Casey

La Traviata An opera by Giuseppe Verdi

Synopsis/Info links: [] [] []

Libretti: []

La Traviata is about a girl named Violetta and she is told from Alfredo that he is in love with her when she is very ill. She gives him a camellia flower and tells him, "when the flower is shaded, return back to me." Violetta thinks about if Alfredo is her true love. Violetta feels this way because she feels like she needs to abandon herself. This is a love story that doesn't come ture. Violetta doesn't want to hurt Alfredo's feelings and Alfredo will do anything to win her heart. If want to find out if Violetta and Alfredo winds up together in the end, click on the links above to find out.

Annie Leibovitz is a famous American photographer. Her career began at Rolling Stone magazine at which she was chief photographer from 1973 to 1983. In 1980 she photographed John Lennon and Yoko Ono together, five hours before his death. Her photography since then has spanned from Vanity Fair to advertising campaigns to hundreds of celebrity portraits. 



Edward Steichen was born in Luxembourg in 1879, and moved to America only a few years later. He grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee, and spent the last six years of the 19th century at the American Fine Arts Company. Steichen helped establish the Milwaukee Art Students' League, the city's first art school. He found his niche in pictorial photography, in which the photographers would temper with the photonegatives and plates during printing to add fantasy to reality. It also allowed prints to appear in color far before the invention of color photography. Steichen had an illustrious career in both painting and photography until 1923 when he decided to abandon his painting career. This decision was based on his service in World War I that made him realize that photography was his life purpose.

[] I believe this is the most iconic photograph ever taken. This was taken minutes before the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. One man standing up against four massive tanks. It's inspiring to anyone who has been bullied or felt like an underdog or thought all hope was lost.

MoMA Photography:

Zeke Berman: photographs still-lives that create optical illusions of three-dimensional objects and connected shapes.

Cindy Sherman: self portraits in various disguises

Chuck Close:

Day in my Life (put on a tumblr cause i have photo-uploading issues) []

[] This photo depicts several buildings in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. One building is decorated with an illuminated photograph of the nation's founder, Kim Il-Sung. What makes this photograph intriguing is the fact that the picture of Kim Il-Sung is the brightest spot in the photograph. The building it is set on, and all the other buildings visible, are void of decoration, light, people, or any other sign of civilization. The architecture is also very plain, with walls of bare concrete and boxy windows that remind me of a prison. This makes the picture really chilling to look at. It seems to be implying that the only life in the city exists in the memory of Kim Il-Sung. It also says a lot about the priorities of North Korea that the only decoration is a symbol of authority. When I first saw the thumbnail of the image, the lit portrait looked like a window to a room, and I thought it might be symbolism of hope, like the light at the end of the tunnel. Then I saw the full-size image and it wasn't an illuminated living space, but a reminder of the past, and the light at the end of the tunnel is rarely found in the past.

[] Mark Morris is a famed dancer and choreographer, and artistic director of the Mark Morris Dance Group, which has been in existence since 1980. He has choreographed over 130 works for his group, along with choreographing for ballet companies and opera productions. His work has earned eleven honorary doctorates and multiple lifetime achievement awards. Morris was born in 1956 and spent his Seattle childhood studying dance. By the age of 25 he had danced with many famed modern dancers and created his own company. He has been commissioned to create ballets which are now part of the repertoire of many companies, and also has choreographed and directed operas in New York City and London. The Mark Morris Dance Group was created in 1980. Based in New York City, it quickly grew to become one of the most acclaimed modern dance companies. From 1988 to 1991, they were the national dance company of Belgium and stayed at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, the Belgian national opera house in Brussels. The company has had television performances created for London Weekend Television’s //South Bank Show,// Brooklyn Independent Television, and several times for PBS//,// and they have filmed their productions of //Dido and Aeneas, The Hard Nut,// and //Falling Down Stairs//. The latter was an Emmy-award-winning collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In 1996, the Mark Morris Dance Group made a commitment to using live music with all of their performances. Morris is known for his devotion to music. Gia Kourlas of the New York Times writes, "His most successful works explain music through movement, in which neither form is at the service of the other, but equal. It’s egalitarian, a method of positioning — not forcing — bodies into an already existing frame. That Mr. Morris reveals his musical sophistication through barefoot modern dancing is what gives his choreography such primal elegance. Whether the effect is joyful, bombastic or as quiet as can be, the connective tissue is rhythm: the way a melody might hook its way into a foot and lengthen out through the opposite shoulder. He finds ways to make bodies sing all the notes, not just the high ones." He uses music that most choreographers try to avoid, such as Beethoven: "in dance, there has long been the belief that choreographers shouldn’t touch Beethoven," says Kourlas. But Morris's most recent piece does just that. "A Choral Fantasy" premiered on March 1st at the Brooklyn Academy of Music opera house, and is the seventh of Morris's body of work to be set to Beethoven.

