Tag Archives: Creativity

Artist Michelle Sider brings light to the darkness in time for ArtPrize 2024

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Michigan artist Michelle Sider is utilizing her art to tell stories of resilience and survival at ArtPrize 2024 (Courtesy, Michelle Sider)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Michigan mixed media artist Michelle Sider has created art her whole life, finding solace in the world of imagination. Now she is utilizing her art to tell stories of resilience and survival at ArtPrize 2024.

“I made a decision with my artwork that I’m going to be more autobiographical, doing a deeper dive into my heritage, particularly stories of resilience and pride from my family,” said Sider. “There are stories of survival I feel compelled to start telling.”

Sider was a finalist in the 2023 ArtPrize competition. This will be the artist’s third year participating in ArtPrize (Courtesy, Michelle Sider)

The annual, international ArtPrize competition featuring over 950 artists from 42 U.S. states and 53 countries will be held Sept. 13-28. Free and open to the public, art will be displayed in over 165 public venues throughout Grand Rapids.

Based in Huntington Woods and a 2023 ArtPrize finalist, this will be Sider’s third year participating in the art competition.

“This year’s pairing is called From Darkness to Light,” said Sider. “There are two pieces: Anna, sparked from conversations last year at ArtPrize; and Balancing Act, my own experience this past year.”

From Darkness to Light consists of glass mosaics representing a journey from fear and turmoil (darkness) to faith and hope (light).

“It’s a really important pairing,” said Sider. “Everybody has times when they go through darkness looking for the light, confused and trying to make their way through very difficult, dark times.

“I feel like there are a lot of people who can resonate with my piece, my own personal story of my fears, of my darkness.”

The initial spark

Inspiration for Anna came to Sider last year when several visitors asked about her ArtPrize entry featuring 10 portraits of Yemenite Jews.

“I’m very sensitized to stories of immigrants because my grandparents and relatives had to flee for their lives from the pogroms in Europe,” said Sider. “As a kid, I had nightmares because my great-aunt told the story of having to hide under a pile of dead bodies. Everyone that was left there died.”

Sider began sketching images of what she imagined her relatives experienced.

A difficult childhood

Anna portrays Sider’s maternal great-grandmother, who fled Odessa (now Ukraine) in 1910.

“Anna” is a glass mosaic by Michelle Sider based on her great-grandmother’s journey from Russia to the United States (Courtesy, Michelle Sider)

Anna ran away from home at age 12 to live with her brother in Odessa. Before she arrived, pogroms erupted, wiping out much of the Jewish population. Anna’s brother wrote poetry and pamphlets against the murderous Cossacks, landing him in jail – where he continued writing on toilet paper in his cell.

“My great-grandmother, at the age of 12, would sneak out his writings in her bloomers when she went to visit him,” said Sider.

Anna married a resistance fighter against the Cossacks at age 17. Their wedding present was a midnight passage on a rowboat across the Black Sea to avoid arrest. Sider’s grandparents eventually made their way to the Detroit area.

Sider’s glass mosaic is inspired by a photograph taken when Anna was 16 years old. Though nothing was left of Anna’s brother’s writings, Sider placed writings from her brother’s friend and Russian revolutionary, Leon Trotsky, beneath the clouds and translucent blue of her grandmother’s skirt.

The book Anna holds also carries significance.

“It was very difficult for females to get an education at that time, particularly if you were Jewish females,” said Sider. “The fact that she’s holding a book, representing how important her education was to her, is important to include.”

Gold threads through the mosaic, representing the rips and tears of the original photograph through the years. Sider borrowed the idea from the Japanese craft Kintsugi, where broken and cracked clay vessels are repaired with gold, ultimately strengthening the piece.

A personal balancing act

“Balancing Act” is Sider’s most autobiographical mosaic (Courtesy, Michelle Sider)

Sider’s second entry, Balancing Act, is her most autobiographical piece, portraying Sider’s reaction to recent anti-Semitism. With one child facing danger in Israel, and another facing anti-Semitism at college in the U.S., Sider felt broken by fear.

“I felt completely cracked open,” said Sider. “I was terrified, shaking; I was a mess.”

Balancing Act depicts a shadowy figure against a stormy sky with turbulent water beneath as it traverses a gold tightrope representing a lifeline.

Sider said the piece is purposely ambiguous.

