Posts tagged ‘events’
This terrible thing has happened, I will never be the same: “Securing a free state” — Jennifer Nelson
When this project was percolating last year, thinking choreographically I
initially approached it with a dumb pun about the right to bear arms. I was
thinking about the way the mind fills the fire-“arm” with its
intention, and the way this intention penetrates social space with its
imperative to stop an attack (I’m taking a good-faith approach that those who
are armed for self-defense do not wish to do harm beyond stopping an attacker).
On the other side, I was thinking about the body’s integrity being violated by
violence, and the psychic and social consequences of that. I imagined a person
missing an arm to violence. I was wondering about phantom sensations in
the missing limb, and about the experiences of someone trying to heal by making
the body whole again through the use of a prosthetic limb. Can mind inhabit the
inanimate? What relationship can a person claim to the now public place where
his or her limb should have been?
But as I thought further, it became clear that the project would go deeper. I
would shift away from “the right of the people to keep and bear arms”
to the heart of the Amendment: “the security of a free state.” What
is a securely free state? What does that mean intimately? How do we carry this
in our bodies? We live with mortal vulnerability, and with the possibility,
however statistically slight, of facing violent conflict. We look for ways to
live with this terror, particularly if we have already been wounded and our
trust has already been broken. The evolving project sets out on this deeper
quest. So when we approached Michael Pack, owner of Artificial Limb
Specialists, about a field trip to his site, I carried both my first intention
and the evolving question.
Michael’s work, as a designer of custom prosthetic devices, is that of a
life-changer. He works with clients, most of whom have suffered a traumatic
injury from war or accident (rather than the #1 cause for limb loss: diabetes)
for months or even years to get the right prosthetic fit. It truly makes the
difference of whether a person can live a full and free life or not. Danny
Lujan, a client of many years who was present on our Thursday night field trip,
said that his psychological recovery from the loss of his lower leg only began
when the limb fit perfectly and he didn’t need to think about it anymore. We
spent the evening learning what it takes to design prosthesis to fit perfectly —
to become an extension of the body — and speaking with Danny about his emotional
relationship with both his lost leg and his prosthetic one. We also got a tour
of the workshop — a sculptor’s delight — for casting and shaping these amazing
devices. Michael’s clients compete in triathlons, scuba dive, rock climb, and
play with grandchildren. Danny was able to move forward literally and figuratively
after his accident. He got a degree, found his wife, and has a rewarding job.
But he says the first several years were really hard. His sense of personal
security changed. He feels more vulnerable. He still feels the lost leg,
sometimes it still hurts. Michael explains that a patient needs to bond with
their prosthetic leg to move forward, and for some people, life events make it
so difficult to take a forward-looking view of loss: This terrible thing
has happened, I will never the be same. How will this cause me to grow?
We’ll be examining that question in more detail on the field trip on Saturday,
October 29th to St. Luke’s Behavioral Health. Check it out — there are
participatory events for post-traumatic growth.
This Sunday at 11:00 a.m. we’ll eat pastries at a sniper training range while
discussing letting one’s guard down with sniper training instructor William
Graves. Please contact Lekha Hileman Waitoller if you would like to join us
(480-965-0497; lwaitoll@mainex1.asu.edu)
—Jennifer Nelson, Social Studies artist
All images by Sean Deckert.
Contemplating security from very different perspectives – Securing a free state: The Second Amendment Project
Thursday, October 13 marks the first field trip for Securing a free state: The Second Amendment Project, currently underway at ASU Art Museum. Jennifer Nelson’s Social Studies project, which focuses on security, takes us to two sites that will force us to contemplate security from very different perspectives.
On Thursday, we will visit Artificial Limb Specialists (2916 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85012) at 6:30 p.m. for a tour of the design facilities where custom prosthetics are made.
An individual who lost a limb and uses a prosthetic will speak with us about how he inhabits his limb, what the prosthetic means for him emotionally, and his feelings of security or vulnerability with the limb.