Sources: // Mark Morris Dance Group //. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <www.mmdg.org> <span style="background-color: white; color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Murray, William. //Mark Morris Dance Group Receives Mellon Foundation Grant.// 16 <span style="background-color: white; color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Sept. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.

<span style="background-color: white; color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Paul Taylor
<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[] start from 0:54

<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paul Taylor is a modern dancer and choreographer who pushed boundaries with his works. He is considered to be the youngest member of the group that ultimately created and defined modern dance in America, following the likes of Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. He has created 136 dance works, and two dance companies: the sixteen-member Paul Taylor Dance Company, and the six-member Taylor 2, which was co-created with Linda Hodes in 1993 to allow his works to be performed anywhere without being limited by economic or technical matters. Taylor 2 also teaches dance in the areas they are performing. In 1992, Taylor was a Kennedy Center Honoree, and has earned eight honorary doctorates and numerous other awards for his contributions to the arts, including knighthood by the French government. //Speaking in Tongues,// one of his dance films, won an Emmy award in 1992. <span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Taylor came to the dancing world on accident. He was an athlete at Syracuse University studying art when a summer job exposed him to dance. The next summer he studied dance at Connecticut College, and later at Juilliard. He performed with many modern dance greats, including Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham, and in 1953 began to choreograph. But his dances did not satisfy him; he wanted to try deconstructing movement to highlight postures and how people really move throughout their lives. In 1957 Taylor premiered “Seven New Dances,” a performance that would become infamous. Most of the audience had walked out of the theater by the third dance, and the review in the New York Times was four inches of blank space. After this, Taylor decided to incorporate more movement and complexity into his choreography, both of which were lacking in “Seven New Dances”. He still occasionally dips into the abstract, but for the most part his dances focus on the study, and beauty, of motion.

<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Sources: <span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">Dunning, Jennifer. “Paul Taylor- Looking Back and Ahead.” //The New York Times.// 11 Apr. 1982. Web. 20 <span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">Mar. 2012. <span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Paul Taylor Dance Company//. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <www.ptdc.org>

<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Pina Bausch's "Walzer"

<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">This piece begins with a woman carrying a table onstage, and doing more unrelated activities. She suddenly bursts into anger, and begins a ranting monologue while walking around the stage. She describes parts of her body and validates but insults them at the same time. Eventually she sits, and proceeds to spit out, and pick up with her mouth, an unknown substance on various parts of her body, and then combs her toes and silently scolds them when they don't stay pointed. The piece ends in a battle between the woman and her dancing. What really struck me was her line, "I've worked years and years and years on this back." This is a woman who's had a lifelong struggle with perfectionism and self esteem. In my head, she grew up in a high-intensity world of dance in which her body was constantly scrutinized. I imagine her mother, a former dançeuse étoile, assisting her with even the smallest of tasks, and scrutinizing her every move. At the end of her monologue, it was heartbreaking to watch her work so hard at extending her leg and then collapse in frustration. The whole piece was filled to the brim with frustration.

The Lady Who’s Sure

By: Casey Morris and Jacob Zyskowski

Characters:

Woman

Home Depot store clerk (Bob)


 * (Sound Effect: Rain (continues until “rain off”) **

// It’s 5:15 on a rainy Monday morning. Bob is starting up for another busy day at the local Home Depot. He hasn’t finished his cup of coffee yet, but he still has some time before the store opens. He is the only employee that ever comes in this early, but he doesn’t mind. He prefers to get his work done when the store isn’t filled with customers that need his help. He is setting up a sign advertising this week’s sale on stair parts, when there is a loud banging on the glass doors. //


 * (Sound Effect: Knocking) **


 * Bob ** : (//opens door, sees a woman in a dress that is soaked by the rain. She doesn’t seem distressed//.) Do you need help?


 * Woman ** : Yes, I need to buy something.


 * Bob ** : Oh, sorry, we’re closed. We open at six. (//Points to Store Hours sign by the door)//


 * Woman ** : I know, but I really need to buy something.


 * Bob ** : Sorry ma’am, but we’re closed.


 * Woman ** : Exactly.


 * Bob ** : Excuse me? //(Beat. The conversation is making Bob uneasy.)//


 * Woman ** : (//whispering)// Electronics.


 * Bob ** : What?


 * Woman ** : (//whispering louder)// Electronics!


 * Bob ** : (//gives skeptical look)// What about them?


