The Wonder of Art

This entry probably belongs on another of my sites, http://northernview.wordpress.com/ — otherwise known as The Messy Palette, and undoubtedly I’ll post it there soon.  But I also feel it’s appropriate on this “everyday life” blog, because I am continually seeing how art contributes to the quality of everyday life for whomever will take the time to explore the possibilities of visual expression.

Quality of life is enhanced by many arts and crafts.  I have long sung the praises of fibers—plus the joy of spinning wool, knitting, and weaving cloth for garments.  Quilting and other forms of needlework are timeless ways to express beauty, fill household needs, and afford satisfaction and fulfillment.

But in recent years I’ve come to realize that there is something special about paint—most any kind of paint—or chalk, if pastels are one’s medium of choice.  I have actually seen people (children and adults alike!) smile with amazement and breathe a new dimension of “soul air” during excursions into the world of paint and brushes which I frequently host at our dining room table.

A child making art is a wondrous sight to behold.  A child’s lack of fear is liberating and joyous.  A very young child probably doesn’t know a lot about the world’s great art; thus he or she is not intimidated by comparison—that insidious “Phantom of the Classroom” which can create paralyzing apprehension in older students. 

The child who has never been scolded for “going outside the lines”, or fed the hideous lie that there’s only one way to make art, is indeed blessed—and may go on to a lifetime of painting.  Adults who have suffered the travesty of having their early work critiqued by clueless, insensitive “teachers” need to throw off the shackles of negativity.  Art is for everyone—for every person on earth who desires to paint!

Each Thursday, I enjoy helping out for a few hours at the Delafield Arts Center—a nonprofit, community outreach to people of all ages.  This (7500+ square feet) facility offers classes in visual art and poetry, musical events, and galleries of exhibits.  We also have a Community Room for shows by local groups—schools, and various art organizations. 

Currently, the Community Room at the DAC is featuring Waukesha, Wisconsin’s DONNA LEXA ART CENTER—an organization “providing an art program for students with disabilities, promoting creative dignity and community integration”. 

Each week I stroll through that exhibit, view the art, and read the artists’ statements and bios.  I always leave that room with tears in my eyes and a smile in my heart.  One cannot view the DONNA LEXA exhibit without realizing the healing and life-enhancing qualities of one of God’s greatest earthly gifts:  ART! 

You can see this for yourself, on www.donnalexa.org/  .  🙂

Margaret L. Been, ©2012

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