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by Marilyn J. Brackney

Newsletters Archived by Topic

The link above will allow access to dozens of Imagination Factory art activities and articles that appear in all newsletters.

© 2012 Marilyn J. Brackney

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Popular Art Show Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

An art and fine craft show that began in 2005 as a modest exhibit held in celebration of Earth Day has grown into the premier event of its type in the State of Indiana. Presented on November 15th, this marked the tenth time the Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show was held. This year's show featured more than 60 professional artists who exhibited their work and participated in observance of America Recycles Day.

Art lovers who attended shows in the past have been astonished to see the quality of art and fine crafts made from materials most people throw away. The event serves to demonstrate that with imagination, much of what we consider useless can be turned into something beautiful, and repurposing materials to create art helps save energy, natural resources, and landfill space. Artists from several states showed art and fine crafts such as painting, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art, woodworking, glass art, and weaving at The Commons in downtown Columbus, Indiana.

Returning for her third Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show was Indianapolis artist Anita Hopper. A member of the prestigious Indiana Artisan and the Featured Artist of this year's show, Hopper visits thrift shops looking for old leather apparel and upholstery. She deconstructs and cleans the material, and then she repurposes it to make beautiful, one of a kind purses and accessories. Hopper joined many more amazing, professional artists, with one third of the exhibitors participating in their first Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show. They included Indre Pralataviciute-Mineikiene who makes fantastic dragons and other papier mâché characters.

One of the more unusual entries was that of newcomer and Ohio artist Bob Blum who fashions jewelry from antique sequins, which date from 1890 to 1950. About five years ago, Blum came upon the glittery material when he discovered the sequins where they'd been abandoned in a warehouse since World War II. He bought the lot, and now he hand strings the little gems, combining them with beads and other materials, to create stunning necklaces that he calls art jewelry.

Traveling from Fort Myers, Florida to participate for the first time was Hope Frasier. The Sunshine State artist invented a special solution she uses to turn old fabric into waterproof containers. Ted Lyons and Ron Kern search the Indiana countryside looking for old barns to purchase and deconstruct. Back in their Greenfield workshop, they turn the wood into handsome furniture such as bed frames, benches, cabinets, and tables. To see more about the show, visit the Déjà Vu Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DejaVuArtAndFineCraftShow.

 

Cardboard Challenge-Columbus, Indiana

You may recall a feature we published about Caine Monroy, the young Californian who created arcade games from cardboard boxes. After a documentary about him was released, the Imagination Foundation was formed, and now the organization annually sponsors an international project called the Cardboard Challenge. It encourages kids to make their own games out of cardboard.

Some groups in Columbus, Indiana worked together to issue a challenge to local kids to build games. The final competition was held here at the Indiana University Center for Art and Design. The top ten teams, which were from Parkside Elementary School, demonstrated their games, and they competed to see whose project was judged to be the most creative and interesting.

Animal Rescue and Math Flick Soccer were the top two teams, and they were invited to demonstrate their games at the Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show, an annual event featuring repurposed art and crafts created by professional artists. At the show, students charged players 25¢ to play the games. In just four hours, the students were able to raise $180, which they donated to the county chapter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters!

In addition to the competition and game demonstration, the winning teams took their games to an assisted living facility to allow senior citizens to play the games. Residents enjoyed meeting the young people and playing the games the kids had created from cardboard. The third graders found that speaking to people and having them play their games was good practice for the final competition. To see more photos of the Columbus version of Cardboard Challenge, visit their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/cardboardchallengecolumbusin.

Easy Ways to Make Valentines

The following are some suggestions for ways to create your own valentines. Use them alone, or combine two or more ideas. Practice cutting on scrap paper, and whenever possible, repurpose or use leftover materials to make cards.

Scherenschnitte, a German word that means "scissor cuts," is the art of cutting paper to create a design. To make a cut paper valentine, just fold the paper in half and lightly draw half of a heart on one side. Starting on the fold and in the center, cut some small shapes. Continue cutting on the fold, working your way to the outside, and then cut out the heart. Glue to a card or background.

Printmaking uses blocks or stamps that have had paint or ink applied to them, and then the design is transferred to paper.

Stenciling is a type of printmaking in which ink or paint is applied through an opening or cut shape such as this heart.

Paper punches are commercially made tools that allow you to cut small shapes from paper. Some of the designs that are available include hearts, cupids, and letters. Also, you can use craft scissors that have special blades to make fancy cuts.