Of Interest to this Artist.

A) Quick wash
B) Add a little color
C) Define shapes
D) Just a bid more detail
E) Some lights and darks.War by B. Martin (c) 2008

War is not a unique thing. There is always a war going and there are always faces that show universal despair.

This is not a poliical statement but war is just dumb.

A Conversation with Roberta Hancock

Roberta was one of the first artists I met in Arizona and what impressed me about her was her affirmative and knowing way of speaking. “Do you know so and so, have you met them, well then we have to get you to meet them, this is what we are going to do”. Spoken in a rapid fire manor that is reminiscent of Katz’s Deli , “you’ll have the Brisket, it will be good for you, you’ll enjoy”. Another great thing about Roberta is that whenever possible, her kids are always with her and welcomed.

At the end of a Perfect day (c) 2003 R. Hancock

As an Artist Activist, Artist and Mom, do you feel that your kids have gotten a balanced school curriculum, one that has them participate in creative arts programs as well as academics?

What an interesting and ironic question! Yes, but primarily because we have personally ensured that for our children. Do I believe their classmates share that experience? No. Unfortunately, Arizona offers substandard education and cultural programming in the primary grades. I only wish we could somehow rapidly inspire our legislative leadership to understand the need to adequately fund education, thereby insuring a quality future for all of us. I deeply respect the educators I have come to know because most are unbelievably dedicated and creative in imparting their skills and knowledge despite underwhelming political and financial support.

I have personally never worried about the level of artistic interaction my children have experienced. The most challenging thing for us has been maintaining the breadth of those experiences and not being tunnel-visioned on [my own area of interest] the visual arts. Both of my children are incredibly creative, however, I think they have been exposed to so much(artistically and civically) that they do not yet know how different they are!

Why do you think it is that with the use of case studies and research data that indicate arts education is a important and critical contributor to a young persons growth, that both the Feds and local governments seem to ignore this.

There are a variety of very weak excuses for this, but I believe the primary reason comes down to the homogenization of our educational and subsequent cultural experiences. It is difficult to be enthused about that which you are not familiar or experienced with. We have witnessed a quiet cultural decline (in our country, but not limited to), dating back at least three generations, from when the Arts were intrinsically woven through the educational experience of the intellectual community and were equally used as a means of cultural preservation through folk experience in the general populous.

In America, our efforts to give everyone the same level of elementary education have actually created a unique homogeneous climate. Cultural differences, traditions and practices (the roots of artistic expression) have been slowly eliminated to encompass only the most common of community experiences. Interestingly, following the Arts in their slow disappearance from our schools’ curriculum’s, Sports and Physical Education are likewise being relegated to after-school care providers to institute.

It is not missed, even on the youngest child, that these after-school activities, albeit entertaining, are not considered as important as what occupies the greatest amount of their time during the day. Joy is being left outside the door of our educational system and I am gravely concerned by the consequences of this short-sightedness.

The last couple of years has seen a lot of enthusiasm about the growing Phoenix art district. With the economy hitting a wall, are you still hearing the same enthusiasm as in 2006.

I am certain that no one, in any business, is enthusiastic about our current economic climate. I believe we can safely predict that we will see a pause in the Arts District enthusiasm, however, it will ultimately recover as the economy does.

In addition to funding, what else does this art’s community need.

Maturity and responsibility. Part of the underlying dysfunction of our own arts community is our response to the community, as a larger whole, which still does not perceive the Arts as an integral part of its health and vitality. Changing that perception requires patience, commitment and taking responsibility for how we behave, both as artists and community members.

We have an Election coming up and neither one of the candidates seem to be talking education. Do you find this odd and what do you think we need to do in order to have this be a focal point during their campaigning.

No, I don’t find it odd - disappointing perhaps - but with issues like our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; continued Middle Eastern tensions; our failing health care system and our current economic decline, I believe most Americans are overwhelmed with issues deemed larger than educational concerns.

Whether we can engage the presidential candidates in a national discussion on education or not, we should definitely take this opportunity to send a clear message to our local representatives that we insist on higher standards of education for our children. Governor Napolitano campaigned with education as one of her highest priorities. I have been both impressed by the dogged follow-through of her promises, and dismayed by the lack of support from the State Legislature. If we want to see change nationally - we need to start locally.

