Full Circle 2009: Voice & Vision Final Thoughts
  Let me begin this last entry with a question: What makes art effective? This is a question that we struggle with all the time. After tossing around a couple different ideas, many of us land on something close to, its ability to impact its viewer. I hope that some of you will agree with me when I say that the best art will makes it’s audience think, or maybe even change in some way. In the end isn’t that the goal, to change people? We try to touch people in the hope of making them see something new and different, understand a new concept or idea, or change their view of the world. It is in these areas that I believe the artists involved in the Arts Access Prog

Full Circle 2009: Voice and Vision Recap
On Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending Full Circle: Voice and Vision 2009. Full Circle is a yearly event where the clients who take part in the Arts Access Program at Metheny Medical and Education Center display their talent for a packed house. Upon entry into this beautiful facility on Saturday,  many of the works created by clients all over the walls. As I turned the corner to enter the performance space I was greeted by masterpiece after masterpiece, some of which had already been marked as sold to event attendee. Much of the artwork is also on display on the Arts Access Program Website (www.artsaccess

Full Circle 2009 at Matheny Arts Access
Untitled, by Cindy Shanks, acrylic on canvas, 59" x 57", 2009 I think it’s fair to say that the one thing that binds artists together across all mediums in the creative impulse. This desire can be overpowering at times. I like to think that there’s something inside all artists that says, “I have to create this now, and share it with the world.” Now try to imagine having that i

Generation NEXT at ABBA Mania: Gimme Gimme Gimme
We came, we saw. We danced. It was a good night. Maddie’s post below covers most of the happenings; her next post will cover the post-performance discussion with ABBA Mania’s creator. Meanwhile, in researching my previous post, I discovered a phenomenon that takes the subject of ABBA cover songs to the next level: Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Bjorn Again, a group dedicated to covering the works of other pop stars in the sultry harmonic stylings of ABBA. Click and be amazed: A Little Respect

Generation NEXT at ABBA Mania: Dancing Queen
Baby, we were Bjorn to Run. ...Get it? Any show that features sparkly, silver, platform, knee-high boots, 70’s jumpsuits, and a man named Bjorn is something that I want to be a part of.  Believe me, you would too!  Granted I walked in the door an ABBA fan, but I promise not everyone there was a Swedish pop music aficionado… I’m pretty sure the guy a few rows in front of me was forced at gun