The Art Fairs are Coming: Feels like the (Fifty) First Time

Tue, 07/20/2010 - 3:51pm by andrewjmac

In case you hadn't noticed, the Ann Arbor Art Fairs are about to start. This annual event takes over much of downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus in late July and covers them with arts, crafts, activities, refreshments, and music. But the art fairs weren't always the juggernaut that they are today; once upon a time even Ann Arbor's biggest event was just a small one.

With the art fairs on my mind, I started combing through the Ann Arbor News files and came up with this: a front page story about the first art fair back in 1960, published 51 years ago today. The article notes that the fair (which was simply an adjunct to the Ann Arbor merchants' Summer Bargain Days) featured work from 100 artists. This year's fairs will feature nearly 1100 artists. We can only hope to draw "large crowds" this year as well, although the last several years have seen over 500,000 attend, so that should fit the bill.

Click read more to see the full article from the Ann Arbor News. To learn more about the beginnings of the art fair and to see photos of the early fairs, take a look at our online exhibit 50 Years of Originality: A History of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair.

Take Part in Art -- Pop Art is More Than Soup Cans

Sat, 06/26/2010 - 3:51pm by MariaK

When someone says "Pop Art" most of us, let's be honest, automatically think of Campbell's Soup cans and Marylin Monroe. But how much do we really know about this quintessential postmodern art form? Pop Art emerged in the 1950's and promptly laid siege to the dividing line between "high art" and "low art," bringing the elements of everyday life -- like movie stars, comic books and advertisements -- into the artistic sphere. Pop Art reminds us to take note of the beautiful in everyday life -- not just the beauty of sunsets and flowers, but also the beauty of breakfast cereals, cartoon characters and, dare I say, Campbell's Soup cans.

To explore Pop Art, you can always come to the Downtown Youth department and check out our latest Art Table display, or follow these tips to join in at home.

1. Read all about it -- Pop Art by Christian Demilly provides a good introduction to the movement. Susan Goldman Rubin's books on Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud and Roy Lichtenstein are a great way to find out more about specific Pop artists, as is Debra Pearlman's Where Is Jasper Johns?. Adults interested in Pop Art can check out Pop Art: A Continuing History by Marco Livingstone or the encyclopedic Pop, edited by Mark Francis and Hal Foster.

2. Field Trip -- Although they don't have a Pop Art collection per se, Detroit's Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting several exhibits dealing with the art of everyday life, especially "Mother May I" by LaToya Ruby Frazier. Is this work possibly inspired by Pop Art ideas? That's for me to ask and you to debate. (Debating things like that in public makes you look really, really smart, by the way.)

3. Make your own -- What have you been walking past every day without thinking about it? Your toothbrush? Your sneakers? Maybe it's time for their day in the sun. Collage fans can cut and paste images from magazine photos and ads to make their own work of art. Kinderart, Associated Content and Ehow offer several creative ideas for at-home Pop Art projects.

William Kentridge wins the Kyoto Prize

Tue, 06/22/2010 - 6:38pm by muffy

South American visual artist William Kentridge will receive the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy from the Inamori Foundation of Japan. The prize honors individuals who have made "significant contributions to the progress of science, the advancement of civilization, and the enrichment and elevation of the human spirit".

Mr. Kentridge is best known for his animated films about the history and social circumstances of postcolonial South Africa. The Foundation is most impressed with "his originality as an artist... His deep insights and profound reflections on the nature of human existences provide opportunities to consider fundamental issues that could face any individual in the world".

Mr. Kentridge's works are well represented in William Kentridge : five themes - the catalog published in conjunction with an exhibition held at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and currently touring to 6 museums worldwide until fall 2011; and William Kentridge (2001).

Louise Bourgeois, Influential Sculptor, Dies at 98

Sat, 06/05/2010 - 12:45pm by muffy

This week, the art world remembers Louise Bourgeois (see the articles in The San Francisco Chronicle and The New York Times ).

"Petite in size, gruff of voice and manner", Louise Bourgeois, a French-born American artist who gained fame only late in a long career, is known for her psychologically charged abstract sculptures, drawings and prints that had a galvanizing effect on the work of younger artists, particularly women.

"Ms. Bourgeois’s sculptures in wood, steel, stone and cast rubber, often organic in form and sexually explicit, emotionally aggressive yet witty, covered many stylistic bases. But from first to last they shared a set of repeated themes centered on the human body and its need for nurture and protection in a frightening world."

