When I was a child, I remember being jealous of the connection that my friend had with her parents. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents dearly, but I could never tell them things that my friends and I talked about. I guess the problem was that my parents have always purely been my parents, never my friends. However, being the single child can be quite lonely and stifling. Thus, I vowed that when I become a parent, I will not only be a discipliner, but also a friend that my child can run to when he or she have problems. Children often feel that they are not receiving the attention that they deserve from adults. Accordingly, they try to draw their attention by many ways, maybe by stubbornness, trouble-making, or outcry. Thus as parents, it is important to establish clear communication with your child and let them know that you are there for them. One way to relate to your child is by working together with your child. Find nearby art classes that both you and your child can take together. Explore each other’s creativity: learn together, grow together. Make art projects together and test your imagination. This way, you not only establish a special bond between you and child but you can also learn a little more about yourself through your child as well!
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
-Victor Hugo
Taiko is an essential tool in revealing the ethnically-specific values of Japanese Americans. It not only reflects roots to Japanese traditions, but also transcends cultural borders. With its thunderous rhythms and powerful drumming, Taiko has become one of the most popular Japanese art forms in America. Because of its expansive history in Japan, Taiko has become an essential representation of Japanese culture and tradition. Because of this, when first generation Japanese Americans initially immigrated to America, they were nostalgic of their home country and used Taiko as a way to find a sense of identity and create a solid Japanese community in a multicultural nation. The birth of North American Taiko marked the efforts of first generation Japanese immigrants to preserve Japanese traditions and reconnect with their ancestral roots. Initially, North American Taiko had been used by the earlier generations of Japanese descents as an exclusively Japanese voice for political activism and ethnic solidarity in the face of racial adversity. But eventually, as later generations of Japanese people become more Americanized, they instill Japanese-American values into Taiko thereby transforming the art into a crossbreed of Japanese and American cultures, one that is built upon a Japanese history, but embraces the diversity of the multicultural nation. Those who participate in Taiko are no longer a homogeneous group of Japanese-Americans, rather they stem from all different ethnicities such as European Americans, African Americans, Chicanos, and other Asian Americans.
Taiko represents an integral part of Japanese culture, with roots that extend to ancient Japanese history; but since its arrival to the US, has transformed from a distinctly Japanese symbol to a hybrid composed of both Japanese and American values. Thus, this reveals Taiko as an evolving art form: one whose nature depends upon its outside environment as well as the values of the members within.
Banksy is one of my favorite artists. His works are some of the most unconventional, inspiring, and creative pieces I have ever seen. But Banksy is no ordinary artist. His masterpieces don’t exist behind the protective glass of a museum, rather they lie on the surfaces of the urban jungle, raw and untamed. Banksy not only distinguishes himself through his artistic brilliance but also through the thought-provoking messages in his pieces as well. Banksy, a self-proclaimed “guerrilla street artist” whose works are scattered throughout cities around the world, is famous for his often satirical works targeting politics, ethics, and culture. Viewers of Banksy’s works are said to experience the “Banksy Effect” which, according to Peter Kennard, is a comprehensive public dialogue that he has carefully nurtured alongside his work on the everyday spaces of the street. Such effect de-familiarizes the familiar and forces people to question their own societies. Initially ordinary city objects and surfaces are transformed into symbols and metaphors catching the attention of those who pass by. In short, graffiti allows the artist to mold the immutable walls of the city into his own vision, revealing the social identities of the artists themselves and their use of graffiti as a means of expression which sets in motion a bigger social question and a broader underlying message.
Many people always question the significance of a good arts education. They ask, “why do I possibly need to learn about the arts that will help me later on in life?” Many people don’t know that art exists everywhere and that everyone can be an artist regardless of their profession. Recently, while looking through the plethora of videos on youtube, I came across an interesting video which featured a guy who worked at a coffee shop. He posted several videos of himself creating and drawing cute images on the surface of his lattes. With just some cream, coffee, and a stirer, he was able to make a common drink into a masterpiece. That’s what Emerge Art Center is here to do. Emerge is here to help you see and appreciate the beauty in things that you had never realized before. Because the world becomes more vibrant when you view it through an artist’s eyes.
