Hipstamatic+Shadow Photo Shoot

We have a LOT of fun at Art Lounge each week. Sometimes we head downstairs for an impromptu photo shoot at sunset.

Behind the scenes

I like the Hipstamatic version better!

Art Lounge visits Jorge Leyva's Studio

My name is Makenzi and last week we went to visit Jorge Leyva’s art studio. It was a great experience to visit a local artist.  We all had the privilege to walk though and talk with Jorge. Towards the end of our visit we all sat down in his studio and did different sketches. We came together when we all had finished sketching and Jorge looked at all of our work. He told each person what he thought of their piece or pieces. I drew a candle surrounded by darkness, to show that no matter how much darkness there maybe in the world the light will always win. The main concept was to say that God will always stomp out that darkness.  Jorge told me that by my drawing he could tell I had a lot of hope in life and that I seemed like someone who wanted to change the world. All which is true. I really enjoyed going to his studio and seeing his art. He is a really cool and funny guy and I’m glad I had the privilege to go.

Hey, I’m Chadan from the creative splash

Last week we went to studio of an artist named  Jorge Jeyva . Now he was telling our group some words of advice. He told me that my landscape drawing was better than my person. The only thing with my person was I just made it up but I was looking at the woods. But he told me “if you want to draw people tell them to sit down and shut up because I’m going to draw you the”.

 

Hi! I'm Larry and I make things way too complicated……. That was the basics of what he told me. When asked to explain my work I talk waaaay too much!!!  And I believe this! When I try to explain my work I tend to ramble…, so I took his advice and am now just doing quick sketches and letting the work speak for itself.

Hi I'm Kathrine! Jorge Leyva pretty much told me that I was a graphic designer and I have dark insides. Speaking of dark insides... my drawing was of an evil bird glaring at a good bird that was falling into fire, and my second was of a heart with a keyhole for her nose that opened up to a broken person with a knife in his head and his heart, dangling from a chain and thorns all around his feet. I'm gonna start looking more at graphic designart and exploring it. :)

To see more of Jorge's work, click here.
http://www.jorgeleyvastudio.com/

Art Lounge Session 4

Session 4 of art lounge is in full force! This session includes a visit to Jorge Leyva's studio and a Halloween party. Week 1 we had a fun little photo shoot downtown.....check out our 'stop-motion' video below!

Art Lounge goes to Art Walk

Art walk is a fun time to buy art or just enjoy walking around downtown Joplin. The streets are closed to traffic, so people are free to set up tents and sell whatever they want. (not a time to walk ON art) In this picture, we were eating at Instant Karma.

Instant Karma serves gourmet hot dogs, but if you want to go there on Third Thursday, go early (it gets very packed). None of us liked hot dogs though, we all got pasta. So then why did we go to instant karma?? Because they have paintings covering the walls! Yay for paintings!

                                                             ^ A big painting

A local photographer sets up a fun photo shoot at art walk in his studio. The theme this time was 80s night so we put on REALLY silly costumes and got our photos taken. Check out the other photos from that photo shoot on the 9art facebook page.

                                    We had a lot of fun, but SOME of us are a bit camera shy.

We suggest you check out the next Art Walk, on Third Thursday, every month, downtown Joplin!!

A Vision for Joplin

A muralist is in Joplin, meeting with the community, planning a mural for our city and he asked a group of my students to draw what they wanted to see in the mural, to draw their vision of Joplin.

We had trouble coming up with ideas because before the tornado, Joplin was pretty boring...and since the tornado, everything that we used to take for granted is so much more precious.

We drew a sketch for our mural and put a big drive-in screen, with cars from every decade parked in front...and a playground with children who could see 'butterfly men' fluttering around them.

Our sketch had lots of trees, and somewhere in the design, we wanted people wading in a creek, catching crawdads. We thought it was important for the mural to show downtown and discussed how much of the mural should be devoted to the tornado. The students agreed that they wanted it to show happy people in Joplin.

Here is the mural team at our Art Lounge class at Spiva, presenting their history, how they are working with the Midwest Art Alliance to bring art to small communties....sharing a bit about what they do and also showing us example of other murals they have done. 

While the team was there, we showed them the mural we made.


Art Lounge students made a list of words to describe how people in Joplin felt after the tornado. The students, aged 10-16 selected some of the positive words and some of the  negative words from the list to include in the mural around a central figure. The figure in the center was left faceless so that viewers can picture the faces of those who helped them after the storm. The figure represents neighbor helping neighbor to cleanup and rebuild.

The mural was created on a blue tarp, which represents the new, yet temporary landscape of the city. The acrylic paint will eventually peel and chip off the surface, just as the blue tarps will be replaced with shingles and new roofs.

The Art Lounge mural is currently on display at Spiva if you want to see it in person.  (For a limited time)

What would your vision for the mural be? What would you include in a mural about Joplin?

This project is going to be amazing, we cannot wait to see what Dave and his team come up with for Joplin. To follow their progress and read about what the are doing around town, you can follow the blog here: http://joplincommunityartproject.blogspot.com/ 

If you would like to be involved with Dave's team and the Joplin mural, it is not too late to get involved!!