Summer Art Adventure

Being an art student, I have had opportunities to study in different environments and have new experiences to help inform my body of work. Last Summer I went to Paris for 4 weeks and studied the great Art Movements of France as well as visited museums daily and keep a sketchbook / journal of the daily events. Plus I kept you all apprised of my activities with the ever-playful “Picture a Day” posts (which I plan to continue this summer). It was a great honor and exciting adventure for me. This summer I will also be studying art in a faraway land. The exotic locale this year is Fresno.

Yes. Fresno.

It may not seem like much, this healthy sized city smack dab in the center of California, but it is home to the CSU Summer Arts program which offers intensive classes for CSU students and alumni to further their artistic studies. The program offers students one-on-one conversations with successful artists and critics about how to grow their work. There are seminars and studios for everyone to just buckle down and make art, whether that is studio art, music, theater, dance, etc. It is an opportunity to focus on your art form without the daily distractions. A rare luxury.

Fresno is beyond HOT in the summertime. Every correspondence spends at least a paragraph trying to prepare students for this heat. It is also not exactly known to be a hub of excitement, a far cry from my beloved Paris with its monuments, museums, and sidewalk cafés. But there is one thing about Fresno which makes it one of the most important and exciting places for artists.

Fresno State was the home of the Feminist Art Movement and the first Feminist Art studies program. Headed in 1970 by Judy Chicago and pushing the boundaries of the art world. It is an absolute honor to be on the same campus as those brave women who boldly created a new academic program and raised questions about equity in art. Fresno State fostered an environment for women to act creatively and create works that not only were artistically challenging, but socially challenging as well. The program eventually relocated to California Institute of the Arts in 1971 where it attracted national media coverage with their project, WOMANHOUSE. This particular piece stands out as one of the most important works of contemporary art. I am thankful for the groundbreaking work of these brave ladies from Fresno State (and CalArts). Without the work they did in the 1970s there may not have been as many opportunities for me as a female artist.

So upon first glance, my Summer Art Adventure doesn't seem like much… but knowing the history and how that connects to me as an artist has just made Fresno seem a lot more exciting.

xx

**keep an eye out for my picture-a-day posts from Fresno this summer!

Paris a Day: #29

Today started off in the Cafe de l'Industrie, a great little cafe that plays jazz and the walls are hung with beautiful vintage nude photographs. This was our final meeting place for French. We drank coffee and gave our final presentation.

Afterward I headed back over to L'As du Fallafel for lunch. It costs about 2 euro more to eat inside than the take-out window, but with air conditioning and ice cold beverages, it was totally worth it.

The day ended with dinner at Mansouria with everyone from our classes. It was the perfect good-bye to our professors and a way to thank them for these past 4 weeks.

I have one more full day to say my good-byes to Paris.

Paris a Day: #28

Cumulus I
Louise Bourgeois

I went to the Pompidou and viewed the second largest collection of Modern Art. (New York's MoMA is still #1). It was a refreshing change of pace. Paris seems to be a living museum with all it's centuries old buildings and artwork, which are gorgeous, but to be able to go to the Pompidou and view some of the gritty and experimental artwork of the 20th and 21st centuries got my blood pumping.

They have a great exhibit of female artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Which opens with an installation by the Guerrilla Girls. The Guerrilla Girls are artists who maintain their anonymity by wearing Gorilla Masks while fighting to get equal representation for female, minority, and non-Western artists in museums all over the world. They do postering, billboards, publications, and other activism that brings about this sort of awareness. It was a great way to open the exhibit because it confronts the situation, one that many people probably hadn't considered.

Paris a Day: #27

Les Catacombes de Paris

Paris a Day: #26

The best falafel I have ever eaten... from L'As du Fallafel

Paris a Day: #25

This is a 10-foot tall statue of Thomas Jefferson facing the hôtel de Salm, or what it is known as today, le palais de la Légion d'honneur, in Paris. Jefferson served as the U.S. Minister in Paris from 1785-1789 where he enjoyed the architecture of the hôtel de Salm and used it as an inspiration for the rebuilding of Monticello.

He is one of the most important figures in U.S. History and it is only fitting that today of all days, 4 July 2010, I dedicate this post to my home and my heart, the United States of America. Happy Independence Day!

And please, if you have some time please read this wonderful post that reflects upon one of Jefferson's most important writings.

Paris a Day: #24

The Venus de Milo in all her armless glory. Although I have already made one visit to the Louvre, it was for a very short class and due to red tape and other issues we only got to be there for a little over an hour, meaning we saw very little. Today I spent about five or six hours and saw about maybe 1/3 of the collection.

Paris a Day: #23

I saw a play tonight that has been playing in the same theatre for the past 53 years: "La Cantatrice Chauve" written by Ionesco. Although I was not able to understand all of the French, I could comprehend enough to know it was very funny.

Paris a Day: #22

Today I went to Chartres Cathedral and got a quick tour of the grounds from the genius of Chartres, Malcolm Miller. He taught us how to read Gothic stained glass windows. Chartres Cathedral is the one of the best preserved Gothic cathedrals in Europe. During World War II the stained glass was removed and stored elsewhere to keep them from being damaged, therefore we were able to look at the original 12th century stained glass which is a rare treat.

Paris a Day: #20

Today I went to Cimetière du Père-Lachaise and saw the graves of some of the most famous corpses in Paris: Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, etc. Amongst all the fanfare of these wealthy phantoms I found this simple grave site. No name visible, falling apart, and being completely taken over by nature. It was beautiful.

Many of the tombs have fallen in disrepair from lack of care from families. Between the giant monuments and the celebrity tombstones lie the forgotten.



p.s. -- read this book.

