Is art necessary?

Richard Seizer says "Art. . .is necessary only in that without it life would be unbearable."

Well, alrighty then!

What the heck is art anyway?

We've been reading Marcia Muelder Eaton's Basic Issues in Aesthetics as a text in my critical theory class, along with The Critical Pedagogy Reader edited by Darder, Baltodano and Torres. I recommend them both for those of you who want to cut to the chase and get to the heart of the matter(s) fairly, relatively, quickly about both Aesthetics and Critical Pedagogy, which, oddly enough, intersect at times. Eaton is attempting in her book to give us insight into "applied aesthetics" in other words, a working definition of aesthetics which will aid in public and private decisions such as the Environmental Policy Act of 1969 which requires environmental impact studies be conducted on the affect on aesthetic amenities among other things. What the heck is an aesthetic amenity? We all think we know but when you get down to the nitty gritty of following a law, how do we know we really know what an aesthetic anything is? And how about spending tax money on public works of art? or federal funding to artists? We all know we need and want art, but how do we know what art is worth funding? Is it all a matter of opinion or is there a guiding philosophy we can apply? She maintains that aesthetic values relate to social values and become issues of public policy. So FINALLY studying art has some practical purpose!
I'm just kidding, but I'm sure there are some out there who would not find that all that funny.

Family Fun Day

I volunteered at Family Fun Day at the Greater Denton Arts Council (GDAC) this weekend. It reminded me how much fun it is to teach, I mean just simply teach, the actual act without all the baggage. We were teaching, well facilitating, elementary age children (and their parents) which is not my usual student, so that in itself was fun. And then just helping out in a creative endeavor is fun. I couldn't help thinking how much easier the classroom would be if every student's parent was with them, but then again, that could open a whole new Pandora's Box. It was really interesting to see the different parenting styles, the ones who sat their kid down and read the paper while the child worked, the ones who made art along with their child, the ones who made art FOR their child and every shade of gray imaginable inbetween those three extremes.

Tale of Two Brains

Very funny and oh so true.

The Big Blow

We are having record winds here in North Texas, 56 MPH! It was exciting here in my little shoebox apartment this morning. We have wild fires. In your face Wild West!

Let's get critical

I'm enjoying reading ( a LOT ) about Critical Theory and Critical Pedagogy. So far my favorite quote is from our good friend Nietzsche who said, " A great idea wants to be criticized not idolized." Don't you love it?

Let's talk COLD

I forgot what winter was really like. I'm beginning to remember. My little shoebox knows no happy medium. The minute I turn up the heat to defrost my toes the rest of me starts roasting. It's Cold, out there, very.

But life goes on, and everyone still walks to and fro on campus, looking somewhat like the Michelin Man.

Back to readin' and writin'

All I've done for days, it seems, is read. I haven't gotten to the writing part yet, but that's on the near horizon. I read The Life and Death of A Druid Prince for my research class, which walked the reader through the research which identified an ancient body found in a peat bog in England and determined how and why the ancient man died. Sort of like a Celtic CIS episode. Very interesting. And for the last couple days I've been reading all about critical and aesthetic theory which is attempting to address art and education and art education and their definitions, meaning, and purposes. All good stuff too. I also competed two on-line courses, one on the ethics and legalities surrounding using human beings in research studies, and another one on grant-writing. I'm back in it. School's on!

C. C. the Counter Cat

The day before I was to return to Denton, in between Girl's breakfast and writers group, I creamed my side view mirror on the tail light of a big Toyota Tundra in the TJ Max parking lot. ( My agent commended me for calling it in, which I find sad, apparently hardly anyone does- but that's another post for another blog). So rather than pay $450 at the dealer, upon the suggestion of Lisa I went to Denton County Salvage on Tuesday ( after almost getting myself creamed on the drive up- don't freak mom, it's fixed now) and there I met C. C. ( counter cat). I am invited back for petting sessions any time. So, C. C. along with Gracie, my Christmas gift from Cliff, who may be a cyborg kitty but still a great pet who purrs and breaths right by my lonely bed in my little shoebox, I am flush with Kitties in Denton to hold me over between visits to my own, and flesh and blood ones.
off to a great sememster!

Back again and going strong

So my first reading assignment of the semester is 200 pages long. Fortunately it's all facinating, but here we go! I hope you will join me again this semester for more over aged grad school coed action.
The courses this semester are:

Research in art education
Critical Theory
Politics and Advocacy
Music Supervision

whoo hoo!