Posts from ‘Smart Growth’
Jackson Hole Art Blog’s New Direction
Once again, a very good New Year to everyone! Â It’s quite cold here in Jackson, a wonderful time of year to think about direction, imagine ideals, and understand what brings true happiness. My deepest heartfelt thanks to everyone following the Jackson Hole Art Blog—and a special thank you to those who support the Blog. Last week, the Jackson Hole Art Blog’s Facebook page reached almost 600 people! Â Nice trend, and I’m hoping more of you will “like” the page, and connect with me on Facebook, because the Blog is balanced, informative and provides the broadest picture of what’s happening in our dynamic, ever-diversifying art market. It’s not just about being a market, of course; it’s about a state of mind and our inspirations. Our inspirations are infinite.
As far back as 2009, we wrote about vertical gardens: http://jacksonholearttours.com/ArtBlog/2009/04/20/vertical-gardens-green-public-art/…we wrote about smart growth & urban planning:Â http://jacksonholearttours.com/ArtBlog/2008/07/09/smart-growth-for-jackson-hole/…we wrote about public art, space and environmental stewardship:Â http://jacksonholearttours.com/ArtBlog/2009/01/12/2009-a-year-with-heart-three-things/…we wrote about arts & economy: http://jacksonholearttours.com/ArtBlog/2009/06/05/arts-economy-jackson-hole-wyoming/
It’s a new year for the Jackson Hole Art Blog, too. I’ve been writing this blog for over three years—closer to four. And it’s still my baby, my love, my creation and pleasure. I’m going to change how and what I write. I won’t change everything, and I reserve the right—particularly in the summer months—to veer away from the format I’m about to describe.
Courtesy Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
Great news from J.H. Public Art came last week: Â “On Monday, November 19th, the Town of Jackson approved the final draft of the public art guidelines, completing a two-year effort and securing a bright future for public art in Jackson Hole. A huge thank you to senior staff and the Mayor and Town Council.” Â Yay!
Last week I wrote to Jackson’s elected officials regarding the Town of Jackson’s supporting of public art guidelines. I’m recreating the message here; while my message was meant to be positive, at least one town official interpreted it negatively. Remaining aware of chances we might miss, we’re less inclined to miss them.
Everyone is talking about change. The Snaz is changing-leaving. Jackson’s art is changing-diversifying. This sand castle will wash out to sea. The Jackson Hole News & Guide sent out an e-survey, reflecting the possibility they may change. Obama is staying, Teton County’s elected officials roster is changing. Â At a the dinner party I attended last night, guests were well-stoked with wine and discussing changing their own lives. BTW, what’s good writing? It shines light on the obvious that, for whatever reason, has not crystallized in our consciousness.
Criticism is a form of patriotism, as well as a form of deep love. Did you hear Colleen Thompson speak about Wyoming’s health care on NPR last week? She keeps an eye on health issues because she cares about her family and community.
Here’s my letter, written prior to last week’s vote:
A neat, highly visible and connection-building arts job is posted by the Wyoming Arts Council. The Council’s “Arts Education Programs Specialist” would be based in Cheyenne, and travel around the state is part of the picture. Pay is good; the posting says the job may pay up to a high range of over $4,000 per month. Do the math, that’s $48,000 annually. You could almost live in Jackson on that!  The job description sounds terrific, and as is the case when times are tough, extensive. Qualifying candidates should have a solid general knowledge of the arts, including visual, performing, music and literature. The purpose of the position is to “ develop, support, and advocate for arts education for all Wyoming citizens. Arts education for all ages is a key goal in the Arts Council’s long range plan, and is part of the education and outreach criteria in the Department of State Parks & Cultural Resources strategic plan.”
Some 158 connections make up my Linkedin network. If you’re on Linkedin, your connections probably come from all walks of life, do all sorts of jobs,reached various of levels of success, or work solo. My connections are a split of long-time friends, and friends I’ve made through work. I’ve worked for non-profits with missions connected to arts, education and media. I worked with one of my connections during my years at WGBH, Boston’s flagship public broadcasting station. In those years, he was the station’s V.P.; now he’s President and CEO of Oregon Public Broadcasting. Recently he posted his intention to attend the National Arts Strategies’ (NAS) Chief Executive Program, “The New Nature of Money.” The program “will challenge participants to be as creative about their business models as they are about their programs. The capital market for nonprofits is rapidly and dramatically changing. This event will explore what a thriving financial model looks like tomorrow for a mission-driven organization and will help participants rethink their own financing strategies.” Â
An upcoming NAS workshop, taking place this fall at Harvard, is titled “The New Nature of Relevance.” How is value defined today? “The event,” says NAS,”will give participants access to the latest, most useful thinking about societal dynamics, getting beyond the noise of the 24-hour news cycle to gain insight through meaningful research and models. Participants will look at critical currents in U.S. social structure and context, and explore effective frameworks for designing organizations and programs to thrive in this new context.”