On Sunday, October 23 at 11 a.m. we will visit a sniper training school that provides realistic training opportunities for individuals in law enforcement, military as well as civilians. We will observe a group of students as they go through their final exercises in sniper training and will discuss the topic of security from the perspective of someone who is prepared to encounter and deflect threats. The address for this field trip will be provided only to those who sign up to attend the tour. Car pools to the facility can be arranged.
Space for both fieldtrips is limited—for questions, or to sign up for either, please contact the project’s curator, Lekha Hileman Waitoller at lwaitoll@mainex1.asu.eduor 480-965-0497. Attendance to both field trips is suggested in order to more
fully understand the dialogue unfolding in Securing a free state.
–Lekha Hileman Waitoller, Interim Curator
Photos by Jennifer Nelson.
Opportunities to participate — Securing a free state: The Second Amendment Project – Jennifer Nelson, Social Studies 7
Photograph courtesy of Sean Deckert.
Jennifer Nelson’s Social Studies residency at the ASU Art Museum has been going for about two weeks and we’ve already been to two shooting ranges, a sniper training school and a prosthetics design facility. As if this weren’t enough firsts for me, I also, in a trust-building exercise, allowed a SWAT team commander to lead me around a gallery with my eyes closed (although I cheated when I noted that I was being led into a dark corner). This project is shaping up to be a huge learning experience with nary a dull moment, and we have barely begun.
Securing a free state: The Second Amendment Project is the second in a nonconsecutive series of projects by Jennifer Nelson on the Bill of Rights. While the Second Amendment is commonly thought about only as “the right to bear arms,” Jennifer selected another clause as her starting point for the project: “the security of a free state.”
Throughout the residency, group conversations, field trips and a public panel will engender a dialogue about security—how individuals find it and how we, collectively, think of it. Contemplating private and public security gives rise to a host of complexities, which and can at times seem incompatible. This dynamic negotiation of rights between the public and the private is what this project considers; in fact, it is what Jennifer’s body of work usually considers. (Read about her collaborative project Limerick Cookbook for an example.)
Jennifer, her husband and collaborator, Dimitri, and I have been laying the ground work for this project, which has taken us to the sites mentioned above. This past Saturday and then again next Saturday (October 8 and 15) are the first public opportunities for community members to come to the Museum and take part in the project. From noon-1:30 next Saturday, as we did this past Saturday, we will think about security through activities and conversations that are facilitated by two martial artists, an NRA certified firearms instructor and a trauma therapist.
Check out the full calendar of events below, which will continue to grow as the project develops. (We’ll be updating this blog with new opportunities and events as they arise.)
—Lekha Hileman Waitoller, Interim Curator
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
SATURDAYS IN THE GALLERY: On Saturday, October 8 and 15, members of the public have the opportunity to work with Jennifer from noon-1:30 p.m. These times provide a chance to explore martial practices and therapeutic exercises as we examine strategies for achieving personal security, and ponder what that means in a collective context. Visitors will work in a small group with a martial artist, a shooter and a trauma therapist specializing in somatic treatments to develop choreographies of self-defense and recovery.
Please wear loose-fitting clothes and athletic shoes, and because the gallery is chilly, some may want to bring an extra layer. Please arrive on time and plan to stay for 90 minutes.
PANEL DISCUSSION:
On Saturday, October 22 at 1:00 p.m. we will have a public panel with rotating moderators in the gallery for a discussion of the question: How do people find security? Come prepared to participate in what promises to be a lively discussion.
FIELD TRIPS:
A series of field trips will consider the link between the mind and its extension beyond the body. These include a visit to a prosthetics maker and fitter, which will be thought of as sites where sculpture is made and where one is driven by the need to feel physically whole after a violent interruption of their bodily integrity. The other is a trip to a sniper training facility, which will be considered a performative space where defensive security is practiced.
To sign up for the field trips, please contact Lekha Waitoller at 480-965-0497 or lwaitoll@mainex1.asu.edu
- Thursday, October 13, 6:30 p.m.: a visit to Artificial Limb Specialists in Phoenix, where we will tour the prosthetics design facility and speak with an amputee who will share his experience about the physical transformation he has been through.
