What is Art

Amid ongoing national unrest, college communities continue to call for change by challenging institutional practices, racism and social justice issues.Over the past few months, the UC Berkeley art community has questioned the responses and actions of campus administration. In a letter sent to the faculty and administrators of UC Berkeley's Department of Art Practice in June, alumni and students demanded acknowledgment of the Black Lives Matter movement and a commitment to remove white supremacy from art institutions, among other demands."There is a heavy hypocrisy in the silence and inaction of institutions that pride themselves on values of inclusivity and diversity, claim to prioritize marginalized voices, and borrow from radical decolonial practices of BIPOC," the letter states.During the same month, senior faculty from the department responded with a letter stating their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and their commitment to reparative work with students…

© Star Tribune/Star Tribune/Bob White Studio LLC/Star Tribune/TNS Bob White s Last Day waterfowl hunting painting. White s works include oil, watercolors and pencil drawings. Gush if you will about the commercial triumphs of Amazon, whose tentacles reach into nearly everyone's home, or Apple's $2 trillion market value, the American spirit lives on not in corporations, but in individuals.Which is a good thing. A great thing, actually. And never more so than now, on October's cusp, as we stiffen our backs against a pandemic that kills about 1,000 of us every day.It is true that in an increasingly urbanized world, self-reliance often kneels at the feet of institutions, whose devil's deal, forever tempting, promises comfort and security in exchange for attendance and conformity.Yet like standard-bearers, many Americans still carve their own paths."A project like this was years in the making,'' Bob White said the other day. "And, of course, we started it…

People roam around the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Aug. 29, the day it reopened to the public after shutting in mid-March. The museum is preparing for a $100 million loss this year. Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesThe pandemic has been nothing short of a disaster for many cultural institutions. Take art museums, for example: Many are facing severe budget shortfalls. New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art may face a deficit of over $100 million this year. Some smaller museums may have to close permanently. Next month, Brooklyn Museum will sell 12 pieces from its permanent collection, the first major museum in the United States to do so to pay for operating costs. Museums regularly sell art to acquire other art, but selling art for financial reasons? That's long been a huge no-no, said David Yermack, a professor of finance at New York University."The rationale for that was really to just keep the curators from selling off the collection to ov…

VERNON — "This sculpture, made of chicken wire and piece of white fabric, is made up of thousands of names of people who have died from COVID-19," artist Harriet Winograd's statement said. "Viewers are welcome to actually (or virtually) hug the piece since the deceased were not able to be hugged before they died."The exhibit, "Coping: Responding through Art," runs through Sept. 27 and is viewable at the center and online.ACE Executive Director Jennifer Kowal said the point of the show was to showcase how artists use art to deal with a myriad issues."Obviously, everyone is affected by COVID, but there is a lot more going on in people's lives now, too," Kowal said. "It was response to natural disasters, gender inequalities, political stressors going on right now. Anything in recent history that people are dealing with and have to cope with, and they created art to do so, was applicable for this exhibit."Eighty-seven pieces from 4…

Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor UniversityWade Rowatt, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University Sept. 17, 2020 Psychology and neuroscience professors seek to isolate how artistic encounters impact spiritual awareness, compassion and empathy Follow Baylor University Media and Public Relations on Twitter: @BaylorUMediaBy Derek Smith, Baylor University Marketing & CommunicationsWACO, Texas (Sept. 17, 2020) – What takes place inside a person when they encounter beautiful pieces of art? While most people would acknowledge being moved by aesthetic and artistic beauty, the changes sparked by such an engagement seem beyond the realm of measurement. Two Baylor psychology and neuroscience researchers, however, are working to change that.Baylor researchers Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, and Wade Rowett, Ph.D., professor of psychology, along with Kutter Callaway, Ph.D., associat…

SFMOMA and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco have announced their reopening plans.After more than six months of being shuttered due to safety precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Art Museum and SFMOMA will open to the general public on Oct. 3 and 4, respectively. Both museums will offer free admission to guests for extended periods.Viewers can check out the offerings at SFMOMA free of charge — with free parking, as well, at the museum's garage on Minna Street — from Oct. 4 through 18. Over at the Asian Art Museum, guests will receive free admission Oct. 3 through 12.Museum members get to return even earlier during previews that run Oct. 1-3 at SFMOMA and Oct. 1-2 at the Asian Art Museum.SFMOMA and Asian Art Museum join a number of other Bay Area museums that have begun announcing their reopening dates after the long shutdown. Others include the de Young and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, which respectively reopen on Sept. 25 and in mid-October.All th…

The popular music venue is using wood from it's old stage to create artwork to sellCHARLOTTE, N.C. — Over the past six months, concerts and other events at the Neighborhood Theatre in Noda have been put on pause with no source of income available. Now, the venue is combining aspects of music and art in order to bring in some extra revenue.For the next several days you can find an online auction through the Neighborhood Theatre Instagram page. For sale is artwork local artists have created using wood from the Neighborhood Theatre's old stage."At first we thought we weren't going to have enough pieces to auction off – figured it might generate a little bit of revenue," manager Tory Johnson said. " But now it's blown up." Every few days the Neighborhood Theatre will auction a new round of art pieces. Those who are interested have 48 hours to submit their bid. The money made hopes to make a major difference."It's all going straight to rent, uti…