Artist Appreciation Month

Did you know? August is Artist Appreciation Month
Some things you can do to celebrate Artist Appreciation Month:

1. Support a charitable organization dedicated to Art. How about the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.? Visit National Gallery of Art for a Calendar of Events; to get a calendar of films; to donate; for videos and podcasts; and for general information on exhibitions, online tours, resources, kids' programs, and the gallery shop. (With an annual revenue in excess of $160,000,000, there should be something there that interests you!)

2. Visit your local art museum. Typically, there is a day/night when entrance is free, however, expect a donation request. Donate – generously when you can. Discover the art your community or region has created.

3. Make it a day: Travel to the home of well-known collections close by. Check your newspaper or go online to make sure of the hours, parking availability (you may have to park and take a shuttle), and entrance fees. Speaking of which: those who desire and feel they can spare the time, are invited to take an extended lunch @ the Decordova Museum & Sculpture Garden this Saturday, August 4. We can jam into a couple of cars and buzz over there and not take a whole lot of time.

4. Visit another world's culture: What world haven't you visited -- in your own neighborhood? China Town in NYC? Quebec City, just to our north? What about some lazy city in Massachusetts? Martha's Vineyard? Rhode Island? You get the idea.

5. Take your kids, your grandkids, the neighbor's kids, or just your camera, and visit the closest kids' hands-on museum. You'll learn something, I assure you -- and you'll laugh.

6. Visit an arboretum [Boston has one, no?], botanical garden, or local zoo -- take your camera, and a sketchbook, too. Have you ever been inside a butterfly enclosure? Slow down... enjoy the view... and try something new.

7. Check out an Art History book at the library. Learn the difference between an Impressionist and a Minimalist. And how the Dada's have influenced graphic design!

8. Going to the beach? First, go online and look for Sand Castles. You will be stunned at the magnificent works of art crafted from beach sand and water. If you're lucky, you may find that a competition is under way near you.

9. Take a nature walk, either in a guided tour, or on your own. Notice the lacey skeleton of a decaying leaf... the spiraling dainty spider web... patterns in flowers and shells... the view, straight up, from within a stand of pines... think about those Trigger Mechanisms we went over in class [and are posted in an earlier post].

10. Instead of running into the video rental store, hit the dollar store: Buy the kids some paints... sparkle glue... sticky-backed gems... scissors... construction paper... buttons... paper plates... clay... cheap cookie cutters for stencils. Join the fun for yourself, pull the table out, and find yourself a chair. Nothing encourages the artist in them like encouraging the artist in you. PLAY!!