- Sunday, October 23, 11:00 a.m.: a tour of GPS Defense Sniper School to understand the physical and psychological training for snipers.
This exhibition is supported by a grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
The project was initiated by John D. Spiak and is curated by Lekha Hileman Waitoller.
Family So-Much-Fun Day!
Family Fun Day. Photo by Stephen Gittins.
“Okay, I’ll dance to one more song, but then I HAVE to get in line to get my face painted,” said one adorable young girl who was dancing in the gallery with the Zumbatomics participatory activity, led by Melinda Mills-Walkey.
“I want to be KISS,” said one young man as he approached the face painter. His mother explained that he was very interested in becoming a rock star and that she had no idea how he had even found out about KISS, but she saw nothing wrong with it.
Another child suddenly halted working on the art project in front of her when she saw her favorite PBS character, Super Why, and only returned to the table after having her photograph taken with him.
I observed each of these moments at the ASU Art Museum’s Family Fun Day on July 9th, 2011. With hands-on art-making activities, interactive performances and readings and illustration demonstrations by Chris Gall and Alex Rex, everyone at the museum on Saturday had a great day.
This is my fifth year organizing the Family Fun Day with the help of our Windgate Intern, who also curates an exhibition based on a theme, pulling works broadly from our collection. It’s so rewarding to see the hours put into planning the crafts, contacting performers and working with our fabulous community partners result in such an entertaining day for families. My favorite part of Family Fun Day is that the entire event is free, allowing families to have fun without worrying about how much it costs. This year, more than 1,200 people stopped by to enjoy the four-hour event, and that’s not including visitors to the Ceramics Research Center across the street.
Now we’re putting the supplies away from Saturday’s activities, and starting to prep for next month’s 1st Saturdays for Families (Saturday, Aug. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), which explores the exhibition By myself and with my friends through an interactive dance led by choreographer Elizabeth Johnson, a special visit from the Arizona Animal Welfare League (and animal friends), and a fun animal-making art craft.
And I also will start planning next year’s Family Fun Day — after I finish recovering from this year’s event.
–Andrea Feller, Curator of Education
Photos in the slideshow are by Stephen Gittins and Stu Mitnick.
Events at ASU Art Museum, April 2010
Events at Arizona State University Art Museum for April 2010:
April 3: First Saturdays for Families, a free hands-on art project for kids 4-12 and their families. This month’s art project is watercolors! See our blog post for more information.
[EDIT: The list of films to be screened on April 17 is now available on our site!]
April 10: Street Party, at Hoskin Ryan Consultants property, Indian School Rd and 2nd Ave, Phoenix. From 4 – 10 p.m., $5 at the gate or online, and kids 12 and younger are free! Proceeds benefit ASU Art Museum exhibitions and programs.
April 17: ASU Art Museum 14th Annual Short Film & Video Festival, out on the plaza behind the museum. Bring your own chairs and blankets to be comfy for a gorgeous night under the stars watching short films submitted from all over the world. A totally free event!
April 20: Gallery talks by guest curator Bobby Silverman (at the Ceramics Research Center) and artist William Wylie (in the top gallery).
Arizona State University Art Museum is free and open to the public. The main museum is located at the southeast corner of Mill Avenue at 10th Street, in Tempe, Arizona. The ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center is just across the street at the northeast corner of Mill Avenue at 10th Street, and free parking for museum visitors is available directly outside in marked spaces. Please visit our web site for hours and current exhibitions and events.
See you in April!
-diane
upcoming
So, I’ve been doing quite a lot of editing, calendar posting and other things to start getting our future exhibitions lined up, and I have to say, we have some really cool stuff coming! At the risk of stealing a little thunder, I’m gonna share a few:
What Moves Us: Art of Transportation, summer 2010
This is a piece from our summer family exhibition titled What Moves Us: Art of Transportation. Fun! This is in two galleries starting May 29. (Hover on the photo for credits.)
