The Arboretum at Penn State

If you are a nature person then the place to go on campus is the Penn State Arboretum! It is a beautiful space filled with flowers, plants, trees, ponds and even pieces of architecture. Each different species of plant life is labeled and you learn new things every time you go. This is a great place to relax, go for a stroll, and take some great pictures. While walking through the Arboretum, or sitting on the various benches and chairs that are provided, you can escape the outside world and just admire the nature around you!

Although I am not much of a nature person, I do love the Penn State Arboretum! The first time I visited the Arboretum there was a wedding that was taking place and this drew me in right away! I am into love stories and romantic things, and seeing this wedding here made me realize the true beauty it has to offer. After being here a few times, I always remember that one moment where I saw the wedding being set up and I always wonder what it would be like to get married there. Not only did this one event influence me to come back more then once, but also the fact that there is always something new and beautiful to expect.  Every time I go back I see something new that was added, and I enjoy this because it’s not the same thing over and over again. Another reason I love to visit the Arboretum is the feeling I get when I am there. Being there makes me forget about all the stress life brings me, and for a moment my busy life doesn’t feel so busy.  

 I always loved photography and taking photos here was a great way for me to get back into it! The colorful flowers and sunflower section was one of my favorite parts and I could go there many times and still feel the same way about it. My favorite subject to photograph is flowers and other parts of nature, and that’s exactly what the Arboretum provided for me. The bright colors of the sunflowers and all the great textures of the different flowers and stems were great subjects for my photos! The pond was also a great place for me to take my pictures because of the reflection and sense of stillness the water has. Not only do the lily pads and various flowers in the pond stand out in the photos, but also the reflection of the sky and clouds.

I would highly recommend a visit to the Arboretum to both nature lovers and non-nature lovers here on campus. I feel as if it is a place that should be visited at least once when living here on campus, because it is a great way to escape from the busy college life, and remind people of the beauty that this world has to offer! Even if you are not a nature-person, you might end up loving it just as much as I do! 

Palmer Museum Visit

The piece of art I choice was the Harlem Rose, constructed and made by Willie Cole in 2005 and 2006.  This piece uses old, scuffed female shoes to create a circular object that shows the bottoms of worn shoes. With the front tips of the shoes facing outward, the sculpture creates a flower like image. This piece was created to tell a story about the African American women in the time period of the civil rights movement. This piece of art may seem just like a bunch of shoes arranged in a circle, but surprisingly it has more of an effect on the audience when the facts behind the piece come into play. 

The time period behind this piece of work shows the historical aspect of women during the civil rights movement. Although to some people the artwork may just seem like shoes, to others who look more deeply into its meaning, it may represent the hard working, determined African American women of the time period. With the bottoms of the shoes being scuffed and shown throughout the entire piece, Willie Cole creates the image of women walking in civil rights marches and protests. Although this piece was created a few years ago, the time period Willie Cole had in mind when creating this piece influences the way the audience perceives his art. When realizing he is representing the hard work of the African American women during the civil rights movement the piece changes from a circle of shoes to a story of the past.

At first when looking at this piece I felt confused and just enjoyed it because I love shoes. After reading into the piece of work my emotions changed and I felt more moved by the piece. Although I can’t relate directly to the meaning behind the sculpture, I still feel as if it affected me. Images of women in marches, and women being pushed away while fighting for equal rights came into my head and I began to realize why the shoes were used to create this piece of artwork. I feel as if Willie Cole is a credible artist. He is also African American, which could be used to understand why his piece represents the struggles of African Americans in the past. He is a known international sculptor and primarily uses domestic and previously used objects such as blow dryers, irons, high-heeled shoes, and old recycled bicycle parts. Willie Cole attended Boston University School of Fine Arts and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  Throughout his career he received many awards, including national awards for African-American art. Based on the known awards and prestigious college Willie Cole attended, I came to the conclusion that he was a credible artist.

My overall experience at the Palmer was a lot better then I expected it to be. At first I thought I was going to hate the entire experience because museums and paintings don’t really interest me, but when I came across the sculptures, I began to appreciate the art and meanings behind them. I found the sculpture with the shoes the most interesting mainly because the artist used my favorite thing to create something with more of a meaning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kimberly-brooks/first-person-artist-willi_b_84255.html

Template: I wanted to represent myself and my personality in this blog, while at the same time make it easy for my fellow readers to navigate. I chose a background that was fun but not too overwhelming. I wanted the background to be appealing to the eye but at the same time I wanted the focus of the blog to be the writing. Hopefully as the blog progresses it will all come together and be easy and fun to use!

Title and Font: The title of my blog represents who I am and what I love to do. For me dancing is an art form and a way I can express myself. The title I chose not only represents me but also gives insight on how the blog will be talking about the arts at Penn State. For the title, I used a fun font that looked like dancing letters! It was easy to read, but at the same time illustrated my fun personality. For the rest of the blog I used a more standard font that was very easy to read.

About Me: In the about me section on the right hand side of the blog, I including a few things about my personality and what I love to do. I tried not to write too much because I wanted the focus of my blog to be more about my posts and I didn't want people to get too wrapped up in who I am. Hopefully by knowing a few things about me, the reader will continue to read my blog and not just focus on the about me section!