 * Woman ** : (//puts her hands on his shoulders and looks at him straight in the eyes with a serious expression. Says slowly so he wouldn't misunderstand her and with a sense of urgency in her voice)// El-ec-tronics!!


 * Bob ** : (//Sarcastically)// I'm sorry ma'am, but we don't sell el-ec-tronics.


 * Woman ** : But...that sign on the wall... (//She points behind Bob. He looks over his shoulder.)//


 * Bob ** : Oh, that’s for electronic garage door openers. (//beat. Woman looks at Bob with completely blank expression)// ...Are you here to buy an electronic garage door opener?


 * Woman ** : Of course not. //(Awkward pause.)//


 * Bob: ** Here, come in. I'm sure my boss won't mind. He wouldn't want me to make a lovely lady like you wait in the rain. <span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"> ( //The woman walks inside and Bob closes the door behind her.// (**(Sound Effect: Rain off.) (Sound Effect: Songbird)**//In the background a song bird sings//. //This is odd considering the inclement weather. Beat.)//So…welcome to Home Depot. Can I help you with anything? Other than electronics, I mean.


 * Woman ** : What do you have in the way of...staircases?


 * Bob ** : ...You mean stair parts? As you can see, we’re having a sale-


 * Woman: ** No, I mean an entire stairway...


 * Bob: ** Uhh, sorry, ma’am, but you can’t exactly buy a whole stairway. I mean, they’re usually just built into the house, and it would be hard to get them in and out of the store...But if you want stair parts, this is the best place to be. We just got a shipment of some high-quality newels that will add practical beauty to any balustrade. //(Beat. Woman looks at him with a blank face.)// Sorry, the boss wants us to say corny things like that. I don’t even know what a balustrade is. Are you renovating your home?


 * Woman ** : No//. (beat)//


 * Bob ** : (//Not knowing what else to say)// Well, while you’re here, is there any else I can do for you?
 * Woman: ** I guess not.
 * Bob: ** Oh…I’m sorry…
 * Woman: ** No, no, don’t be sorry, I’m the one who should be sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to come here so early. I was hoping I could just buy a stairway…
 * Bob ** : (//curious)// May I ask why?
 * Woman: ( **// almost ashamed) // …I was hoping it would lead to heaven.
 * Bob: ** Oh…(//confused, still no idea what to say)// Well, I think if there is a stairway like that somewhere, it would be too tall for this Home Depot.
 * Woman: ** (//small laugh)// Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking.


 * Bob ** : //(Pause//) Wait, a stairway to heaven? (//Woman has stopped listening, looks up at the aisles.)// Why does that sound so familiar? //(beat. Bob sits on a display bench, thinking.)// Didn’t Dolly Parton have a song about that?


 * Woman ** : What?


 * Bob ** : Yeah, I know, Dolly Parton, typical Altamont man-


 * Woman ** : Oh, sorry, I wasn’t really listening for a bit there…


 * Bob ** : Lost in thought?


 * Woman ** : Yeah…(//She sits next to him on the bench).// I’ve just been…I don’t even know how to describe it…I’ve been feeling really…off lately. My head is humming and it won’t go away, I’ve been having panic attacks, my mind was just all over the place. But then, the other day, I just had this realization that…I need to change the road I’m on. And there’s still time in the long run. So I did a lot of spring cleaning, I quit my job, I’ve been thinking about moving west…


 * Bob ** : California?


 * Woman ** : Duanesburg. And today, I woke up in the middle of the night out of this…amazing dream. I was in a forest that echoed with laughter, the sun was rising, and I was following the Pied Piper through hedgerows, and the wind was blowing, and everything glittered like gold. And he lead me to this giant staircase that stretched all the way up to the sky, and he sang me a song, I can’t remember how it went but when I woke up, //(she starts to talk faster and faster, almost becoming hysterical//) I started moving without thinking, and I ended up here, and something in me thought if I went to a closed store and said a word I would get what I came for and there was a sign on the wall but sometimes words have two meanings and-


 * Bob ** : Shhh, calm down. Just breathe. //(beat)//


 * Woman ** : I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into me…You must think I’m insane >>


 * Bob ** : No, never.


 * Woman ** : My name is Diana, by the way.


 * Bob ** : Hi, I’m Bob.


 * Diana ** : Yeah, I got that from the name tag.


 * Bob ** : Oh. //(beat. They smile)// You know, when I’m feeling lost I just talk to the pastor. He always knows what to say.


 * Diana ** : I’m not much of a church-going kind of girl…


 * Bob: **** You don’t have to be. My pastor is always there to listen. I could give you his number. **
 * Diana: **** …Sure. I’d like that. Thank you. **


 * Bob ** : No problem. Or you could try listening to music. I can turn on WGNA and just listen for hours.