“The idea [was] to capture those feelings of being terrified and trying to navigate my way through the storms to the other side.”

For Sider, diving into her great-grandmother’s story of resilience helped her through her own personal struggles – and she hopes it will help others.

A beam of sunlight…

Art brought Sider comfort even as an infant (Courtesy, Michelle Sider)

Sider has always found solace in art.

“My mom tells the story of how, when I was an infant, there was a sunbeam shining through the window, and I started playing with it,” said Sider. “Literally my whole life I’ve been drawn to creating, making and getting my hands dirty.

“It’s my happy place. My world of imagination was always a great source of solace, comfort, energy and interest for me.”

At first, Sider’s art consisted mainly of painting and drawing. The first time she saw a mosaic, however, she fell in love.

Fascinated with glass and light, Sider incorporates both into her mosaics.

“To me, light represents spirituality and hope, and I play with that metaphor in my work a lot,” said Sider. “What I love about glass is that it’s metaphorically and physically representing light.

(Courtesy, ArtPrize)

“My pieces change color throughout the day. I put them at certain angles and use different types of glass. They all catch light, absorb light or reflect light in different ways.”

That change in color can be seen in the atrium of Uccello’s in downtown Grand Rapids where From Darkness to Light is displayed under the glass ceiling.

ArtPrize visitors can vote for pieces by scanning the QR code associated with each entry, or manually entering the five-digit code on the ArtPrize mobile web app.

Information about ArtPrize artists, venues, events and more can be found here.

Step into the world of imagination at first annual Fantasy and Fiction Gala

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Imagination reigns supreme at the Fantasy and Fiction Gala (Courtesy, JCI South Kent)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org

(Courtesy photo)

Prepare to be transported to a realm where imagination reigns supreme at the Fantasy and Fiction Gala, a dazzling evening that celebrates the worlds of fantasy books, movies, TV shows and anime.

Hosted by JCI South Kent, this event will take place Thursday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the CityFlatsHotel Ballroom on Monroe Center.

The Fantasy and Fiction Gala offers a unique opportunity for attendees to celebrate their favorite characters and stories in a formal setting.

With a focus on creativity and community, the event will feature a variety of activities, including a DJ-led dance floor, a costume contest, and interactive experiences designed to engage and entertain guests.

(Courtesy photo)

Attire is formal with a twist of fantasy: Imagine Princess Leia in a full formal white gown, Hermione at the Yule Ball or Mr. Darcy in a Star Trek uniform.

All ages are welcome. Alcoholic beverages will be available for guests ages 21 and older.

Whether you’re an experienced cosplayer or simply a fan of fantasy and fiction, this gala promises a memorable evening filled with fun and excitement.

Click here to purchase Fantasy & Fiction Gala tickets.

It’s not just a gala!

This gala is not just a celebration of fantasy and fiction, but also a fundraiser for JCI South Kent, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing leadership skills in young adults through community service and events.

Catering to young professionals between the ages of 18 and 40, JCI South Kent provides its members with opportunities to enhance their skills, network, and make a positive impact in their community.

Sponsor this event!

We are currently seeking community sponsors to support this exciting event. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor and supporting our mission, please contact JCI South Kent at jcisouthkent@gmail.com.

(Courtesy photo)

Popular Michigan author Johnathan Rand to be guest reader at Storytime in the Park on July 30

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Johnathan Rand believes in the power of storytelling and works to ignite creativity in youth of all ages (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Michigan author Johnathan Rand will be a guest reader at Garfield Park’s Storytime in the Park on Tuesday, July 30 from 6:30-8 p.m.

Well-known among young readers throughout the state for his Michigan Chillers and American Chillers book series, Rand believes in the power of storytelling.

(Courtesy photo)

“Reading is great for everyone, and the earlier we begin, the better,” says Rand. “I think reading/storytelling is what really fires our imaginations, at least early in life.

“Fun events like Garfield Park keep kids engaged and reading throughout the summer months.”

Reading is a must – growing up is debatable

(Courtesy photo)

Keeping kids engaged is vital in preventing “summer slide.” Summer slide refers to a decline in reading, writing, math and science skills during the summer months when youth are not in school.

Storytime in the Park was founded by Dr. Barbara Lubic, GVSU Associate Professor, and Barbara Bush of Sundaes in the Heights in an effort to keep kids active in learning throughout the summer months.

