Website

Our website is coming along quite nicely. We haven't put in too much yet, but we have a good start so far. I think it will turn out really well. Seeing some of the other websites today made me excited about the other presentations too. I can't wait to see the finished products!

Guerrilla Girls

I really, really enjoyed the Guerrilla Girls article. I think their cause is great and the way that they portray their message is so cool. I wish that they could spread the word more and gain more attention. I had never heard of them before reading the article, and I don't think that is alright. Feminism may not be one of the more pressing, time sensitive issues, but it is still important. Yes, people aren't dying and there aren't any wars going on because of it, but many people still suffer. It's not as bad as the way African-Americans were treated before the civil rights movement, but it's pretty much the same. Women suffer because of discrimination and prejudice, and a lot of this mistreatment is hidden. It's not as public and apparent, but it happens. Even the little things can cause huge emotional and mental upset for so many women. It really needs to stop. It even angers me the unfair statistics of women in museums and the art world. Why should it matter who created it? It's beautiful art or not. It's just ridiculous. WE ARE ALL PEOPLE! I'm going to see what I can do to help the Guerrilla Girls and maybe get involved. If anyone else wants any information or wants to do the same, let me know!

Art Therapy

I found this website about a foundation called Art on Atlanta that supports local art and raises money for art therapy for those with brain and spinal cord injuries. They display a different artist each month on their website to support local artists. They accept donations to help people with brain and spinal cord injuries go through art therapy to stimulate their minds and bodies through art. They also have activities for just anyone to do to relieve stress and relax. Right now they have ways to relax during the holidays. Here is the link to the website. http://artonatlanta.org/ It's pretty interesting and cool. I know I will spend more time on the website checking it out.

New Project

I'm excited about the new Atlanta Art Guide assignment. Making websites can be pretty fun. I like graphic design, so formatting everything can be really fun. I can't wait to get started on it. Gathering information should be pretty easy, so overall I think the project will be fun.

Museums

The Hein and Weil readings on museums really made me think about the purposes of museums these days. It seems to me that one of the only reasons I ever go to museums is for educational purposes. Other than art museums, I only go to museums for education. And many of the times I do go to art museums it is for education. While some people might think that this shouldn't be so, I think it is perfectly fine. Museums don't have to just be for enjoyment. They are a huge tool in education and can provide so much hands on and visual experience for those who want to learn. There are museums for everything: art, science, history, politics, social issues, and so many more. You can learn about almost anything at a museum. Growing up, some of my favorite times were spent in museums on field trips.
Art museums can be an exception though. Many are not aimed at education, but still fulfill this purpose. I enjoy art museums more when just wandering around for enjoyment. Focusing on the educational aspects of the art takes away from the beauty of it, in my opinion. I'd prefer to focus on the piece as a whole and take it all in. That's just my preference though. I still think that art museums are great for educational purposes.

Visual Essay

I really enjoyed the visual essay project. At first I was really confused about what to do and what my topic would be. I had no idea what the assignment meant and how it was to be done. However, the discussions of pecha kucha in class were helpful to the presentation format. The biggest guidance was just taking pictures. As I wandered the Tech campus, I noticed things I hadn't seen before. As Professor Bremm explained, sometimes the easiest way to get started is to just go. As soon as I sat down and looked at all my pictures I noticed a common theme and picked a topic from there. I was still a little nervous about what I would say during my presentation, but then it came to me that I should talk about the progression of architecture and just use my photos to prove it, since that's what my topic was. Everything just seemed to fall into place for this assignment. It flowed really well once I got started. The hardest part was just getting started.
Overall, it was fun. I enjoy photography, so taking pictures was fun. I also love public art and architecture so getting the chance to wander around and observe them. I saw so many things I never noticed before, so it was a great experience. I liked this project more than the first assignment because it was more of an adventure. It took a little more time, but I was happier to be out doing things rather than sitting there writing.