Recently I was reading this article in the San Francisco chronicle that captured my attention. This father was writing about how his child’s imaginary friend was freaking him out. I guess the plethora of horror movies that depict demon-possessed children give imaginary friends a negative connotation, but I think one should not suppress a child’s creativity and imaginative abilities. Imagination, must be fostered, and many times, imaginary friends are the foundations of that. Never try and suppress your child’s fantasies, many times, it’s those thoughts that are the keys to unlocking his or her innate ability to innovate and create.
Postsecret is one of my favorite websites to visit when I’m procrastinating. Every time I enter the website, I prepare myself to be utterly shocked, amused, or horrified. I’ve tried to dissect the appeal of this site and have come to the following conclusion: the aesthetic appeal in combination with the undeniable candidness of each piece establishes an inexplicable intimacy between the creator and the reader. This just goes to show that everyone’s an artist on the inside. The experiences that one has throughout his or her lifetime, paints a unique picture that, when shared to the world, can evoke invaluable empathy.
According to the Harris Poll, an overwhelming majority of Americans believe that the arts are essential in providing a well-rounded education. Research shows that the benefits of an arts education far exceed merely providing a creative outlet for children. Participation in the arts can also play a large role in children’s social and academic development. The Americans for the Arts Organization claims that children with a more comprehensive arts education are more likely to be leaders and to excel both in school and in their communities. Benefits of an arts education include:
This is where Emerge Art Center comes into play. We are dedicated to helping children and adults foster their artistic growth. With so many benefits, one should never undermine a proper arts education!
Pick up a paintbrush and stare at a blank canvas. Paint the image in your mind and the feelings that it evokes: happiness, sorrow, hope, confusion, or despair. Art has long served as a mode of self-expression. Through art, artists share their perceptions of society, themselves, and others. Art instills in us a sense of achievement and proves to us that we have the ability to take on any task and any challenge. In many ways, art can help us learn more about ourselves than we ever thought possible. Studies show that kids who learn to appreciate art early in life become more confident later on. They learn early the important lesson that you can’t always succeed but you can always try. Adults can also benefit from art even if they have never tried it before. Though taking your first few artistic steps may seem daunting, but many people don’t know of their own artistic ability: their ability to create something out of nothing.
That’s what we’re here for. Emerge Art Center will not only allow you to explore and discover your creativity, but also let you do it in a supportive and safe environment. Our facility caters to adults and children alike and cultivates appreciation for the arts. Emerge’s goal is to promote the use of the multidisciplinary arts and creativity to foster health, education, and individual growth, through participation in the arts in a club environment. All it takes is a leap of faith.
Through the evolution of Emerge Art Center, and the building of our vision, we have heard some people suggest that we scale back in the amount of offerings that we plan to have in our first center. “Why don’t you just offer painting and drawing classes to start off with”, some have said. Or “why don’t you just offer kids art classes, and later add some in for adults”? What these well-meaning people are unaware of, however, is the fact that doing so would defeat our reason for coming to fruition in the first place. And this company is driven by that underlying reason and desire to bring something much needed to our community.
So what is that? What is it that we at Emerge Art Center are insistent upon creating for people by offering oh-so-many kids of arts to oh-so-many types of people? It’s an understanding of oneself that is created by participating in the arts, and the enhancement of it that is created by participating in more than one art form. It’s a community feeling that is created by offering a place to do this where everyone is welcome. It’s a convenience that people are seeking – a convenience that is provided by having so many of their artistic desires fulfilled in one place, and by not forcing them to drive across to city to make the whole family happy. While we have now scaled our vision down to starting off with just two studios to pilot our vision, we refuse to cut our San Francisco art class offerings to such narrow possibilities. There are people within the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond who need, want, or hope for this place to grow through the arts and their creativity. And there are people within the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond who need, want, or hope for such convenience in accessing the arts. And for them, for all of them, we insist upon keeping our offerings as broad as possible.