Now in its 15th year, Storytime in the Park takes place at Garfield Park every Tuesday, June through August, from 6:30-8 p.m. A special event is featured each week, along with read-alouds throughout the night.

Each attending child receives a free book, and every family member gets free ice cream.

Rand traces his own love of reading back to when his parents read to him as a child.

“I loved stories, and was fascinated by the other worlds I was transported to. Additionally, both of my parents read for pleasure, and I saw them reading quite often. We had books readily available all over the house, and I thought that books were cool.”

Rand admits that he began reading at an early age because he thought that was what all grown-ups did.

“I wanted to be a grown-up as quickly as possible. Whether or not I actually grew up is debatable, but my love of reading and stories continues to grow even to this day.”

Creativity = Freedom

A love for reading, Rand says, is far more than just enjoying a story.

“When children read a book that excites them, often they desire to write their own stories,” says Rand. “They begin learning how to create, how to plan and form stories in their head even before they put them down on paper.

Reading can ignite many forms of creativity (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“Years ago, Frederick Douglass said that reading is ‘the path from slavery to freedom.’ Over 100 years later, the late Carl Sagan quoted that phrase and added that ‘there are many types of slavery and many types of freedom, but reading is still the path.’”

Rand’s experiences as a writer and instructor have shown him that the word successful carries a different meaning for him than it does for others.

“One of the most exciting things I’ve seen in kids who attended Author Quest (our summer writing camp for kids), is how so many of these children have grown up to be happy, successful adults,” says Rand.

“And when I say ‘successful,’ I’m not talking about good jobs with a stable income. I’m talking about true happiness, living life creatively, with a fulfilling, worthwhile purpose.”

Rand continued to say that while many of those children did not embark upon a path of writing, the reading and writing skills they cultivated in their youth had a direct and positive effect on their future.

Funny, offbeat and irreverent

Sparking creativity can lead to lifelong success (Courtesy, Ken Wright Author Quest)

The Michigan author is looking forward to the Storytime event and says he hopes to meet many parents because he believes the love of reading begins in the home.

However, the author also simply enjoys talking with youth of all ages. This has led Rand to speak at thousands of schools and teach writing skills through Author Quest.

“I make it no secret that I take a very guilty pleasure in my presentation to kids of all ages,” says Rand. “It’s important for me to get my message across, and that message really has nothing to do with the books I write.”

Though Rand loves hearing that children enjoy his books and appreciates the ability to earn his living through storytelling, he is aware not all children will enjoy the books he writes. And that is fine with him.

“I designed my program to be funny, a little offbeat and irreverent, and engaging. The message that I want to drive home is very clear: if you can read well and you can write well, you’re on your way to doing anything.”

When Rand speaks at schools, he takes it very seriously and gives it his all.

“I know it sounds strange, but the more I give, the more I seem to get,” says Rand. “It really is give and take, and my programs for kids have become a big part of what I do.”

Sharing creativity and a…Bigfoot Beast?

Rand plans to share some of his own background as well as read from his new Michigan Chillers novel, #21: Boyne City Bigfoot Beast, set to be released this summer.

Rand’s new Michigan Chillers novel is set to release in summer of 2024 (Courtesy photo)

“I’d like to combine a little bit of background information about myself in order to give kids a jump start with their own creativity, to let them know that they can do the same thing,” says Rand. “They can write a book, right here, right now.”

Registration and more information about Storytime in the Park can be found on their website and Facebook page.

Storytime in the Park is sponsored by Grand Valley State University’s College of Education and Community Innovation and the Frey Foundation.

Frederik Meijer Gardens unveils landmark exhibition David Smith: The Nature of Sculpture

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David Smith’s Helmholtzian Landscape, 1946 (Courtesy, FMG)



By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is proud to announce the groundbreaking exhibition David Smith: The Nature of Sculpture, showcasing the prolific and inventive work of David Smith (1906–1965). This landmark exhibition, the first to explore Smith’s deep engagement with nature, will open on Sept. 23, 2024, and will be on view through March 2, 2025.

The art of David Smith is profuse and inventive. Working in multiple media, formats, and scales, he blurred boundaries between painting and sculpture and between traditional genres such as landscape and figuration.

