Happy Valentine's Day!

I read a quote recently about love. "Follow your heart, but take your brain with you." Sounds like good advice for Valentine's Day. Have a happy day and share the love of Jesus.


Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

That Sweet Old Valentine

I love old valentines. Whether cheeky art work or elaborate lace, the sweet sentiments warm my heart. My mom and I came across some valentines, circa 1910s-20s, that belonged to my grammy. Two of them were addressed to my great-grandmother from her sons and one is signed by Grammy as a child. 

Made especially popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, during the Golden Age of Postcards, Valentines have circulated around the United States since 1847. When Esther Howland, from Worchester, Massachusetts, made paper lace cards to sell in her father’s shop, the patrons embraced the holiday of love. The sentiments caught on and became a staple of American culture. First as penny postcards and now as a booming business for card sellers, artists still draw hearts and cupids to celebrate that special someone.

Have you received a valentine or sent one that you’d like to share?

Do you collect old valentines?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our Children Need Art

My friend, Sam, shared this excellent article on why children need the arts.
Check out the link at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/22/top-10-skills-children-learn-from-the-arts/

Visionaries + Voices: Art From the Soul

Imagine discovering a treasure chest of artwork that connects you to the soul of the artist. My husband told me about Visionaries + Voices in Cincinnati that provides a professional studio environment for artists with disabilities. The idea of a grassroots program that features work by self-taught artists led us to visit one of the workshops. We admired Christmas ornaments, stuffed animals, and paintings. Then a drawing caught my eye. The impressionistic cabin and evergreen now hangs in my kitchen.

Visionaries + Voices started “specifically for artists with disabilities.” Artists given the chance to grow on a personal and professional level have the opportunity to learn new techniques and sell their work. Samantha Charek, Outreach Director, for Visionaries + Voices answered a few questions for me.

Tell me about the mission of Visionaries + Voices and how many people the program serves.

Founded in 2003, the mission of Visionaries + Voices is to provide artistic, cultural, and professional opportunities for artists with disabilities. We create a world in which artists with disabilities not only produce and share works of art, but also are given continuous opportunities to learn, develop professionally, collaborate, exhibit, and celebrate with community members.Visionaries + Voices currently supports approximately 150 artists.

Can you explain what the term outsider art refers to?

Outsider art is a term that refers to art created "outside" the established art world.

Is the group local or are there any national groups?

V+V is a local 501c3 organization. There are a few organizations around the country that have similar missions, but there's only one V+V. Our founders, Bill Ross and Keith Banner, started out just making art with a couple of artists in their basement and things grew from there. V+V later expanded into a studio space at the Essex and today we have two locations in Cincinnati. One is in Northside on Spring Grove Avenue and the other is in the Tricounty area on Northland Blvd.

Where is the artwork sold? Can any be purchased online?

V+V artists exhibit their work constantly. We curate one show per quarter in our gallery at the Northside studio location (the next one, "Up, up, up, and up" is opening on February 21st 5-8pm). Artwork is always available for sale at every opening and we also welcome people to drop in during studio hours (M-TH 8am-8pm and F 8-4) to meet artists and check out the work. Our artists also participate in countless other exhibits in galleries and public spaces (like coffee shops and salons) throughout Greater Cincinnati.

Our website is currently being redesigned. We do have an online store, but it is primarily used for merchandise (T-shirts, posters, etc.) WIth150 artists making work all year round, inventory is a massive job. We've found that shopping for original works of art online is not something that most people are looking for. They need to experience it first hand to decide. We do accept donations online and people can sign up for our "Collectors Club" membership online as well.

Does the artist receive payment when their work sells?

Yes. When V+V artists sell their work at a V+V sponsored exhibit, the artist receives 70% of the final sale and V+V keeps 30%. Outside galleries usually charge a larger commission, but we ensure that our artists never make less than 50% even if that means we (V+V) don't keep anything.

V+V artists who teach lessons for the Education Program also receive a stipend for their work.

Does the organization use volunteers? If so, how does that work?

We love our volunteers at V+V! If you are interested in volunteering as an individual or as a group just contact our volunteer coordinator, Jennifer Franks, jfranks@visionariesandvoices.com

How long have you worked for V+V? Can you tell me a highlight for you from working with the program?

I have worked for V+V since June of 2008. Every opening is a highlight for me. That might sound too cliché to be true, but the environment at V+V exhibition openings is unlike any other I have ever experienced. There is so much diversity and appreciation and respect for that diversity at each event. That includes people and artwork.

Thank you, Samantha. To learn more about Visionaries + Voices go to: http://www.visionariesandvoices.com/content/vv-home 

Do you have any interesting art programs in your area?