The Jackson Hole Art Association kicks off its Summer Exhibitions this week, when artists Mark Newport, Jean Laughton and Taylor Glenn present their work. A reception for all three shows takes place Friday, June 3, 5:30 pm at the Center for the Arts. The shows remain up through July 29, 2011.
Mark Newport’s Sweatermen are giant, knit superhero costumes. Hand made knit goods are especially memory-provoking and connective. My own mother still knits, and a few Christmases ago she created a series of knit snakes. She gave them little black yarn smiles and tiny hats, lined them with panty hose and filled them with birdseed. She’d make a fortune turning them out by the dozen, but she indulged her vision. The snakes are a limited series.
That kind of tactile sensory stimulation, along with every child’s adoration of superheroes, combine to make these  intriguing life-size costumes. An empty, dangling superhero suit begs to be filled out; we imagine ourselves inside each one, or a faceless, perfect somebody beneath the hoods. As I write, I realize we adults—particularly baby boomers, the first generation to make anti-aging a daily pursuit—are still drawn to comic book idols. We flock to the movies to see Ironman, Superman, the Green Hornet, Spiderman, Batman.
Artist and educator Mark Newport is the Artist-in-Residence and Head of Fiber at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He will give an artist’s talk that day, June 11, at 12:00 p.m. in the Art Association’s Main Gallery.
Taylor Glenn’s touching and beautiful images of China’s Mandarin Green Plastics Company capture assembly workers in an artificial flower factory. That fact does not minimize the poetry in these photographs.
Far Chang humanizes a product Americans buy en masse; these flowers are somebody’s daily art. “We rarely give thought to how these products are made and the individuals who are responsible. These images are a personal and quiet observation of daily life at this factory,” says the Art Association.
Glenn will give a gallery talk on Thursday, June 7, at 7:00 pm.
Jean Laughton’s My Ranching Life caps off the summer shows with dynamic images of Western South Dakota ranching life; this American life. Laughton took these photographs in the Badlands of Interior, South Dakota. Laughton studied photography, simultaneously adapting to the hard tack of daily cowboy life. These are large-scale panoramic photographs, capturing the West’s superhero ranching lifestyle.
http://www.artassociation.org/exhibitions/index.html
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An esteemed colleague, a friend with an interest in urban planning and who works in the real estate industry on a global level, has sent me a list of books written by his own “urban planning heroes,” with synopses:
Design with Nature by Ian McHarg – McHarg taught that buildings and landscapes must respect the natural environment and the ecosystem.
Death and Life of American Cities by Jane Jacobs – Jacobs wrote that “eyes and feet on the street” leading to direct human interaction is the key to successful neighborhoods. Auto-centric, civil-engineering-driven approaches kill neighborhoods.
City in History by Lewis Mumford – Mumford wrote that cities represent the best that civilization has to offer. Most of the advancements in the long history of humankind came from the exchange of ideas and commerce in cities. He valued the historic legacy of cities over the post-modernist destruction of the reminders of who we are and where we came from.
Triumph of the City by Ed Glaeser – Glaeser is a young Harvard economist who just appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He writes that cities are one of the best inventions in humankind and that they are the key to living efficiently on the planet. He is a bit of an anti-planner in that he says planners often get it wrong (sprawl zoning from the 50s was built on bad assumptions that everyone wants a half-acre lot and a two-car garage and no sidewalks). But his ideas about how people express their desires in the real estate marketplace are really intriguing. And he does think that the marketplace would demand higher density, which is also more efficient, if sprawl zoning could be changed.
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Coming to a gallery near you:
Altamira Fine Art welcomes Montana artist Ted Waddell and contemporary landscape painter Louisa McElwain, at an opening reception Thursday, June 2, 6-8:00 pm. Their joint show, Good Country, remains up through June 19. Â www.altamiraart.com
The Diehl Gallery celebrates its 10th Anniversary on Thursday, June 30.  The 10th Anniversay Fête happens 5-9:00 pm at the Gallery. This summer, Diehl features artists Hung Liu, Ashley Collins and Sheila Norgate. The gallery will also travel to Art in San Diego September 1-4th.  Cool!  www.diehlgallery.com
Trio Fine Art begins summer hours on June 1. The gallery–which features the work of Lee Carlman Riddell, September Vhay, Kathryn Mapes Turner and Jennifer Hoffman–will be open Wednesday through Saturday, noon-6:00 pm. Stop by for tea. Shows throughout the summer! www.triofineart.com
The Jackson Hole Art Auction closes its 2011 Auction consignment period June 1. If you want to consign and you are reading this post May 31, 2011, you’ve got 24 hours to contact Lucy P. Grogan by phoning 866.549.9278. Â www.jacksonholeartauction.com