Smith’s bountiful oeuvre has secured him a firm place within art history, and his adventurous approach to three-dimensional form has permanently expanded the vocabulary and range of sculptural practice.

Forging new ground

Smith is widely hailed as the first American artist to make welded metal sculpture and to absorb industrial methods and materials into his creative repertoire. His inventiveness and contributions to sculptural practice extend far beyond machine vernacular and technique, however. Many have traced the origins of modern sculpture parks to Smith’s unprecedented outdoor installations on his Bolton Landing property in upstate New York.

David Smith’s Raven IV, 1957 (Courtesy, FMG)

For Smith, nature was not only a source of inspiration but also served as studio, accomplice and staging ground for his complex sculptural works.

“While David Smith is recognized as the most important sculptor of the 20th century, there is still much to be learned about his expansive art, especially as it relates to the natural world,” says Suzanne Ramljak, Vice President of Collections & Curatorial Affairs at Meijer Gardens.

“We are excited to reveal this crucial and lesser-known aspect of Smith’s career at Meijer Gardens, where sculpture and nature are so intimately bound.”

What to expect:

David Smith’s Cubi XII, 1963 (Courtesy, FMG)

David Smith: The Nature of Sculpture will feature a selection of some 40 sculptures, alongside related paintings, reliefs, and works on paper, providing an in-depth exploration of Smith’s sustaining connection with nature.

Uniting key loans from major lenders—including The Whitney Museum of American Art, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and Storm King Art Center—the exhibition will be arranged in loose chronological order, beginning with Smith’s earliest sculptures from 1932 to the year before his accidental death in 1965.

Viewers will encounter nature-based work from every decade of Smith’s career, including:

  • 1930s constructions with stones, shells, coral, and wood, along with biomorphic cast metal sculptures.
  • 1940s and 1950s pictorial sculpture landscapes, a genre of Smith’s own invention, which he enlisted to address an array of themes—from autobiography, House in a Landscape and his epic Hudson River Landscape; to color theory, Helmholtzian Landscape; to social norms, Cloistral Landscape.
  • Mid-1950s bronze reliefs depicting botanic motifs such as Rose Garden, Wild Plums, and Skull and Tree.
  • Late 1950s and early 1960s avian sculptures, including a series focused on ravens.
  • A selection of outdoor works that find their completion in the company of sky, wind and earth, as Smith intended.

This exhibition will have a particularly strong resonance at Meijer Gardens, where Smith’s work will be in direct dialogue with the natural environment, including larger pieces situated out of doors. Witness David Smith’s thrilling sculptural translations of the natural world he knew and loved in this exclusive Grand Rapids exhibition.

For more information, click here.

Exhibition Catalogue:

David Smith: The Nature of Sculpture will be accompanied by an exhibition catalogue co-published by Meijer Gardens and Hirmer/University of Chicago Press.

The publication will feature contributions by the artist’s daughters, reflecting on Smith’s lived domestic experience of nature; an essay by curator Suzanne Ramljak, surveying Smith’s engagement with nature as material source, subject matter, and preferred site for his sculpture; appreciations by contemporary artists Beatriz Cortez and Mark di Suvero, addressing Smith’s contributions and connections to current art practice; and an illustrated artist’s chronology highlighting key nature-based events in David Smith’s life and art.

David Smith’s Steel Drawing, 1945 (Courtesy, FMG)

Exhibition Programming:

Unless otherwise noted, programs are included in the cost of admission and registration is not required.

Moving Out: David Smith & Outdoor Sculpture

Join Suzanne Ramljak, exhibition curator and Vice President of Collections & Curatorial Affairs, and Amber Oudsema, Curator of Arts Education, on a walk to explore David Smith’s lasting legacy. Discover his influence on sculpture parks as we know them and the many successful artists who followed in Smith’s creative footsteps.

This event will take place Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 2-3 p.m.

A full list of exhibition-related activities can be found here.

Extending gratitude

David Smith: The Nature of Sculpture is made possible by the Louis and Helen Padnos Foundation, Meijer Foundation, Bill Padnos and Margy Kaye, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation and Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Write Michigan winners give inside look into inspiration behind winning stories

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Write Michigan offers writers of all ages a chance to have their work published (Supplied)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


More than 1,150 writers across Michigan entered the 12th annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest that began accepting submissions in September 2023. Among the entrants were 441 adults, 461 teens and 260 youth.

