Thoughts about art and community.
“If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.” - Catherine Aird
Last week, I warned that I’d be sharing a laundry list of what I learned by participating in Iowa Pop Art, my very first pop-up-art-festival-type experience.
Without further ado….
Earlier this spring, I was invited (thanks, Niq Thomas) to participate in Iowa Pop Art Market, an inaugural pop-up art event at the National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids. Being a pop-up and festival first-timer, I jumped at the chance and then scrambled to get myself organized.
Part of that scrambling was trying to figure out what I didn’t know that I needed to know. With that in mind, I’m writing a couple of blogs (and later a toolkit) for those folks who need a Pop-Up Prologue, so to speak.
Read MoreMany blogs ago, I rattled on about the basics of asset-based community development***, including why it’s been so influential to me as an artist and how it’s been the grounding nugget of The What’s Good Project. Each painting that I create is a testament to an asset shared with me by someone with strong ties to that particular community.
Read MoreIntroducing Kristin M Roach, Ames-based artist, author, and entrepreneur. If you live in Ames or central Iowa, you undoubtedly know of Kristin, as her hands metaphorically (and sometimes literally) have been in many, many, MANY creative projects and places.
Read MoreA few weeks back, Paige Kappelman, Story County Conservation’s Outreach Assistant, reached out to me (did her job like a boss) for an informal interview after she saw some of my paintings of McFarland Park on Instagram. Naturally, I said yes and we invited Kyle Renell to join the party. Kyle’s not only my good friend and a terrific Ames-based artist, but she also was the person I interviewed for The What’s Good Project here in Ames. In other words, Kyle’s the reason I painted McFarland Park.
Read MoreI can’t tell you how much I enjoyed and learned from this conversation with Iowa State University colleague and fellow artist, Reinaldo Correa. It was one of those conversations that inspired me for the rest of the week. So much insight and wisdom - this is an interview I encourage you to read over and over, and take some notes.
Read MoreI’m happy to report that I am contacted monthly, and increasingly weekly, by someone in Iowa who wants to begin a community mural project. The smallest community to date was a call from McIntire, Iowa (pop 122). The fact that more and more communities are finding value in community art projects fills me with joy.
Read MoreTo an Iowan, or at least to the one I’m married to, “pretty good” means outstanding, fine is “terrific”, and “okay” means pretty dire straits. (Aaron’s worst descriptive is “peachy,” translation: I want to kill someone immediately.)
Fortunately, in the 13 years I’ve lived in the Midwest, I learned that generosity is not understated, not in action anyway. Although, to be fair, Midwesterners definitely have a “it’s no big deal” attitude right after they’ve done something truly kind or generous or thoughtful.
This year, I decided to expand For the Common Good to include interviews with Community Arts Leaders, many of whom are also artists (but not always), as well as serving in more formal nonprofit or civic leadership roles. These folks have often done the arduous (and often thankless) work of fundraising, navigating local red tape, and building diverse partnerships within their communities, all while supporting and advocating for their local artists.
Read MoreIn our house, Rathbun Lake, holds two important titles: one of the largest man-made lakes in the state and most importantly, my husband Aaron’s favorite place in Iowa.
Read MoreHappy 2021! We made it! I couldn’t be happier to start off this fresh new year with a Community Artist Interview with my friend, colleague, and fellow artist, Jordan Brooks.
Read MoreThis is little embarrassing to admit, but anytime I read, watch, or hear something that really resonates with me, I get an immediate and short-lived lump in my throat. In and out. Like my body’s way of saying “Yo, you need to pay attention to this.” The weirdo throat response has happened so often and for so long and in such unexpected ways that I’ve really learned to trust it. All that to say, each of these projects, organizations, and episodes elicited the two-second throat lump in 2020.
Read MoreIn 2019, I spent some good quality time learning about the ins and outs of Pine Lake State Park, thanks to Park Ranger Andy Place and my stint in the Iowa Art’s Council 20 Artists/20 Parks project. Here are a few more recommendations when planning a visit to Pine Lake. Special thanks to Andy for his input to this list!
Read MoreToday’s a very special day. Today is the day that my lovely friend and inspiring artist, Catherine Reinhart, is in the For the Common Good hot seat. Catherine and I have been friends and artist pals for years. We worked together at Iowa State University’s Design on Main Community Gallery while Catherine was the Artist-in-Residence and Gallery Director, and I taught a class for the gallery interns; she’s generously been a part of lots of weird community art projects I’ve instigated over the years (including this one), and best of all, she’s always up for talking shop about what artists can do with folks, and what art can do for folks.
Read MoreGreetings! In this final installation (see what I did there) of how to hang art on your walls, we’ll be going over the nuts and bolts (ha) of the hanging part, i.e. what tools you need, measuring formulas, and best practices for showcasing your work in the best light possible (it’s just too easy).
Read MoreNow that you’re purchasing art that you love, what do you do with it? How do you care for it? How do you create a meaningful visual experience in your home?
Read MoreI get a lot of questions from friends and family on the reg about where and how to frame and hang their art, so I thought I would share some insight. And as always, use what works for you. Ignore what doesn’t. Artist friends, I’d love for you to weigh in here as well.
Read MoreIn that spirit, I’m beginning For the Common Good, a new series of community artist interviews. Each month, you’ll learn how and why these artists work in communities, how their creative practice informs their lives, and tips for communities to better collaborate with artists.
Read MoreToday is a brief checklist on how to prepare for a potential disaster situation. This is a very general overview aimed to touch on topics that young, emerging, and/or procrastinating artists may not have considered or gotten around to. Next week, we’ll dive into what to do when you find yourself in catastrophe.
Read MoreI wanted to write a quick post about ways you can support artists experiencing catastrophic situations. Since COVID began, there have been many, many emergency grant opportunities for artists and creatives. Natural disasters require different navigation, and natural disasters + pandemic is overwhelming.
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