Do you have any exhibits planned, if so is their a theme.

I’m afraid I don’t have any upcoming exhibits planned yet! I took some time off from my career(s) to support my youngest child through a very difficult educational time. Now that he has successfully regained his confidence and independence, I am looking forward to returning to my studio and catching up on all the beautiful sights, smells and tactile sensations from producing art. I hope to be back in circulation in a year or so. Look for my art again sometime toward 2010!

Chipped Glass

I’m asked “Why did you give a certain name to a painting” and I don’t know. Sometimes it just shows up in my head. Nothing deep or heavy, it just sounds right.

This painting was done this morning, mostly with a palette knife and some of glazes and the edges reminded me of glass. That is about a close as I can get to why this name.

Chipped Glass (c) B. Martin ‘08

Falling off the face of the Earth

I’ve missed not posted, been busy doing other stuff. There no story associated with this small painting, I just needed to do something.

Take a Brake from the Heat

The Phoenix Metropolitan area has been about creating different ways to lure its citizens into not traveling during the summer heat wave. The steady increase in the cost of gas has added new incentives. Here is a cool thing to do if you are in town.

Family Fun Day celebrates rich arts and cultural environments in local communities and encourages increasing community engagements for valley families year round. Free to the pubic, this year’s Family Fun Day provides hands-on activities, such as making dream-catcher and other dream-inspired arts and craft; it also entertains families and visitors with dance, music and theatrical performances suitable for all ages. CONDER Dance, AZ Opera in a Box and other local groups and volunteers will showcase their best performances throughout the day, spreading all the fun and joy across gallery spaces.

Channel Eight, Arizona PBS (KAET), brings Sister Bear of the Berenstain Bears for photos with children and offers children a fun activity to do. Rocky and the Puckpatrol from the Phoenix Roadrunners will also be here! China Mist offers free refreshments.

The Annual Family Exhibition and Fun Day are made possible in part through an investment by the ASU Art Museum Advisory Board, IKEA, Changing Hands Bookstore, China Mist and the Friends of the ASU Art Museum.

A Conversation with Artist and Teacher, Dr. J. Eugene Grigsby Jr.

Artist Eugene Grigsby born in 1918 has taught at Arizona State for 20 years and spent two decades teaching in Phoenix public schools.

1. What are the ideas or points of view that you’ve wanted to communicate in your paintings? I don’t know what I am communicating really until the paintings is done. While I am working I am concentrating on design and how to cover a white canvas or paper. Using themes or patterns that I’ve found in African Sculpture or fabrics I wait until I’m done to see what’s there in terms of a social nature.
2. Is there any one of your paintings that you feel epitomizes your thinking about art? The “Family” it represents design as well as a family which is an integrated family and is pulled together with design of faces and figures influenced by the art of the Kuba people of the Congo. This is a multiracial family, White mother, Black father and bi-racial children, a situation that was seen as illegal not long ago in this country. It is not lost on me that this portrays the family of some one who may become the President of the US.
3. Is there anyone, who’s work you appreciate and that you feel is communicating along the same line? Rip Woods and Samella Lewis, who has written several books on Black/African American Artist and was the founder of International Review of African American Art, which has been taken over by Hampton University.
4. You’ve spent a long time teaching and training young artists. Do you feel that your ideas/methods, what and how you taught, are being carried forward by new instructors? I feel that my major contribution is that of teaching more so then in my art. Many of my students have gone on to teaching art and have been, I believe, influenced by my teaching and method of teaching.
   
