In my free time, I volunteered at the Ann Arbor Art Center where I worked with children in the drop-in studio. It was so fun to see those kids lose themselves in their projects. Many years ago art helped me find myself, and if I can help others find art, I’ll feel right with the world.
Everything AND the Kitchen Sink: Michigan Outsider Artists
July 2 through August 27, 2011. Closing Reception August 27, 6 - 8 PM
This exhibit presents a group of artists who challenge the roll of formal art training and reside "outside" the normal constraints of the traditional art establishment. Each repurposes discarded objects into polished works of art.
E.R. doctor-turned-artist Dewey Blocksma’s work appears at a glance to be whimsical and witty. He combines every day objects of life such as teapots, rulers and old cowboy boots and refines them into social and political commentary. Dewey’s art also has a profound level of humanistic beauty, highly regarded by art collectors around the country. www.mynorth.com/My-North/June-2004/Dewey-Blocksma-Art-With-Soul/
Len Cowgill tells intimate stories by placing his drawings in boxes and bottles and surrounding them with writing and found objects. His work is about containment and facets of the human condition. Tamarack Gallery has shown his work for over 10 years. http://lencowgill.com/
Tim Burke is the resident artist at the Heidelberg Project, recognized as one of the most influential art environments in the world. He lives and creates within this expanding, living exhibition. Burke collects cast off metals and abandoned materials from Detroit neighborhoods to create shrines, sculptures and furniture. Burke’s work from the Heidelberg Project will be installed both inside and around the exterior of the Art Center. www.detroitindustrialgallery.com
WORKSHOPS
The Art Center will be offering workshops in conjunction with this exhibition, inviting the community to join in. Learn about this influential art movement and become inspired to create your own works of art. You too can make art anywhere, with anything.
Art in Motion with Dewey Blocksma
Explore the interaction of human and robot anatomy as a platform for the construction of your own varieties of sculptural movement. Ways to create motion from found materials will include wheels, articulated joints, leverage, range of motion and rotation.
Art objects by a variety of artists will be used to illustrate, repetitive, accidental and other varieties of motion. Sources of energy could be mechanical, wind, water, gravity or magnetic.
Containing Your Art inspired by the works of Len Cowgill
Learn about how to preserve a personal story, a loved one’s image, or a moment in time and showcase it as a piece of artwork. Explore the aesthetics of the bottle and how to create within it’s space.
Fee: $150 per workshop (includes materials and luncn) Registration is required. Click here to register.