Kent District Library, Capital Area District Library, Canton Public Library, Michigan Learning Channel and Schuler Books recently announced the winners of the 2023-24 Write Michigan contest.

Write Michigan’s annual short story contest provides a chance for all ages to be published (Courtesy, KDL)

Winners were chosen by public voting for the $250 Readers’ Choice award, and by a panel of judges for the $500 Judges’ Choice and $250 Judges’ Choice Runner-up awards.

Write Michigan winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on March 23. The ceremony will feature a keynote address from author Gary D. Schmidt.

WKTV Journal recently caught up with a few of the entrants for an inside look at the winning stories and the inspiration behind them.

Youth Judges’ Choice Winner – Leyla Koroglu (Ann Arbor, MI)

Unique perspectives are a hallmark of Koroglu’s writing (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

A Long-Forgotten Memory: Told from the perspective of an old tree named Maple, the story is about the relationship between the tree and Amber, the new owner of the house where Maple lives. During the story, Maple and Amber uncover their forgotten past together and learn to appreciate themselves in new ways.

Eleven-year-old Leyla Koroglu entered the Write Michigan contest after seeing an advertisement at her local library.

“It inspired me to write a new story,” said Koroglu. “I like to write stories from unique perspectives.

“I wanted to explore the perspective of a tree in A Long-Forgotten Memory because trees can grow so old and experience so much, but they can never move. I also wanted to think about what kinds of feelings a tree might have.”

Koroglu has been writing pieces of stories she made up since she was very young.

“I like creating stories that have meaningful messages behind them,” said Koroglu. “A Long-Forgotten Memory shows that even if you feel helpless, you can still be very special to someone else.”

Winning the Judges’ Choice Award meant a lot to Koroglu because she didn’t expect to win. The young writer is excited to write another story for next year’s contest.

Teen Judges’ Choice Winner – Sonja de Wilde (Grand Rapids, MI)

A House with a Garden: “Werewolf of London” meets “Southern Gothic.” Two characters in a backwoods mining town have a dream to live a more peaceful life, but their personal demons get in the way. Though they love each other, it is not enough, and they end up succumbing to their environment.

All you need is…more than love (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Sixteen-year-old Sonja de Wilde entered the Write Michigan contest for fun when she found out a friend was also participating.

“I never actually expected to win,” said de Wilde. “It was just something fun to work on together. We read each other’s stories while we were writing them, and talked about our ideas and writing.”

De Wilde said she has been writing stories since she can remember, but had difficulty finishing them until recently.

“I’ve always had a difficult time following through on any one idea,” said de Wilde. “Perhaps because it’s too daunting at the moment, or I come up with another one that I think is better.

“One day I hope to write a novel or two, but I have a lot of work to do before I get there, I think.”

A House with a Garden was inspired by a modern Southern Gothic novel de Wilde read over the past summer.

Write Michigan has helped de Wilde see a writing project through to the end (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

“That book had an enormous impact on me,” said de Wilde. “I still think about it almost every single day.”

The teen writer also finds inspiration in music, and she often writes while listening to specific playlists. De Wilde also writes music, and is working on a Southern Gothic-inspired album.

“The album’s story is very similar to this [story],” said de Wilde. “I’d say A House With A Garden encapsulates the third act of the album.”

De Wilde said she will never forget the moment she realized she had won the Judges’ Choice award.

“I was in my room, finishing homework, and I looked up and my inbox said (1). I opened the email, and I just remember a flood of shock and amazement,” said de Wilde. “I ran downstairs and told my mom right away, and we were both screaming and jumping around in the kitchen.”

“It really was such an incredible moment,” de Wilde continued. “I entered for fun, and all of a sudden the judges think my writing, my little story, deserves the top award in my category.

“I am just so proud of myself, and so grateful for the people around me who encourage me every day to know my worth, and the worth of my work.”

Adult Judges’ Choice Winner – Joshua Boers (Grand Rapids, MI)

Gambler’s Rest: After his wife’s death during a poker game, a grieving card sharp finds his way to Gambler’s Rest—a dismal afterlife where the dead gamble for memories. To bring her back, he must play the highest-stakes card game of his life.

