Art Show Reflection-Courtney Reynolds

1) I absolutely loved the art show, I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was definitely better than what I had anticipated; there was such great and creative work! I took some little notes while I was going through the rows just so I could remember what I liked about different displays. I really enjoyed the variety of art work; from graphic design to photography to pencil drawings and collages. LOVED IT! Oh, and the music was a nice background to everything as well :).

2) My favorite works were the photography for sure, I just loved them, however the art that stood out to me so much that it was the first piece I thought of when trying to answer this question was called "Generosity." It was not a photo, but it stood out to me the most. The student had made a tree shape out of the images of children's faces the background resembled a sky, and in bright red letters it said "Generosity" and a red shape was attached to the branch of the tree. I automatically was intrigued by how unique the piece was, but once I read the caption I was very touched. The artist had been given a red bracelet from a little girl she met on a trip to Honduras. The artist said that she obtained a whole new perspective on generosity as a result; a little girl with barely anything to her name was willing to give such a special gift. Wow. That piece was so touching and personal so it was definitely my favorite.

3) To maintain the idea of "play" in my life I will remember that anything can be turned into something fun. We discussed this in class one day, that even a monotonous activity can be turned into something fun and creative if we just put our minds to making it that way. I will try to remember that when I'm in a dry meeting or waiting in traffic.

Silhouette Project- Courtney Reynolds

My silhouette project represents me as a consumer now versus the consumer I hope to be in the future. The brands and the colors and shapes that represent certain brands are those that I feel represent the primary brands I consume regularly. The background of the project as you can probably notice from the photo is almost void of brands and is rather full of shades of green and blue. In the future I hope to buy less and use nature as provision more, hence the green. I do however have some luxury items on the outside of my silhouette.

Courtney Reynolds- Pitching Public Art

The pitch that Parker, Trent, and I presented to the class went well; we all worked together to create a project worth presenting. Each of us put forth equal effort and felt good about our finished product. Our presentation could have ran a little smoother however; I don't think we were as persuasive as we could have been. I know that I get a little nervous with public speaking so I was a little scattered with the thoughts I presented making it more difficult for my other team members. I was impressed with the presentation of the "Treasures and Tunes" group as well as the "Butler Bubbles," I thought each group worked collectively to demonstrate the key points of their project very persuasively. "Butler Bubbles" persuaded me the most because of their visual aids and the way in which they described the piece; they gave me the clearest picture of what the piece would look like if actually installed (and the idea was really cool too!).

Courtney, Parker, and Trent- Public Art Proposal

“REFLECTION”
The public art piece we would like to propose for the Butler University campus is entitled “Reflection.” The location for “Reflection” is proposed to be on the steps of the bell tower on the north end of the campus. This location was chosen as a prime spot for an art piece that will encourage personal reflection. The area is surrounded by nature promoting peace and tranquility and the bell towers, which sound at the passing of every hour symbolically representing the passing of time throughout one’s journey of reflection. Out of respect for the tradition and history of the bell tower, this piece would be a temporary public art piece put on display during the month of May which is generally fair-weathered. The art piece itself would be composed of four mirror frames and one large cylindrical mirror. Each mirror frame would rest upon each of the four platforms on the steps leading up to the bell tower culminating with the cylindrical mirror directly underneath the bell tower. The proposed materials of the mirrors are black-coated wooden frames with stainless steel pieces to serve as a mirror, for safety purposes. Attaching the mirrors to the stairs would be done much in the same manner as a free-standing mirror is held upright; the mirror frames would be attached to another wood stand.
The four mirrors represent the path of discovery of self throughout one’s four-year, or more, journey at Butler. The unfinished mirrors represent the “pieces of the puzzle” to one’s life as well as the increasingly more difficult stages of each school year. The round mirror underneath the bell tower symbolizes the culmination of discovery of oneself, career path, purpose, et cetera or at least seeing oneself in a different manner.
Adding this piece to the Butler campus for the proposed month of May would add interest to the area and increase its value as a place for reflection and thought. The bell tower is already a visitor attraction; “Reflection” would be another point of interest and conversation piece. “Reflection” being installed in May, the month of commencement, could also symbolize and help celebrate the journey of Butler in students in their path of self-discovery past, present, and future.

Courtney Reynolds- Playdoh and Creativity

The article on creativity suggests that students our age have a much more difficult of a time connecting to our "creative side," which was illustrated in our "bus" exercise earlier in class on Tuesday. Once that Playdoh was in our hands however, all of that seemed to change; we came back a place where we could think and create and it was fun! Class on Tuesday demonstrated how we all have the capacity of meeting challenges creatively if our creativity is nurtured; our creativity seemed to hide somewhere until we were given a task that forced it out of the depths of our brain. I think more classes should put an emphasis on activities that stimulate the creativity in students' minds even in ways that seem juvenile, like Playdoh :).

Courtney Reynolds- My Favorite Toy

As far back as I can remember I have always loved playing with dolls; baby dolls specifically are my favorite. Growing up I often played "house" and pretended to be a mom. My grandma used to babysit me and playing with dolls is something we did everyday, so dolls have a special significance even now.