 * Diana ** : (//laughs)// I think I’m the only woman in Altamont who prefers Fly 92.


 * Bob ** : (//laughs with her)// Well, you could try fishing. But you have to go a little further now that the reservoir is posted…


 * Diana ** : (//Interrupting but sincerely thankful)// Thanks, but I should probably go. I've kept you from your work long enough. <span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"> (//They both stand.)//


 * Bob ** : Yeah...I do have to go boot up the computer systems before actual customers start coming in. Sorry I couldn’t help you with finding your stairway to heaven.


 * Diana ** : (//looking at Bob with a look of realization on her face//) You know what? I think I might have found it.

Background: []

Rain Sound Effect: []

Songbird: (only play first few seconds): []

//**<span style="color: #ee215f; font-family: Georgia,serif;">February 12, 2012 - A Valentine's Day gift to the class **//

//<span style="color: #ee215f; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I discovered an installation artist called Yuko Takada, and fell in love with his work. He creates sculptures out of small pieces of paper and plays with color, form, and negative space to create shapes that are dreamy, effervescent, and floating - kinda like what love feels like. His art inspires me, and I hope you all enjoy it as well. //

//[]//

//[]//

//**<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">January 3rd, 2012 **// //**<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Best of 2011 **//

//**<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Best street artist: Slinkachu **//

//<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Slinkachu is based in London and is known for creating miniature installations on the city streets. His work plays off the landscape of the city and often features tiny people interacting with actual-sized garbage. There are also quite a few snails currently roaming around London with Slinkachu's graffiti on their shells. His work is not only amusing and intriguing, but also forces the viewer to think about mankind's impact on the planet. //

//<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Some of Slinkachu's 2011 artwork: //

//**<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">This piece was created to raise awareness for The Poppy Appeal, a charity created by the Royal British Legion to support their Armed Forces members and veterans. **// <span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//**<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Best Runway Show: Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 at Paris Fashion Week **//

//<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">For what was potentially his last show as head of Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs created a gleaming, delicate fantasy world to stage his collection on the last day of Fashion Week in Paris. The runway circled a pristine white carousel with 48 horses, which matched the fantasy of the collection. I love the theatrical and surreal qualities put into this. //

<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**Most World-Changing Technology: Cash-less paying** //

//<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">In October 2011, "Google Wallet" became available to use in some stores. The free service allows customers to scan their smartphone onto a reader upon purchase, in place of a credit card. Mastercard and Paypal also have mobile payment apps. While it would be hard to replace all cash money in the world with this method of payment, it's amazing how much of our lives can be rendered into an app. //

//**<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Most anticipated day: 11/11 **//

//<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">It seems like everyone was counting down to November eleventh at 11:11 and 11 seconds, otherwise known as 11:11:11:11:11:11. But then most of us forgot. //

//**<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Most on-trend music video: Best Coast - "Crazy for You" **//

//<span style="color: #111bde; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">This music video exemplifies many trends of 2011: it has a vintage sound, features old-fashioned technology, and of course, everything is controlled by cats who can't spell. // //[]//

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">December 20th, 2011 //

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Of the shows on the lists of the Top Ten in theatre, I would choose to see "Being Harold Pinter." A few years ago, my acting class spent a couple weeks studying Pinter's plays, particularly his famous use of specific metered pauses. There was something mysterious and intriguing about the plays, and I've always wanted to learn more, so that attracted me to this play, along with the political struggle behind this particular performance. //

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">What struck me about watching Bob Dylan was his attitude during interviews. He was so effortless, and the press ate up every word he said. He had this energy about him that was humorous, casual, and a little self-deprecating; it was as if he wanted to keep himself like a blank canvas for his music. //

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Gift to the Class: // //<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">[|Guilderland High School's Chamber Choir performing Somewhere Over the Rainbow] //

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Top Halloween Costumes of 2011: //

//[]//

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">December 14th, 2011 //

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Joan Baez is an American folk singer, one of the first female folk artists to reach fame. She grew up in Staten Island and began her career after a music festival in 1959. She was part of the 'protest song' movement and performed often with Bob Dylan. //

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//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">December 12th, 2011 //

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The Lovin' Spoonful formed in America in 1965. They added folk and country style into their rock music. After four albums, the band split in 1969, but reunited in 1991 and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. // <span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">media type="custom" key="11756480"

//<span style="color: #14a92f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The Moody Blues are an English band that formed in 1964 and are still active today. Their name references the Duke Ellington song "Mood Indigo." They became known for their combination of Rock & Roll and orchestral sounds, incorporating string instruments into many tracks. // <span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">media type="custom" key="11756560"