Perhaps the most provocative was “Fillette” (1968), a large, detached latex phallus. Ms. Bourgeois can be seen carrying this object, nonchalantly tucked under one arm, in a portrait by the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe taken for the catalog of her 1982 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. (In the catalog, the Mapplethorpe picture is cropped to show only the artist’s smiling face.)

In 1993 she represented the United States in the Venice Biennale. In an art world where women had been treated as second-class citizens and were discouraged from dealing with overtly sexual subject matter, she quickly assumed an emblematic presence.

Her 1994 exhibition entitled “Louise Bourgeois: Locus of Memory, Works 1982-1993,” in which the central image was a spider, is based on a creature she associated with her mother, a woman of ever-changing moods. (More books and videos on Louise Bourgeois in our collection).

Ms. Bourgeois was named Officer of The Order of Arts and Letter by the French minister of culture in 1983. The National Medal of Arts was presented to her by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

Take Part in Art -- Marvelous Mosaic

Tue, 05/25/2010 - 10:06am by MariaK

Mosaic -- the art of making images from little pieces of stone, glass or tile -- is an amazing art form. Debuting in Ancient Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC, Mosaic is still going strong around the world, adorning palaces, churches and sculptures, as well as private homes and gardens.

You can check out the latest Art Table on mosaic at the Downtown Youth department, or participate at home!

Read all about it -- For the historical perspective, read Piece by Piece! by Michael Avi-Yonah, which describes the mosaics of ancient Greece, Rome and Byzantium. To learn more about one modern mosaic artist, try Niki's World by Ulrich Krempel. This book focuses on Niki de Saint Phalle, the creator of the magnificent, mosaic-covered Tarot Garden. Adults who want a quick introduction to mosaic can explore JoAnn Locktov's The Art of Mosaic Design, which is full of beautiful color photographs of the best modern mosaic art.

Make Mosaics at Home -- To start making your own mosaics out of materials you probably already have around your house, try Anna Freixenet's Creating With Mosaics. If you grown-ups want to make your own mosaics too, try The Mosaic Idea Book by Rosalind Wates, Mosaic Techniques and Traditions by Sonia King, or The Complete Pebble Mosaic Handbook by Maggy Howarth. The FamilyFun website also provides an awesome list of creative mosaic activities.

Field Trip! -- Mosaic is all about building something new from the pieces of something old. The upcoming Detroit Maker Faire is a great opportunity to do just that. We at the AADL will be celebrating the Maker Faire by hosting Wreck and Make Labs in July, where you can pull apart all sorts of gadgets and make awesome new stuff from them. Pick up the latest copy of AXIS for more information! The city of Ann Arbor will share in the action, with the Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire in June.

Stolen Art!

Thu, 05/20/2010 - 6:29pm by anonymous

According to an article from CNN, five paintings were stolen last night at the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris in Paris, France.

CNN also said that officials did not name the paintings stolen, but the press put out their own listing:

"'Le Pigeon aux Petits Pois' (Pigeon with peas) by Picasso
'La Pastorale' (The Pastoral) by Matisse
'L'Olivier pres de l'Estaque' (Olive Tree near the Estaque) by Braque
'La femme a l'eventail' (Woman with Fan) by Modigliani
'Nature morte aux chandeliers' (Still Life with Candlesticks) by Leger."

We have many books here at the library on art theft, including The Rescue Artist : A True Story Of Art, Thieves, And The Hunt For A Missing Masterpiece, which discusses the 1994 theft of "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, The Gardner Heist : The True Story Of The World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft, which examines the 1990 heist of $600 million worth of paintings from Boston's Gardner Museum, and Museum Of The Missing : A History Of Art Theft, which discusses art theft throughout history. Though, perhaps the most interesting is the true story of the theft of the "Mona Lisa" in 1911, which you can read about in Vanished Smile : The Mysterious Theft Of Mona Lisa

Perhaps this is a good time to do some brushing up on your art and art thievery knowledge. Who knows, you may find the missing paintings with a little help from some reading.

Ann Arbor Art Center

Fri, 04/30/2010 - 4:21pm by flora

How many other cities can boast a 100-year-old local arts organization? I don't have an answer, but I do know that Ann Arbor is pretty lucky. The Ann Arbor Art Center celebrates its centennial this year; join in the celebration by attending one of the many upcoming art exhibits or WineFest, coming up May 6-8.

