New York City

I jumped in a frigid, cold lake twice this week.

Oh, and then I flew to New York City for the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Convention! I have been given incredible opportunities through the art education program at BYU. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have been invited to attend.

This was my very first time to NYC and I thought it was busy, dirty, gray, cold, wet, diverse, loud, amazing, smart, and filled with so much art I couldn’t possibly absorb it all! I only had five days in the Big Apple, and I only saw a sliver of it.

In addition to attending lectures and workshops on the latest in art education, I visited four major museums and explored the city at night.

Here are some of the highlights of the trip in no particular order:

1.     Met well-known, contemporary artists Janine Antoni and Oliver Herring. I particularly admire Antoni who has been an influence to my work of late. Her work exploring questions of feminism, identity, and the body really resonate with me.

2.     My first glimpse of Time Square was quite bedazzling, but not quite as fun as when I walked through it in the rain with a good friend.

3.     I rode in a taxi! I’ve always wanted to do that! It was on my list of things to do before I die.

4.     And, I navigated the subway system all by myself.

5.     Attended a lecture by Jason Blair, an elementary school teacher in Ohio, who collaborated with other teachers to foster this wonderful yearlong investigation of “identity.” He demonstrated that deeply personal, intelligent connections and meaningful art can be made by 8-10 year old students. His students’ work was even featured in the Columbus Museum of Art. Here are a few newspaper articles explaining the project: article 1, 2, 3.

6.     Presented my research to fellow students.

7.     Ate the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted…I even ate cheesecake for breakfast.

8.     Spent time with a dear professor and his friend who took interest in my work.

9.     Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ "Untitled" (Placebo), 1991 and “Untitled” 1991 at MoMA emanated beauty and poetic loss. (Placebo) felt especially powerful; there was something that held me in that room awhile as I literally partook of the art piece. I just thought it was so lovely that the artist would continue to give in spite of the work's tragic implications.

"Untitled" (Placebo), 1991 Image credit CarbZombie

Image credit The Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation

10. Janet Cardiff’s The Forty Part Motet, 2001 at MoMA PS1 raised my eyes heavenward. It felt peaceful and inspiring, such a breath of fresh air amidst the predominately negative, critical, and overly political work I saw in New York. Watch a covert video in a different space here.

Image credit PS1