//<span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">December 8th, 2011 // //<span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Motown //

//<span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The word "Motown" is derived from Detroit, the "Motor City," where the Motown record label originated. Berry Gordy founded Motown in 1959 and set up headquarters in a building that would be known as "Hitsville USA." That building became the Motown Historical Museum in 1985. // //<span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Berry Gordy // //<span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Hitsville USA (at center is Smokey Robinson) //

//<span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The Funk Brothers were the backing musicians for many Motown tracks. There are thirteen of them officially recognized,and they worked until 1972 when Gordy moved the Motown label to Los Angeles. They were innovators in their use of nontraditional sounds, and their work earned them a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. //

//<span style="color: #131df1; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were one of the most successful groups on the Motown label. The band was founded at Robinson's high school, and started working with Berry Gordy Jr. in 1958. Robinson was actually the one to suggest Gordy start his own record label, and would become vice-president. The group had over 50 hits and are considered to be in the top 100 greatest artists of all time. //

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//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">December 6th, 2011 //

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//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">December 5th, 2011 //

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Ray Charles was a pioneer in American music whose sound blended many different genres from jazz to country. He grew up in the Southeast of the United States, and went completely blind as a child due to glaucoma. His talented brought him from poverty to being one of the most iconic musicians of the 20th century. //

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Ruth Brown was a singer-songwriter who brought the rhythm-and-blues genre into popularity in America. She ran away from her Virginia home to follow her dreams, and was crowned the queen of R&B. She was also an actor on Broadway and in film, and an advocate for musicians' rights. //



//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">November 28th, 2011 // //<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">A Musical Confession //

<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">media type="youtube" key="8aCWo78B-Qc" height="315" width="420"

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">For a while in elementary school, maybe from fourth to sixth grade, I was in an embarrassingly serious ‘phase’ of what I guess you would call New Age. I was fascinated by the ideas of the elements and creating harmony and ‘chi’ within a space, so I borrowed a Feng Shui book from the library and re-read it constantly. I was also very slow in getting into music, so the only CD I owned then was, of course, of meditation music and titled “Zen Garden.” I listened to it every night before I went to sleep. Curled up in bed, the relaxing sounds would wash over me and lull me to sleep…usually. Some nights my brain couldn’t stop listening to the music, and when the CD ended, I was wide awake. As time went on and the melodies became familiar, I realized it wouldn’t help me sleep anymore because when I knew the music, it was distracting. // //<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">Some of my other favorite music as a child was found in my parents’ CD collection. Naturally I was drawn to the ones like “The Best of Enya,” and “Dolphin Dreams,” which featured dolphin calls played alongside relaxing instrumentals. I still enjoy a lot of that same music, it’s just funny to me how of all the types of music in the world, the one I connected with most as a kid was “soothing.” // //<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">I haven’t listened to that CD in years, but after looking on Youtube to find music with a similar sound, I stumbled upon a video which played an exact song from the CD! I believe it was Track 4, but I have no clue how I remember that. The music is so familiar to me, I feel like I’m back at that same time again as I listen to the soft chords and fluttering melody. I’m so glad I found it because feeling like I’m a carefree little girl about to fall asleep is exactly what I need sometimes. //

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">November 21st, 2011 // //<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Thanksgiving Art //

<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Shepard Fairey // <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">November 17th, 2011 // //<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Origami //

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I loved researching this origami art! It's amazing how one flat piece of paper can turn into something so intricate and detailed, and it's great to see that artists are being innovative and bringing the ancient craft into the modern world. I would love to learn origami someday; I downloaded Robert Lang's Treemaker, the origami pattern designing program, but haven't quite figured out how to work it yet. // <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">November 15th, 2011 //

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Vik Muniz is a Brazil-born artist who moved to New York City with the money he received as injury compensation. He began his work in sculpture but his interests turned to photography. Muniz photographs portraits created with a mix of garbage and various materials. //

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Barry McGee is an American artist who goes by many different monikers. He is also a famous street artist whose work comments on urban life, advertising, and the art world. // <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Princess Hijab is a mysterious Paris-based street artist who has been spray-painting hijab on to advertisements of lightly-clothed models. // <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #8d56b3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #7b44a2; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">November 10th, 2011 // //<span style="color: #7b44a2; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Style Wars Movie Response //