Paris a Day: #19

Paris a Day: #16 - 18

This weekend I traded the lights of Paris for the sea wind of Northern France. It was a welcomed change of pace and a chance to see a different side of France.

Technically I was on U.S.A. soil when I took this photo of the Memorial at Omaha Beach in Normandy. We drove through Normandie making stops at Arromanches, Omaha Beach, and Pointe du Hoc on our way in to the Bretagne region of France.

We spent two nights in the Medieval town of St. Malo which is surrounded by stone walls. The tides in this region are so vast that at certain times of the day you can walk out to the islands. However don't stay too long because within a few hours the tides could be crashing on the city walls.

We took a short trip to another Medieval town named Dinan that has remained almost completely intact since that time. It was a real treat to walk along the small stone paths and admire the remains of old smiths shops and homes from centuries ago.

Our final stop before heading back to Paris was to the breathtaking Mont St. Michel which lies directly between Bretagne and Normandie. It is an island in a bay where the tides ebb and flow similarly to St. Malo. One moment it can be a dry bay and in a few hours, completely surrounded by water. I witnessed a monk ringing the bell shortly before mass this morning, as this is still a commonly used place of worship.

This entire trip was lovely and a breath of fresh sea air after spending two weeks in the city.

Mont St. Michel

Paris a Day: #15

Today I climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and got amazing views of the city of Paris. I also got sunburned... honestly, who comes back from Paris with a tan?

Dear friends,
I will not be blogging for the next few days. I will be going to the North of France for the weekend, and will not be able to take my trusty laptop along. I'll do one post for the entire weekend. This should allow me 3 pictures for the 3 days I am gone.

Au revoir mes amis!

Paris a Day: #13

Reportedly the best chocolate in town...

Paris a Day: #12

Musée du Louvre

2 hours just isn't enough time. I will see you again very soon.

Paris a Day: #11

Another rainy day in Paris. Since I got my laundry done last night, I thought I would venture out on my own to see some of the sights. Seeing the grey clouds thick with rain, I grabbed my scarf, trench coat, and iPod and headed to the Metro.

First I stopped at the Place de la Concorde and admired the Obelisk of Luxor and the Fountain of Commerce and Navigation with beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower and Embassy buildings.

Next I stepped into the Jardin des Tuileries with many 16th century sculptures, a fountain/lake with many chairs for lounging, and a long walk way leading to the Louvre. Although the expansive Louvre Museum lay only a short distance away, I opted to visit the Musée de l'Orangerie instead.

Although my class is scheduled to go to the Musée de l'Orangerie, we were informed on Friday that it was to be canceled due to a scheduled strike next week. It seemed only fitting that after this week's trip to Giverny that I go to Monet's "chapel" of Les Nympheas / Water Lilies. The rooms were designed in an infinity band and you wound around the two galleries completely surrounded by Monet's paintings. Photos were allowed, but NO flash. Unfortunately, I got yelled at because a person near me had a flash and the guard thought it was me. Language barriers prevented me from explaining and several people scowled and shamed me out of the room. Cheeks red, I slinked downstairs into the other galleries where I saw many of the masters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. My embarrassment faded as I walked through gallery after gallery of some of the world's most beloved paintings.

This is a small and manageable museum, it may be dwarfed by the Louvre or the Orsay, but it is quite a lovely collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works. I would recommend that if ever you are in Paris, it is worth a visit.

Paris a Day: #10

Today is my day off... on this rainy Saturday I slept, worked on homework, and tried in vain to use the dorm laundry room. Apparently everyone had the same idea.

Paris a Day: #6

Today we went outside of Paris to St. Denis Basilica. The story is that St. Denis, the patron saint of France, was beheaded in Montmartre, and his body picked up his head and walked several miles and finally laid to rest. This was the sacred ground that the St. Denis Basilica was erected in his honor. This is also where all Kings of France are laid to rest. Not only did I see the tombs of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, but I went into the crypts beneath the church and saw the tombs of all the others from Henri IV - Louis XIV, and beyond.

It is a beautiful cathedral full of history and monuments to honor the rich history of the French aristocracy. It is situated in a predominantly Communist neighborhood that was bustling with markets and children. We saw several school children come through in groups for field trips.

Afterward we headed back to Notre Dame and purchased tickets for a concert later in the evening featuring a chamber orchestra, choir, and four featured Soprano soloists performing the J.S. Bach piece Magnificat.

We then ate ice cream at Berthillon, I had a cassis sorbet. (YUMMY!)

After some resting in the dorms and some primping and preening four of us headed out to see Bach performed inside the amazing Notre Dame Cathedral. It was truly breathtaking. Music filled the halls and as I gazed at the centuries-old building around me I felt in utter disbelief at how fortunate I am.

Thank you to everyone who supported me on this adventure. I am blessed to have such lovely people in my life that have allowed me to take this very important and inspiring journey. I love you.

Bisous,
Theresa

Paris a Day: #5

This was an epic day. French classes held at the beautiful Gare de Lyon, then onto the Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral for Art History. Afterward one of the advanced students and I grabbed a petit café and walked all around the a Île de la Cité. We ended up at the one place that was at the top of my personal 'must-see' list: Shakespeare & Co.

Paris a Day: #4

MACARONS!

Today a few of us went to the Jardin du Luxembourg to meet our professor at the Fountain de Medici and head to the market. Unfortunately we were waiting at the wrong fountain (despite assurances from a local that we were at the ONLY fountain in the gardens) and missed out on the trip. However, we decided to make the best of things and walked through the Luxembourg Quarter and into St. Germain de Pres. On the way we stopped at Gerard Mulot where I purchased a variety of macarons.

They are delicious! They are kind of like light, fluffy, meringue cookies with flavored ganache in the middle. They may look and sound like an Oreo, but they are just... wow.