011 was one of the first exhibits I saw after moving to Southwest Florida, and it made me realize there are some pretty cool things going on in this neck of the woods.  (If you're interested in reading about that show, you can click here:  http://nanettesnewlife.blogspot.com/2011/02/black-creativity-arts-alliance-in-fort.html .)  And I love the fact that the Alliance has a small auditorium on site that is home to Theatre Conspiracy.  So, I find myself at the Alliance from time to time when there's an exhibit or a show that's piqued my interest.

A Bit Happy and a Little
Crazy by Kellen Beck Mills

Last week I made the journey to attend the opening reception of Exposed:  Face & Figure.  I'll admit that I had a bit of an ulterior motive.  I knew that some artists would be there, and I wanted to promote the National Art Exhibition that the Visual Arts Center will be hosting in February.

The show included works by 31 artists who had been invited to submit "engaging and provocative depictions of the human form."  As I walked around the galleries, I was struck by the variety in the works, which included both all types of two dimensional art -- collage, painting, photography -- and sculpture.  I am always a fan of collage, and this work by Kellen Beck Mills caught my eye (perhaps because  the subject reminded me of Frida Kahlo).  When I googled Mills, I learned that she has created a Donna Quixote series of collages, and I suspect that this is part of the series.  Mills says, "The character, Donna Quixote, is a transformation of an earlier character of Wonder Woman.  She is a stumblebum super heroine who is like a paper doll, finding herself in various costumes, environments, and adventures."  I like it.

Black Sweater/White Skirt by Alicia Schmidt

As I rounded a corner of the gallery, I found myself drawn to Alicia Schmidt's Black Sweater/White Skirt.  The medium is conte, a term I wasn't familiar with.  Conte sticks are fat artist "crayons" most commonly found in shades of black, white, and gray.   Again, I took to the internet to find out more about Schmidt.  I learned that she's quite an accomplished artist whose works are included in many a corporate collection, including that of Neiman Marcus. There's a nice video on her website that was put together by Neimans entitled "The World of Alicia Schmidt."  The video lauds her art as "interpreting through simplification," which you can see in this work.  (If you're interested in seeing the video, go to     http://www.aliciaschmidtgallery.com/ )

Media Goddess by Pat Collins

Perhaps my favorite work in the show is Media Goddess by Pat Collins.  Who wouldn't like a mannequin decoupaged with feminist statements? The mannequin's breasts are topped with a headline about a court ruling granting women the right to go topless. Based on an excerpt (on the torso) from an article about the ruling, it appears that the judge made his decision based on the fact that "all breasts are physiologically similar."  I presume this refers to the biological similarity between men's breasts, which of course are bared frequently in public, and women's breasts.  I wasn't able to find out anything more about the court's ruling, but I did find an entry on Wiki about "TopFreedom."    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topfreedom  While I understand this issue in the context of mothers wanting to breastfeed their infants in public places (discretely, one would hope), I don't quite get putting a lot of energy into the cause of having the right to go topless.   In any event, Media Goddess is a truly fascinating work and an interesting take on the subject of the human figure.

Faceless #6 by Marcus Jansen

I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the show included a work by Marcus Jansen, a local artist with some serious international credentials.   I first learned about Jansen a couple of years ago when I went on an artists' studio tour sponsored by the Alliance.  Jansen's studio is housed in a warehouse (which is necessary given the sheer size of many of his works) and was the venue for a post-tour reception.  Jansen is a Gulf War veteran, and his experiences there have a definite influence on his art.   In 2011, Absolut vodka "boldly made its iconic bottle into a blank canvas to inspire artists throughout the world to collaborate and fill it with creativity."  (This over-the-top statement is from Absolut's press release.)   Jansen was tapped as one of 18 artists selected to create such a work.  In doing so, Jansen became part of a long line of artists (starting with Andy Warhol) commissioned by Absolut to paint bottles to be used in its advertising campaigns.  It's quite a fun collection.      http://www.absolutartcollection.com/#/step-1   Jansen's works are included in museums around the world, and it's a coup for the Alliance to have one of his works in its show.

I came away from the reception quite pleased that I'd opted for making the trek to Fort Myers to see the show over going home to sit on my couch.  (It was touch and go there for a while, though!)   I was able to promote the upcoming National Art Exhibition while seeing some fun and thought-provoking art.  That's what I call a win-win.  

These Boots Were Made for Walking

I'll admit it -- I've gotten to the point where I need some gimmicks to motivate me to exercise.  (And believe me, I NEED to work out!  There are some things going on with this body of mine that shock me when I look in the mirror.  How did I suddenly get so old and, well, slack???)

My first stop was Foot Locker for a new pair of sneakers.  I figured a little bounce in my step would do me good.  And this pair of Asics just called out my name.  Obviously, they would go with everything (or so I thought, forgetting that many of my work-out tops are prints), and I would want to wear them all the time.  I do love them--and get many compliments (or is it just comments?) when I wear them--but they haven't inspired me to put in more time.