//<span style="color: #7b44a2; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I think the city's efforts to remove the graffiti were a waste of money. The "vandals" clearly weren't intimidated by the fences; on the contrary, they seemed to be even more determined to 'bomb' the trains now that the mayor was trying to stop them. They weren't even being violent in any way, and considering how New York City still harbors poverty and crime that actually causes physical harm, the government should be spending that money to stop those instead of trying to keep the subways clean. //

//<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">November 8th, 2011 //

//<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Scientific Tattoos] //

//<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">M'bura the okapi was born at the Bronx Zoo after many months of delicate work on animal husbandry. //

//<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Christo is an installation artist who, formerly along with his late wife Jeanne-Claude, installs his fabric-panel art out in the environment for a couple weeks at a time. // //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">"The Gates" in New York City // //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">"The Umbrellas" in California // <span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">"Wrapped Trees" in Switzerland //

//**<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">November 4th, 2011 **// //**<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">More Urban Art **//

//<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">The Underbelly Project is a hidden gallery illegally installed in a long-forgotten New York City subway station. The contributing artists are only known by their pseudonyms, and no details can be disclosed of its location or how to get there. The project was organized by two street artists that go by PAC and Workhorse. They wanted to preserve the risky feelings of graffiti by creating a gallery separate from the marketplace. //

<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">"And when we follow the cracks in the rusted pavement like one would a map, or a constellation of scars, there are secret hearts speaking minor symphonies."

<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">JR //<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">is an anonymous artist who photographs portraits and prints them at massive sizes to be displayed on the walls of buildings. //

<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> //<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Blu is an Italian street artist whose work is social commentary and is seen worldwide. //

//<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Swoon is a New York City-based street artist whose prints are pasted onto generally uninhabited buildings. // //<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">(I'm not sure whether this counts as street art, but it's really cool!) // //<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">The __Miss Rockaway Armada__ is a group of artists and performers (including Swoon) who created rafts from trash and scrap wood and sailed them down the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to New Orleans. //

//[|Image 1 Image 2]<span style="color: #ff5100; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">[|Image 3] [|Image 4]//

//**<span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">November 1st, 2011 **// //**<span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Graffiti and Urban Artists **//

//<span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Jean-Michel Basquiat began spraying graffiti in the 1970's with a group of friends. They wrote satiric messages on buildings that incorporated their pseudonym, SAMO. // <span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

<span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"Trash-art": Dr. Evermor's scrap-metal sculptures // <span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Banksy is a British graffiti artist whose true identity is unknown. His art consists of stencils of many different types of people, and display both dark humor and social commentary. // <span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #990599; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Jerry Rosembert Moise is a graffiti artist in Haiti whose post-earthquake work has helped bring attention and support to his country. //

//http://weburbanist.com/2008/06/04/recycled-art-from-trash///

//__**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">October 24th, 2011 **__//

//**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Romare Bearden - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">grew up during the Harlem Renaissance, created collages that showed support for the 1960's Civil Rights movement // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Georges Braque **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">- French painter who developed Cubism // //<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Mary Cassatt** - American painter who spent her adulthood in France, considered one of the most important women in the Impressionist movement // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Paul Cezanne - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">French painter, 'bridge' between Impressionism and Cubism periods // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Aaron Douglas **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> - American artist, major figure of the Harlem Renaissance // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Winslow Homer **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> - American painter and printmaker, known for marine landscapes // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Edward Hopper - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">paintings depicted scenes of American life // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vasily Kandinsky **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Russian painter credited with creating first purely abstract works // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Jacob Lawrence **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">- American painter whose works depicted the struggles of African-Americans // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Rene Magritte - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Belgian artist, surrealism // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Edoard Manet - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> French painter, transition from realism to impressionism // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Henri Matisse- **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">French 'Fauve' (group of artists whose paintings rebelled against Impressionism) // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Edvard Munch - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Norwegian painter, created intense emotional scenes // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Georgia O'Keefe **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">- American artist, known for flower paintings // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">John Singer Sargent **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">- American painter of both Edwardian portraits and Impressionist landscapes // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Georges Seurat - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">French painter who developed pointillism // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">JMW Turner - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">English Romantic painter who 'elevated landscape painting' // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">James Whistler - **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">American-born British portrait artist // //**<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Andrew Wyeth **<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: Georgia,serif;">- American artist, landscapes, houses, //

//**<span style="color: #ba2108; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">October 20th, 2011 **//

//<span style="color: #ba2108; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) was an American artist who embraced mediums rarely considered by other artists of his time. He overlapped silk-screen prints to create collages of seemingly unrelated things that when combined, became a complete story. //

<span style="color: #ba2108; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> //<span style="color: #ba2108; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">"Overdrive" (1962) // //<span style="color: #ba2108; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">"Monogram" (1959) //