Ghouls and gambling – a high-stakes story (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Joshua Boers entered the Write Michigan contest after his cousin suggested they both submit stories.

“I find it so much easier to finish a story when I’m accountable to someone and I have a deadline, so this was a great arrangement for me,” said Boers.

Inspired by a They Might Be Giants rock band song about ghouls, Gambler’s Rest came to fruition after several weeks of planning.

“I spent a few months working and reworking the outline—trying to find the characters, tone, and plot,” said Boers. “I eventually took some inspiration from the poem Sir Orfeo, a medieval retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth where a king must rescue his wife from a fairy court.

Some stories take research and planning (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

“After that, I just had to learn how to play poker, and then the writing could begin in earnest.”

Having written several poems and stories when he was younger, Boers picked up the hobby again in earnest after taking a creative writing class at Calvin University.

“[Writing] can be a slow process, but it’s exciting when you feel like you’re on the trail of something interesting,” said Boers.

That “something interesting” won Boers the Judges’ Choice award.

“It was a surprise,” said Boers. “I knew I’d be up against hundreds of people, so I didn’t expect to be selected as a semifinalist or to win the Judges’ Choice award.

“It makes me more excited and more confident as I move on to new writing projects.”

Published Finalist – Margaret VanHaften (Frankfort, MI)

Gristle, Witch Hazel, and the Kickball: Lizzy, a nine year-old in the 1950’s, wants to be part of the neighborhood kickball team. She thinks her birthday gift, a real kickball, will be the key to entry. But, Gristle, the neighborhood bully, gets the ball from her and kicks it into Witch Hazel’s yard. Witch Hazel is said to mush-up children who come into her yard and put them into her banana-nut bread, a definite deterrent to kids retrieving lost balls.

Lizzy, embarrassed, intimidated and angry, has to figure out how to handle her problem. She learns how to discern what people tell her and handle challenges.

VanHaften’s submission carries a message about overcoming adversity (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Though Margaret VanHaften has loved writing fiction since the 1950s and has an avid imagination, most of her school and career experiences required technical writing.

“Now I have time to write the fiction I love,” said VanHaften.

However, VanHaften admitted that she rarely sends her writing out for publication.

“Write Michigan is a safe way to start,” said VanHaften. “I like the way the scoring grid clarifies what the judges are looking for – I use it regularly now.”

Lizzy’s story came to VanHaften as many of them do – as soon as her head hits the pillow at night. A process that, though it does not help her sleep, helps her write.

“I don’t know where the stories come from, but I’m glad they arrive,” said VanHaften.

Upon learning she was a Published Finalist, VanHaften said she was surprised, but grateful her story resonated with readers.

“That is my goal, to connect to readers in a meaningful way.”

Link to full list of winners – and more!

To see a full list of Write Michigan 2024 winners, click here.

To learn about other Write Michigan events, click here.

Learn more about KDL opportunities and events for the community by visiting their website.

Go big or go home: Wyoming High School art students decorate the halls in tape

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Daira (left) and Deborah with their 3D tape art creation (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


3D images created with only tape can be found in the halls of WHS (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Students have painted Wyoming High School’s halls – with tape.

WHS Art 3 students recently studied a contemporary artist who uses tape to create large-scale optical illusions. Inspired by this work, students collaborated to create six unique designs that would give a 2D space a 3D appearance.

Students worked in pairs and used two kinds of tape as a creative medium to explore the idea of space.

“It’s good to have them collaborate, it’s good to have them work in a different space and on a different scale,” WHS art teacher Liz Duffield told WKTV. “We use different things, different materials, so they recognize art is not just drawing and painting, that we have a lot more in the art world.”

Painting…with tape?

Tape art emerged in the 1960s as an alternate urban art form that uses only adhesive tape as a medium. The work of tape artists has garnered a great deal of media interest over the last decade.

That interest is partly due to the advantages of “painting” with tape versus aerosol cans.

The tape art installations cover the walls from the floor to the ceiling (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

No longer needing protective measures, such as masks, to guard against dangerous vapors is a convenience as well as a health benefit to tape artists.

Adhesive tapes can be applied quickly and easily to materials such as stone, wood, glass, aluminum and more. The tape can also be removed without leaving residue.

Strange, interesting, unique…all of the above?

“It was an interesting concept,” said Jordan, WHS junior. “I never would have thought of this for an art project, putting tape on walls. That sounds strange; it was abstract.”