Lasting Impressions: Japanese Prints from the ASU Art Museum Collection
I can’t wait to see this exhibition, Lasting Impressions. I’ve seen some of the prints and they’re really amazing. Aug. 28 – Nov. 27 – that means if you’re coming to our Welcome Back Student Party on Aug. 31, you’ll get to see this!
Check out our web site for more information on all of our exhibitions and events. There’s always something going on at the museum!
-diane
our next First Saturdays for Families project
watercolor painting by our talented Education Assistant Teresa
April is quickly approaching and we still have lots going on at ASU Art Museum!
First Saturdays for Families is Saturday, April 3, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. This month we’re playing with watercolors – what a fun spring project!
And don’t forget about the second annual Street Party coming up on Saturday, April 10! This year’s event will be at the Hoskin Ryan property, on Indian School and 2nd Ave. in Phoenix, from 4 – 10 p.m. I’ll post more about that soon, but in the meantime, you can get tickets on our site.
If that’s not enough for you, the 14th Annual Short Film & Video Festival is screening on the back plaza Saturday, April 17! Bring out your stadium chairs, blankets and anything else to get comfy for a night out under the stars and some great short films. As soon as our web page is up with the official selections I’ll post again with more information on what you’ll see that night.
And hey- we’re on Yelp! If you’re on Yelp and have been to the museum or any of our events, tell us what you think! We’d love to hear your feedback and your suggestions to keep making our events even better for you.
-diane
Top 3 Things to Do at ASU Art Museum, March 2010
While it may seem that Dawn is taking over our blog, and we’re ok with that, she has some fun stuff to share with you from the museum for this month:
First Saturdays for Families, March 6, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
– kids ages 4-12 and their families can make free art projects based on an artist currently showing in the museum. All materials are supplied free at the museum, and kids get to keep their art. No registration is required – just show up any time during the posted hours.
make clay sculptures based on artist Wanxin Zhang's work, March 6
(I just really like this little guy, made by Teresa in our education department.)
Forged Power: Ferran Mendoza, Alvaro Sau and William Wylie (through May 29)
– video art exhibition that focuses on people at work. *Note: there are a few scenes that may be inappropriate for younger kids.
Ceram-a-Rama: a *really progressive clay affair (March 4 – 7)
– There’s still time to get tickets to the weekend’s ceramic art events – just go to http://ASUArtMuseum.asu.edu.
If you can’t make the whole weekend, join us just Saturday night on the rooftop of the W Hotel in Scottsdale for our very swank after-party. Tickets for the party are only $25 at the door!
Top Three Things to do at ASU Art Museum!
We have a new way to share what’s happening at ASUArt Museum with you – iPhone video! I hope you enjoy this quick look at the top things going on at the museum right now- this month we feature artists Wanxin Zhang and Gordon Cheung, and our biannual event, Ceram-a-Rama, that benefits exhibitions and education programs at our Ceramics Research Center.
And thanks to Dawn, who did a great job despite my nearly last-minute recruitment for this gig!
-Diane
Ceram-a-Rama details
The ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center presents its bi-annual ceramics gala
CERAM-A-RAMA: A (*really) Progressive Clay Affair
March 4-7, 2010
Four days of events include tours of private homes, exhibitions, live and silent auctions.
The Saturday night event will hop from Ceramics Research Center to Camelview Optima in Scottsdale to a DJ pumping After Party at the W Hotel.
Guest of honor for the weekend event is internationally renowned artist Jun Kaneko.
Entry to the Saturday night (March 6) gala cocktail party, standing dinner, auctions and after party is $150 per person.
All-inclusive weekend packages are available for $550 per person and include all events March 4 – 7.
Entry to the W Hotel After Party only is just $25 per person.
For tickets, event information or view auction items, visit the website to download the reservation form.
For general questions contact: Cyndi Coon at 480.734.5178 or email Cyndi.Coon@asu.edu.
ASU Art Museum 