First up, catch the tail end of Potential!, a juried show of art from Washtenaw County's high school artists, which runs through Sunday, May 9th. May will also feature several other awesome exhibits, such as the post-painting paintings of Kristen Letts Kovak, an exhibit of print art by various Michigan artists, and even an exhibit of hand-painted skateboard decks which will be sold to raise funds for the Ann Arbor Skatepark. Coming up in less than a week is WineFest, which features three wine dinners May 6th, 7th, and 8th, each with a different twist. WineFest is a fundraiser for the Art Center and its various projects, and also includes silent and live auctions, special exhibits, and wine tastings. Tickets are available online.

Take Part in Art -- Petroglyphs and Cave Painting

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 5:45pm by MariaK

Humanity has been engaged in making art for a long, long time. Some of the oldest surviving art in the world can be found carved or painted onto the rocks near where our ancestors once lived. This month's Art Center display focuses on this ancient and long-lived art form.

Of course, you can come to the downtown library and enjoy our display in person, but there are lots of ways to join in at home:

1. Read all about it -- The library has some great books about rock art. For children, we have Painters of the Caves by Patricia Lauber, describing the Chauvet Cave paintings; Native American Rock Art: Messages From the Past by Yvette LaPierre; and Stories in Stone: Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans by Caroline Arnold. Adults can read up on rock art in African Rock Art: Paintings and Engravings on Stone by David Coulson and World Rock Art by Jean Clottes.

2. Take a hike -- Michigan has its own Native American rock art -- the Sanilac Petroglyphs. This site will be open to the public starting May 20th, but you can get in early by purchasing a Use Permit, if you desire. Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park also includes a one-mile hiking trail, open year round.

3. Make your own -- These days, not many people live next to dramatic cliffs and caves they can paint and carve on, but there are ways for the modern, urban human to get that cave art experience. Scholastic, Incredible Art, HotChalk, Education World and Education.com all provide wonderful mini-lessons and activities that you can do at home with some paper, crayons, chalk, sandpaper and -- the most affordable time machine on the market -- imagination.

Let's get foolish!

Wed, 03/31/2010 - 2:56pm by katieh

FestiFools is an organization that aims to make art accessible and fun for everyone. On April 11 from 4-5pm there will be a FestiFools parade down Main Street in Downtown Ann Arbor. In honor of April Fool's Day, this is a chance to have fun, get silly, and let your inner fool come out and play! Come see stunning papier-mâché puppet floats, beautiful costumes, and dance to the beat of GROOVE (a UM percussion group). For those who want to volunteer, enter their own float, or if you just want more information, visit their web site.

Hope to see you there! (Check out last year's podcast with Festifools' creative director, Mark Tucker.

Take Part in Art -- Constructed Sculpture

Thu, 03/11/2010 - 4:31pm by MariaK

This month's Art Center display focuses on constructed sculpture -- sculpture assembled from pieces of wood, metal, cardboard, or other materials.This form of sculpture is believed to have originated with Pablo Picasso in the early 1900's, and has since become a popular sculptural technique.

You can come to the Downtown Youth Department to check out this display in person, or you can participate in this month's Art Center project at home! Here are some great ways to learn more about constructed sculpture:

1. Look up some of the featured artists -- Alexander Calder, credited with inventing the mobile as an art form; Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi; Uruguayan artist Joaquin Torres-Garcia; found-object sculptor Louise Nevelson; and Chicago native Richard Hunt are only a few of the many artists featured at the Art Table this month.

2. Take a field trip -- Famous sculptor Mark di Suvero's "Orion" is conveniently located outside of the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Why not drop by?

3. Read all about it -- Bob Raczka's 3-D ABC is great place to start, with examples of many amazing sculptures. Sculpture by Don Nardo provides a detailed historical overview of sculpture, while Jan Greenberg's The Sculptor's Eye examines modern sculpture. Finally, in Sculpture: Behind the Scenes, Andrew Pekarik discusses how artists create sculptures.

4. Make your own! -- No need to buy fancy supplies -- paper plates and cups, egg cartons, cereal boxes, paper towel tubes and popsicle sticks will work just fine. What can you make? The only limit is your imagination! For some cool sculpting projects, check out Irene Luxbacher's 1 2 3 I Can Sculpt!.