My next "aid" came compliments of my friend Maggie.  Always a late adaptor of technology, I have had a smart phone for less than a year, and I am not a big user of apps.   But I am really enjoying using "Cardio Trainer" on my Droid.  So long as I remember to activate it when I head out for a walk or ride, it maps where I've been and gives me data on distance, time, pace, and calories burned (which I take with a grain of salt).   There are other features that I haven't explored, including a heart rate monitor (usable with a Polar bluetooth) and Calorific (for tracking your calorie intake if you are so inclined).   The app can be used for other types of exercise as well (including swimming and yoga), although I don't really understand how you would use it for these activities since you wouldn't want your phone strapped on when you are in the water or struggling to get into triangle pose.

Which brings me to my latest acquisition -- my Fitbit Flex.  This baby actually IS strapped on my wrist at all times (except when charging).  Fitbit Flexes have become so popular that they were out of stock for six weeks over the summer.  I impatiently waited to get mine, and I love it.  At its core, the Flex is a fancy pedometer, tracking your steps throughout the day.  We all know that the "goal" is to walk 10,000 steps a day, and the Flex makes me aware of how much time

I spend sitting in front of a computer (or, let's be honest, in front of the TV).   Walking 10,000 steps a day is both easier and harder than you might expect.  I've learned that it's about 500 steps from my house to the mailbox and back.  And that if I go to Walmart or the Mall, I am golden.  Nonetheless, I've found myself falling short of my goal on many days.  There are some reasons for this (in addition to my laziness).  Although you can log in exercise other than walking, I haven't figured out how the Fitbit actually treats it.  I definitely get some "credit" for biking, but not as much as I think is appropriate.  So there's some room for improvement in the technology.

The Fitbit Flex also has the ability to track your sleep patterns, which for some reason is oddly compelling.  Each night before I go to sleep I "tap" my Flex to put it into sleep mode.  (I used quotation marks around "tap" because I actually have to whack the heck out of my wrist until I've hit the device in the correct place the correct number of times for it to pulse to let me know it's going to sleep.)  Then when I wake up, I tap it again to wake it up.  I find myself rushing to my laptop to input my hours in bed to find out how well I slept.  I often do this even before checking my emails!  I have no idea why this information is so interesting (after all, you can pretty much tell when you wake up if you got a good night's sleep), but it is.

The Fitbit software has lots of other components to take advantage of if you are really keen.  Not surprisingly, it has a log where you can put in what you eat so that you can see in black and white where the issues are.  (No thanks to that!)  So far the most significant impact the Flex has had on my eating habits occurred when I was leaving a restaurant the other night with a box of leftover steak and mashed potatoes in my hand.  I started telling my friend about my Flex and was gesturing to show it off when my food suddenly flew out of the box and onto the floor.  Oops!  No more seconds on mashed potatoes for me!

Technology has changed our lives in many ways.  I'm happy to have found a way to take advantage of it that actually inspires me to spend a little less time in front of my computer.  And now it's time for my afternoon walk.

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

Someone Else's Love Story had me from the first page.  "I fell in love with William Ashe at gunpoint, in a Circle K... I thought then that I had landed in my own worst dream, not a love story.  Love stories start with a kiss or a meet-cute, not with someone getting shot in a gas station minimart."  And with that I was launched into the story of Shandi Pierce, a single mom working to finish college while raising Natty, her three year old genius son.

Pierce spends the first 75 pages of the book in that Circle K, telling us a bit about her characters' back stories as the situation unfolds.  I instantly fell in love with Natty with his "old man vocabulary."  (The reader is first introduced to Natty over lunch.  When Shandi urges him to eat he says, "I will.  I have to consider the peas.")   As I started to get to know Shandi, I liked her intelligence, her open attitude, and her total commitment to her son.  Then I found out that Natty is the product of a "virgin birth," leaving me to wonder if (i) Shandi is a total nut job or (ii) I had stumbled into some kind of updated birth of Christ story.  (Neither is the case.)   William is a bit more impenetrable emotionally.  The reader learns that he suffered a horrendous tragedy that took his wife and child away from him.  This alone would be cause to be withdrawn from the world, but it turns out that there are multiple reasons for his approach to life.  To get back to the story, at the moment the robber pulled a gun in the store, Shandi found herself a few feet away from Natty.  William's immediate instinct was to place himself between the gunman and Natty to protect the child from any harm.  And with that, Shandi, Natty, and William's lives become interwoven.

Once we emerge from the Circle K, intact but a bit worse for wear, the threesome get to know each other as they try to figure out what they want out of their lives.  A near death experience will do that to a person.

Jackson has put together a cast of characters that made me want to keep reading.  I particularly liked Jackson's development of William's character and story (which left me alternately laughing and heartbroken).  And I liked the fact that, at the end of the day, Shandi and William helped each other come to terms with their pasts in ways that left them able to move forward with their lives.

Someone Else's Love Story will be out in stores in November.  (Yes, this is one of my Book Expo finds!)   Jackson has a number of other books to her credit, including Gods of Alabama and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, that you can check out in the interim.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I've found a new author whose writing I'll consistently enjoy.   Happy reading!