//**<span style="color: #12a17e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">October 18th, 2011 **//

//<span style="color: #12a17e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">From PetaPixel. com - photography recreating famous artwork //

//<span style="color: #12a17e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">From BoingBoing.net - cinemagraph (partially-animated GIF) // <span style="color: #12a17e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

//<span style="color: #12a17e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">From TED.com - a graphic designer discusses what makes us think something is beautiful //

media type="custom" key="10913768"

//**<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">October 9th, 2011 **// //**<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Painters **//

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Claude Monet //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> (1840-1926) was a French painter considered to be the archetype of the Impressionist painters. He was devoted to painting outside and used very large canvases. //

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Impression, soleil levant (Impression: Sunrise) - The Impressionist movement was named after this painting. //

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">One of the famous waterlily paintings from his garden at Giverny. // <span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Three paintings of the House of Parliament done on the same canvas size and from the same viewpoint, but at very different times of day. //

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">was a Spanish artist thought to be the most influential person in 20th century art. He created twenty-two thousand works of art in his lifetime, which can be categorized into overlapping periods. // //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Dama en Eden Concert - from his 'Blue Period.' //

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Les Demoiselles D'Avignon - this painting was a major step towards the popularization of modern art. //

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> //<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Boy with a Pipe - from his 'Rose Period.' //

Mark Rothko (1903-1970)// was a Russian-born American artist. His paintings focused on color, composition, and scale, and dealt with abstract ideas, although he disliked being referred to as an abstract artist. He disliked describing his works, fearing they would limit the viewer's imagination.

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Underground Fantasy (Subway) - one of his early works.



<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) was an American painter and a leader of the Abstract Expressionist movement. His famous 'drip-and-splash' paintings were created without planning or composition, only paint, and sometimes "sand, glass or other foreign matter," tossed on a canvas in a random manner.

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"> <span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Shimmering Substance.

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Mural.

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Full Fathom Five.

<span style="color: #1295f3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">JacksonPollock.org

<span style="color: #790ac7; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">September 28th, 2011 <span style="color: #790ac7; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Caravaggio

<span style="color: #790ac7; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Caravaggio was an Italian artist who painted during the counter-reformation period. He typically used oil paint and painted directly from life, not preliminary drawings. He used both dramatic lighting and a high amount of realism.



<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">September 22nd, 2011

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">On a personal level, art is for self-expression, emotional release, simply for fun, or any number of reasons. But art can also define a culture, time period, or group of people. Art is simply an interpretation of the world around us, a bridge between reality and fantasy. It can be used in what ever way the beholder decides. Historians use it to analyze societies, industries use it to make money, etc.
 * <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">What is art for? **

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Anything can be considered art, but a 'work' should be a defined, complete (or as complete as the artist intends) piece. The way a dancer leaps is art, but the 'work of art' would be their whole performance, for example.
 * <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">What should be considered a 'work of art'? Who gets to decide this? **

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Usually it's in the hands of the people with the money to produce and show and record. But with the rise of the Internet, many different people now have control over what becomes popular, which people will usually want to have a share of money in.
 * <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Who decides what is worthy to be published/shown/recorded etc.? **

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Usually, pushing limits in the arts is important to culture as a whole. However, an artist should never ever harm a person or animal in creating their art. Also, if their art could be considered "inappropriate" they should be careful not to make it easily accessible to children, public areas etc.
 * <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Are there limits/boundaries that artists should honor, lines they should not cross for their art? **

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Yes it should. Art is best when it sparks a feeling in the viewer, and discomfort could lead to the change that an artist is advocating for with their art.
 * <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Should art ever make people uncomfortable? **

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**The Brancusi Trial:** <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The question "What is art?" was raised when works by sculptor Constantin Brancusi were taxed by custom officials as 'merchandise', not art. The law specifically stated that to count as art, it should be a representation of natural form, which was a stretch for Brancusi's work. The trial in 1927 concluded that the sculptures were in fact art, and the trial brought new recognition and respect towards abstract art.

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Bird in Space: <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Installation art:** three dimensional artwork that is usually indoors and is designed to affect and interact with the space it inhabits

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Ann Hamilton: "Mattering"**

<span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">New Media Art: Art created with new digital technologies. <span style="color: #ad0b74; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">

<span style="color: #214a49; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">September 20th, 2011 <span style="color: #214a49; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">Artistic Responses to Kafka's The Hunger Artist

<span style="color: #214a49; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">These are stills from the stop-motion animation [|The Hunger Artist by Tom Gibbons.]<span class="wiki_link_ext">These illustrate both the hunger artist's dissatisfaction with our world and the greed of the impresario who makes his fortune off of him.