5. Tell me about your teaching method? I’ve worked with my students on all aspects of their creativity. Each of my students was a class, meaning if I had ten students in one room I approached this as if I was teaching ten classes, because each student could be doing something different and with a different ability level. Some students would be working with jewelry, fashion design or painting etc. They would create a work book, which was a plan on what they wanted to get accomplished in my class, the materials they would use and the steps they would take to have their goal completed. Students were responsible for grading themselves and evaluating their progress based on what they said they wanted vs. what they actually did. Home work for my classes was to have students observe something in their lives, memorize what they had seen and as part next days class to compose a painting of what they observed the day before. They had a goal of completing a painting each day, and seeing the progress in their work. I also encourage students to make contact with an artist they admired. One of the students was interested in fashion design and wrote to “Coco Chanel”. Not only did she receive a response but continued for a while to receive information, advice and feedback that supported her in her studies. Something else I did was to have students study artists and their method of working. Later on they would do a self portrait in the style of the artist they studied. This way of learning I believe provided the students with a deeper understanding of the artist. Over the years many of my students were able to accomplish wonderful results, some in the arts and others in different fields. Many of them have stayed in touch and recount how what they had learned had assisted them with their careers as historian, nurses, writers and teachers. My goal was always to recognize individual ability and to see if I could help maximize their results.
6. Activism, do you think that art can change the world? Some of my heroes, great artist like Picasso and Goya created work that spoke about a time in the world’s history that needed to change. They and others painted and wrote about an unvarnished truth that I feel may have helped to motivate people and governments to do something different. Art can free people up to think.
7. Over the years, you have known many great artists, would they be surprised about the diversity in art today? I don’t think they would be surprised at all, they were all so different. Many of our African American painters and writers were forerunners to some of what we see now coming from our communities. No I don’t think they would be surprised, but they would be pleased.

Please allow me to expand or revise some comments

#3

I would add Elizabeth Catlett, sculptor and print maker who lives in Mexico. Her prints and sculptures have been concerned with the living conditions of her Black subjects. Now that I think of it she was Samella Lewis’ teacher

#4 & 5

My teaching methods varied, depending on who were the subjects and where. Most were developed at Carver High an all Black school where students came from low income backgrounds. A small school, population 400 at the greatest population number. My classes ranged from 8 – 12 and lasted two periods for advanced students. The Principal was supportive with my budget requests. This allowed me to include a variety of subjects an to design a new art building that a bond issue made possible. I designed and taught ceramics in a separate room that enabled us to keep clay dust from photography. We had the first high fire gas and electric kiln in the state. We had a dark room for developing film taken by the 35mm Exakta or by the 4 x 5 press camera. There was a loom for weaving. We built silk a screen press for serigraph printing, and a woodcut press. Gas and air were piped around the room for jewelry making at several locations for those interested in making rings, bracelets. Necklaces and other jewelry. I had designed an office surrounded by glass so I could observe students working in other parts of the room. There also was space with chairs for discussions, visitors and lectures.. these introduced artists, African, African European, ancient and modern. We had interesting visitors rank including Frank Lloyd Wright, Lew Davis, Harry Wood, and other local artist. There was an annual exhibit and parents of art students.

Awards were given in the form of materials to be used during the summer. Contributions came from the community, Barry Goldwater of Goldwater’s Department store was a frequent contributor. Judges for the exhibit came from the ASU art department

After Carver closed I went to Phoenix Union

Magical Possibilties for Youth with Disabilities and their Families

In the last two weeks I’ve seen two productions of the Jungle Book performed by the Arizona Magic of Music & Dance. Both productions equally fabulous. What had these performances work is the four days at the Arizona Magic of Music and Dance Camp. Quoting Sue Grzybowski, Camp Volunteer Coordinator, in her thank you note to her volunteers.

As the curtain is about to come down on yet another AZ Magic of Music & Dance camp I can’t think but reminisce about the days that have past, and what a difference you have made. The laughter shrills squeaks, songs, smiles etc.; are great memories. Watching those in wheel chairs do gymnastics, dance, and act in ways which nobody could ever imagine.

It is the last part of her quote that was visible to me in the audience of both productions. The audience filled with family and friends began watching the performances as dutiful supportive observers and rapidly moved to Awe and Amazement, then on to laughter, cheers and claps and finally to tears. There was one man who could be heard emotionally saying “That’s my kid, that’s my kid”.

In seeing these performance I’ve been a witness to true transformation, both on the stage and in the audience. To learn more, to volunteer for next year’s event, to enroll your child or to donate please visit AZ Magic of Music & Dance

At the Tryst Gallery in Chandler, AZ this week.

Serendipity was in play this past week. I received a call to hang some of my work in a hurry. A Gallery, the Tryst at Inspirado was holding a reception for the Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce.

Got the call on Thursday and delivered on Friday. Lots of people, some inquiries and you never know.