Children and Art

In the movie Yours, Mine and Ours, single mom Rene Russo proclaims “Homes are for free expression, not for good impression” after her new husband Dennis Quaid tries to bring order to her organized chaos. As an artist, she encourages her children to explore and discover their creative abilities.

Van Gogh's Sunflower
by Dylan

We tried to raise our children in a home of free expression by providing them with fabric, thread, paper, paint and anything else we could find to create beauty. God made each person with different talents and I wanted them to find theirs. As a result they all have art as a part of their life. Through teaching, photography, writing, sewing, crocheting, painting and more they express their skills and creativity.

Now our grandchildren have found the joy of art. Our first grade granddaughter has discovered Van Gogh through the insight of her wonderful art teacher. The excitement she shared with me about her favorite artist reminded me about how important it is to introduce children to the great artists and encourage them to dabble in color.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art published two books for young children to introduce famous painters:

  Monet'sImpressions                                                                     Vincent'sColors

   

Both books offer colorful illustrations and easy to read stories of the artist’s lives.

I find joy in having the freedom to express myself through art. But, even more I appreciate sharing in my grandchildren’s handiwork.

A Great Read to Escape Into

Key Witness by Christy Barritt
978-0-373-44527-1
A Love Inspired Novel
Available in February 2013

Can two hearts entwined in intrigue have the faith that they need to fall in love? Former pageant winner, Elle Philips works for her father’s re-election campaign. After she witnesses a bank robbery and a murder, her father hires Mark Denton, a security contractor, to protect her. While Elle receives threats and tragedy engulfs her, Mark works to find the perpetrators and stop the evil that surrounds them.

From the first page, Key Witness grabbed my attention and didn’t let go. With just the right amount of suspense, Christy Barritt creates a fast paced page-turner. This suspense story with a splash of romance, will leave the reader with a sense of hope and faith that God keeps his promises. Key Witness is part of Christy’s series, The Security Experts. Read more about Christy’s books at http://www.christybarritt.com/. 

BeadForLife

The college where I work hosted International education week in autumn semester. Students sample foods from around the world, learn about opportunities to travel abroad, and enjoy art work created by the artist in residence. My favorite event this past fall was the BeadForLife fair trade exhibit. I want to share their story:

A chance encounter

BeadforLife began with a chance encounter between women. Our co-founders Torkin Wakefield, Ginny Jordan, and Devin Hibbard met Millie Grace Akena while walking through a crowded Ugandan slum. They were on their way to visit a sick woman when they saw Millie sitting on the ground outside of her mud home; she was rolling small strips of paper into colorful beads in the sweltering sun. Intrigued, they stopped to talk to her. 

Less than a dollar a day

They soon learned that Millie was originally from Northern Uganda, but had been driven from her home by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). To protect her children from being kidnapped as soldiers, Millie fled to the Kampala slum. To support her family, she worked in a rock quarry crushing stones into pebbles with a hand mallet. In order to earn enough for one meal a day, her children often had to work alongside her in the hot, dusty quarry. For their efforts, the family earned less than a dollar a day. Millie said she loved to roll beads out of recycled paper, and proudly showed Torkin, Ginny and Devin a bag full of her unique hand-made necklaces. She also shared that she had no market for her jewelry.

Paper beads bring hope

Our co-founders admired Millie and bought a few of her necklaces, wearing them around Kampala in support of her handiwork. Immediately, others began to notice the distinct jewelry and asked where they had been purchased. Believing there was a market for the paper jewelry, they returned to Millie's slum. With her help, they met with a hundred more women who knew how to make paper beads, purchasing a few necklaces from each. At this time, they had no way of knowing that their lives, and the lives of so many impoverished Ugandans, were about to change.

Birth of the bead party

Once back in the US, our co-founders shared their experiences with others. Through word of mouth, women across North America began to purchase the beads and were captivated by the stories of resilient Ugandan women lifting their families out of extreme poverty. As suspected, there was a market for the hope-filled, hand-rolled beads and their inspirational creators after all! In September 2004, BeadforLife was officially born. At the time, our dream was to provide opportunities for a few dozen women from Millie's slum. Today, we provided opportunities for thousands. To see how our dream has grown, visit Our Work in Uganda.

I love wearing the beads. They are not only beautiful, they make a difference. The women of Uganda now have means to feed their families while doing work that they enjoy. The bright colors of the beads remind me of hope. My hope in mankind grows when I find out about people who work to make someone else's life better.

Do you know of any fair trade organizations where the sales go back to the artists and crafters?