ART FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

THE IMPORTANCE OF ART ADVOCACY

I am a life long artist, art teacher and art advocate.  I worked with Art Advocacy programs in local and state levels.  The importance of art in our lives is paramount.  In our homes, in our every day lives, in our schools, in our recreation and in our country's cultural development.  There is not any part of our lives that is not effected by one of the arts, whether it be design, music, drama, dance, advertisement, film, etc.  Americans think of sports as the one of the best money makers in a community, but it is not so, once again it is the arts.  The arts bring in more money than any sport in any town because they are so all encompassing.
I recently ran across this article in TruthOut by Robert Reich on the Importance of Art in our world(click for article) and thought  I would share it with you.

"Art is an often-overlooked yet powerful tool for long-lasting, positive change. Yet in America, on the national level, there's at least one strong professional advocate for the arts unwavering in his creative convictions and advocacy.

The arts provide a way for people better to understand "who they are in a time in history where that is desperately needed," says Robert Lynch. The progenitor of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, is"the nation's leading advocate for the arts and arts education," and Lynch is the organization's CEO." 

Robert Reich 

A HUGE BENCHMARK, STUPENDOUS, MIRACULOUS, AWESOME, LIFE CHANGING BENCHMARK!

98,231 IS TODAYS TOTAL SO FAR!

Wow! Wow! Wow! We are about to reach the biggest benchmark of Rabbit's Moon Studio's two year History! With in a few days we will reach 100,000 and then my loyal readers and accidental readers we will CELEBRATE! 

The Rabbit's Moon Studio story for those who joined us along the way and not at the beginning.  In August 2007 I was vacationing in San Miguel Allende, Mexico with friends.  The wonderful old villa we rented for five with outside living room and open windows with no mosquito nets.  Unbeknown to us, the beautiful fountain in the middle of the complex had sat stagnate until the night before we arrived. 

Mosquito's  had bred for months and months in the compound.  The evenings we sat out and the nights as we slept we were bit repeatedly by mosquito's.  We all became ill, but two of us with immune deficiencies were very ill and hospitalized.  We had dengue fever.  
For the next year we were in and out of hospitals and confined to be with bone breaking fever and debilitating fatigue.  

So on the days and days I lay in bed I began to think what could I do with my time.  I retired fully  from teaching in 2008 never returning to the classroom, but missing art a great deal. 
 Then I found out I had Hepatitis C due to the dengue fever.  My immune system was so compromised that a virus I had carried since 1985 when I was exposed to the virus during an operation before blood was tested.  Now I was in a fight for my life and more bed ridden that ever.  

Me on the left,  My friend Peruvian Monica and her husband Brian

My young friend Monica, from Peru, had an idea about doing a blog, and I thought why can't I do that as well.  It will be about my art, supporting other artists, and being an art advocate, and helping others see through the eyes of an artist the process of creating art.  

So Rabbit's Moon Studio was born.  Now two years later, I am still writing and still sharing rarely missing more than a day or two.  I had no idea I would be so committed to doing this with such attentiveness.  But now a little more that two years later here we are facing a new benchmark of 100,000 visits from people worldwide...from Nepal to the Philippines to Bali to Australia, to England to Russia to China to Bangladesh, to Africa and around the world we go for the love of art and the good it can bring in this world, for you and in your community.  

I thank you loyal readers!!!  You have made this successful by your committed readership.  I honor you, for two years ago I sat ill in my bedroom in my bed ill and started typing to the world.  Now I am healthy, doing art, traveling and meeting other artists who I have made friends with through this blog.  I thank you all for the bottom of my heart.  I am trying to think of a way to honor you back and share something special with you. 

Mary May( my niece, really cousin, but I claim her as my niece, my closest cousin friend's daughter), Olivia Murray(adopted niece) Sally Murray(best buddy who contracted Dengue also and was hospitalized) and June Berkey(long time friend who I depend on for sage advice)

 ps.  an addendum...you may ask why Rabbit's Moon as a name.  That to is more than it appears.  I do not own rabbits nor did I chose the name because it sounds Indian or from a Japanese tale.  It too began as an accident during a difficult time. It is an act of positive affirmation when I was working for a horrible principal who was abusive to her staff, and put on an open stage in a cafeteria with no curtains or wall to three lunches of severely emotionally disturbed teenagers who jumped on stage to fight with my class, taunted them and me, threw food on stage and more.  One 19 year old disturbed young man who had a history of hitting teachers threatened me and I stared at his cocked fist for thirty minutes while I talked him down and talked the class into getting him to calm down.  The principal wanted to punish me and not the disturbed young man, that is how disturbed she was.  So what did I do, I counted Rabbits in the middle of an interstate where their seemed to be no sustainable living situation...little brown marsh rabbits.  One day I saw one, and then two ....I finally got up to five.  I decided in my mind they brought me good luck and not matter how bad my day might be, I could consciously trick my mind...like on a Friday and I knew the weekend was coming, no amount of bad stuff was going to bother me.  Counting Rabbits got me through a horrible horrible year.  So I learned the basis of positive thinking 

The Blog that built Dreams Come True
Martin Stynes, British Abstract Landscape Artist that read my blog, became
friends with Kathie O'leary(red head in the back and fellow art teacher)..and then we
all started to talk and share weekly.  So now here is Martin, blog friend, and his wife
Barbara(printed dress) here in Florida like a miracle realized due to Rabbit's Moon
studio blog!  Amazing!

that year.  So that is the whole story readers.  Now I continue to place my trust in you to love art, share art, build art in your community and to use art to educate and elevate!  Art saves lives, I know I taught 37 years and saw the magic in action.  I have been an artist all my life, all 66 years save the first two...but at two I started drawing and never stopped nor lost the passion or the urge to do art.  Art is my life, art is me, and I am art.  

ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS!!!

Question
"Which brings in the most money in communities, the arts or sports"? *Scroll to the bottom to find out.

Here is a site I am adding for Art Advocacy for all you supporters of the arts that need resources.  As a past art educator I will be adding more websites, links and blogs that will help you in your quest to support your art, student art and community arts programs.  

The Site is Artavocado.  Just click on the highlighted word and it will link you directly.  After this you will find it in the column on the right called websites of interest.

The answer to the question is  THE ARTS!!! The arts bring in more money than any other venue.  

"The Arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do it there is free time or if one can afford it.  Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation."

Michelle Obama, First Lady

The Only Way Is Up!

49,333!!!
  
We are getting so close to that big number.  Keep on clicking and sharing and it will be here so soon.  I am excited. 

Asheville, North Carolina   The only Way is Up
photo by Elizabeth Gordon

Just to share a happenstance with you or a moment of synergy.  Yesterday filming of a commercial was taking place at the house next to mine.  Our neighborhood is a classic early 1900's that is often filmed.  Trucks and trucks, wardrobe, actors, camera's and food stands...all the like were clogging the streets.  I went out to walk Mr. DaVinci the dog, and saw one producer type walking back to his car, all else was packed up and gone.  He stopped to talk to me about my dog and then we got on to art.  He talked about how he had an art degree, and went into film making and theater design.  We then talked about how art advocacy is so important...to bond creativity and community.  It was a wonderful moment.  We can always advocate for the arts and find like minds if we are open to do so.  Find a way in your community to promote the arts in your community and schools at any chance you can.  You never know what will happen or what seeds will be planted because you did!

When A Community Does a Good Thing!

Tampa Recreation Department is doing a Unique and Good thing: A Studio Arts Program!

This program gets a 5 Rabbit's Moon Award of community outreach in the arts from Rabbit's Moon Studio!

Art is a democratic process it should not be for the elite only, it should be for all!

In Tampa, Florida the city recreation department that deserves some recognition for an idea that is a good thing.   It has started a little diamond in the rough that the city needs to recognize and mine.  The funny thing is they don't know how unique a program they have.  They are sitting on a diamond mine they created and that needs polishing and upgraded to be its full potential. It could be throughout the city in a flash, and if well funded all the arts would blossom into a full fledge city outreach program. My vision includes a printmaking studio, photography, drawing classes, painting, sculpture, computer arts, digital photography and more! With a little fanning of the flames, with more funding and a heightened vision this program could be a model for other cities! 

I have been traveling a good bit lately and I have noticed many cities I thought would have this type of program, don't!  Asheville, North Carolina, the city of fine crafts, doesn't.  Charleston, South Carolina, city of history and culture, doesn't! New Orleans, a large wonderful city of music, food and art, doesn't!  Now I am on a quest to find out what cities do not have a program like ours.  The studio program is wonderful.  Several recreation buildings through out the county are art studios. Of course many cities have private companies that offer art programs, clay classes, jewelry making, photography...but all at a cost that is too high for the average person and most are private and not through an affordable city program.  The studio's offering art classes with experienced teachers for a very reasonable $10 a class.  This program makes art available to all citizens of Tampa-that is its strength.  It offers every community, rich or poor the opportunity for children and adults alike to be involved in something that is good for the soul, that offers a haven from tv land, and video games...it offers community bonding and a way out for youth who have no other alternatives:bound by poverty or neglect. 

Our new slab roller

Betsy is a retired English and Esol teacher who enjoys  being creative

Monica has blossomed into an excellent potter under this program

 WHAT TAMPA IS DOING FOR ITS CITIZENS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM:

*ART BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM

* ART BUILDS COMMUNITY

* ART BONDS PEOPLE

* ART OFFERS A POSITIVE OUTLET FOR THOSE WHO NEED AN ALTERNATIVE TO TV, VIDEO GAMES, CRIME RIDDEN NEIGHBORHOODS, POSITIVE SELF-EXPRESSION

*ART HEALS

Monica's Octopus Garden Series

Monica throws a wonderful pot and does unique slip trailing designs

Betsy W. models the importance of comfortable shoes when doing clay
She is so fashion forward!  Actually she is the reason I found out about
this wonderful program!

Glaze stored under tables on rolling carts

Our teacher Kathy and a class of wonderful people who are love being creative and are also supportive friends

Carol finds time to be creative even with a high busy administrative job at the local university

WhY Creativity for Kids is So Important!

Spending a life time as a teacher of the arts I know the importance of creativity in all children's lives. This video speaks to that.  I also did much art advocacy at local and state levels.  I met surgeon who honed their skills my doing art, skilled musicians who were doctors, and people from all walks of life who found their arts training invaluable in their lives whether they became artists or not.  The arts are a wonderful conduit for learning all types of skills and build a highly flexible innovative mind.  It is essential in all schools to have quality art education for students and is important as parents to include art in your child's life. 

  I remember a wonderful story about Frank Lloyd Wright's childhood.  His Mother wanted him to become an architect, but didn't want to force it on him.  Instead she put building blocks and creative toys that involved constructing in his room to play with.  It evidently worked, as he became one the true masters of our time!

from you tube

Team Detroit Ad Series on Art Education

Rabbit's Moon Studio Likes: Team Detroit


This is an excellent Ad series on Art Education.  Check out the creative agency of Team Detroit for awe inspiring ads or as the English would say "adverts".