<span style="color: #214a49; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">These are some illustrated scenes of the story. The artist's style of lines and hatching fits the harshness and starkness of the story.. <span style="color: #214a49; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">[]

<span style="color: #7294b1; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">September 19th, 2011 <span style="color: #7294b1; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">A 9/11 Tribute Piece

<span style="color: #7294b1; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">On September 11th, 2011, the Buglisi Dance Theatre performed a dance titled "Table of Silence" in front of Lincoln Center, featuring one hundred dancers dressed in white. It began with a walk to the Josie Robertson Plaza, and ended with the dancers holding white plates as an offering.

media type="youtube" key="AyvVbXZ8cgc?version=3" height="390" width="640" [|Photography of the dance]

<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">September 16th, 2011 <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">These are a few (10) of my favorite (arts-related) things

<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">1. Ted DeGrazia - Artist, musician, architect <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">This is his Gallery of the Sun in Arizona that he designed and built. The site also holds his former home.

<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">2.Classical guitar <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">media type="youtube" key="CQrxeSfKfsY?version=3" height="390" width="640" <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">3.Studio Ghibli films <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">4. So You Think You Can Dance <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">5. All forms of theatre <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">6. Audrey Hepburn

<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">7. Andrew McMahon's music and story media type="youtube" key="5J7L84mAARc?version=3" height="390" width="640" <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">8. Listening to movie soundtracks <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">media type="youtube" key="ITBMf7IvpTY?version=3" height="390" width="640" <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">9. Collages <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">(I made this in art last year)

<span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">10. Ballgowns/Fancy Dresses <span style="color: #070e9d; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">

<span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">September 11th, 2011 <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Dear Class, <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Hi! My name is Casey Morris. Sometimes I go by Casey-Anne because my parents had a late friend named Casey, and that’s how they could tell us apart in conversation. I am seventeen years old, and still can’t believe it. I’ve lived in the same house in Guilderland for as long as I can remember, with my mom, dad, brother, and cat, Annabelle. She’s eight years old and spends more time asleep than awake, but she is very affectionate and it’s really nice to have her around. I love animals, and have been a vegetarian since I was thirteen. I also have an odd love of plants. So far, I only have a bamboo plant from a past Cultural Fair, but I hope to fill my future house or apartment with green and flowers and life. <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">My brother, Benjamin, is sixteen years old and attends the Wildwood School because he has severe autism. He is probably as intelligent as anyone else his age, maybe even more, but we may never know because he is low-functioning and it is very hard for him to communicate with us. He can’t say many words, and he struggles with the simplest of daily tasks. The mood in the house is usually dependent on his mood, and it can get incredibly tense sometimes, but we have all grown stronger and learned so much from him. <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Special-needs awareness has become very important to me. I spend a lot of time volunteering at the Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region. We are holding a fundraiser run/walk this Saturday (which everyone should go to!) and I will be singing the National Anthem at the opening ceremony. Music is a big part of my life. I started piano lessons at the age of five, and eventually began violin and guitar as well, though I definitely don’t practice enough. This year, I am lucky enough to be a part of Guilderland’s Chamber Choir, who have won many awards over the years. <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">My passion in life is acting. I love everything about it: being a completely different person, creating their back-stories and learning their personalities, sharing their story with an audience, becoming so close to all the people working on the production…I could go on about it forever. I’ve had an interest in theatre since I was very little, and from sixth grade to tenth I took acting classes at the New York State Theatre Institute, where I learned a lot and really fell in love with the craft. This year, I acted in both of the Guilderland Players productions, which were both amazing experiences. I played Tansy McGinnis in “The Nerd” and Madame Giry in “The Phantom of the Opera.” <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">(The only thing I don't miss from Phantom is that makeup!) <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Acting is the only thing I’ve been consistently interested in throughout my life. I dabble in many different things- ballet, art (especially collages), running, yoga, baking, the list goes on, but the only thing I’ve ever been able to commit to is acting. I want to be a theater major in college, but I don’t want to stop learning other things. The world fascinates me, and I would love to learn about as much as possible. <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Sometimes I’m not really sure who I am, because what I like changes so much. I have the most random taste in music. As I type this, Billie Holiday plays, but it could be folk or classical or indie rock or soul or even new-age. I try to find beauty in everything, every color, every season, every person. I also like objects that are old because they have a life and story of their own. I started collecting antique charms this summer, and I find old movies and music very comforting. And no matter how old I get, I will always love stuffed animals and snow globes and Christmas lights. <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">I never know how to end things, so this is it I guess. Oh and I’m really excited about this class! <span style="color: #350a9e; display: block; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">-Casey