Jovanny, WHS senior and Jordan’s collaborative partner on the project, agreed. “It was really fun. We’re always doing painting or drawing, and I think this was a unique experience, using tape and creating art with it.”

Jovanny (left) and Jordan with their tape art installation (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Though both students agreed the 3D project was not the easiest, both enjoyed the challenge of designing and executing the art.

“We just went with the flow, and this is how it turned out,” said Jovanny, gesturing to an image of their art installation on his computer.

Jovanny also enjoyed the collaborative aspect of the project.

“I liked how we collaborated together because usually we don’t collaborate often in this class,” Jovanny said, adding that creating an art piece with another student – and having it turn out well – produced a sense of accomplishment.

Jordan, who typically creates 2D drawings on a much smaller scale, admitted that while she enjoyed the 3D project, she has no plans to repeat it.

“One time is enough,” Jordan said with a laugh.

An opportunity to share and inspire

Collaborative partners Daira and Deborah, both WHS seniors, enjoyed the opportunity to share their art with the entire school.

Daira (left) and Deborah with their 3D tape art creation (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“I liked it because a lot of students can see [it],” said Deborah. “I had three or four students ask me, What class is this? What are you doing this for? I think it catches students’ attention, and that is good if they want to take art.”

Daira said that, though she typically enjoys painting, she had fun working on the tape art.

“I don’t think it was that difficult because you have just straight lines,” said Daira. “The difficult part was making them look even.

“I would want to do something like this again and experience more than just painting. Art is more than just painting and drawing.”

Deborah would also like to try tape art again, but the WHS senior is thinking…bigger. A bigger canvas and a larger audience.

“Somewhere downtown, somewhere where everybody can see it,” said Deborah.

Art as an outlet

That creative expression is what draws both Daira and Deborah to art in general.

Art teacher Liz Duffield periodically walks by and checks to make sure the tape remains secure (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“I like that you can express your creativity,” said Deborah. “Instead of like every other class where you just write and read, in this class you can actually express it more in colors and lines and shapes.”

“Expressing your feelings too,” Daira added. “Art has a lot of feelings and emotions that you can show. If you are not good in English and writing, you can express it in art.”

Allowing students the opportunity for that expression is important to Duffield – though she admits that she never expected to become a teacher.

“I always knew that I loved art and being creative, design and things like that,” said Duffield. “I never actually thought I wanted to be a teacher, and then I started volunteering in a classroom–and I loved it.”

Value in variety

While the medium of watercolors is Duffield’s personal favorite to work in, she believes in the value of all art forms.

“I think it’s really important to expose my students to many different kinds of art,” Duffield said.

Business Matters: Steelcase and Microsoft design technology-enabled spaces to enhance creativity

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Photo provided by Steelcase Inc.

Steelcase and Microsoft Corp. have joined forces to explore the future of work, developing a range of technology-enabled spaces designed to help organizations foster creative thinking and better collaboration. These spaces seamlessly integrate the best of Microsoft Surface devices with Steelcase architecture and furniture. Today the companies unveiled five new “Creative Spaces” showcasing how Steelcase and Microsoft can help organizations unlock creativity for every employee.

 

Additionally, Steelcase and Microsoft announced:

  • That Microsoft is expanding its partner network into the world of design by bringing in select Steelcase dealers as authorized Surface Hub resellers.
  • Steelcase and Microsoft are working together to develop technology-enabled workplace solutions built on Microsoft Azure IoT technology.

“The problems people face at work today are much more complex than they used to be. They require a new creative way of thinking and a very different work process,” says Sara Armbruster, vice president of strategy, research and new business innovation for Steelcase.

 

“We believe that everyone has the capacity for creative thinking, and people are happier doing creative, productive work. Together, Microsoft and Steelcase will help organizations thoughtfully integrate place and technology to encourage creative behaviors at work.”

 

The companies’ exploration of creative work found that creativity is a process in which anyone can engage and requires diverse work modes as well as different types of technology. People need to work alone, in pairs and in different size groups throughout a creative process, and they need a range of devices that are mobile and integrated into the physical workplace. Additionally, spaces should inspire people without compromising performance.

 

For more information on Creative Spaces and the partnership between Microsoft and Steelcase, go here or here.