Although yes, it may technically be illegal, the idea of creating graffiti with yarn is too fun to not talk about! Yarn bombing is one of the newest crazes on the art scene. This past June 11th was declared National Yarn Bombing Day.

Placing yarn creations throughout your community can be a pleasant surprise for everyone. They are expressive, eye-catching, and non-permanent unlike typical graffiti!

Check out the yarn bombing Facebook page to share your creations and admire others!

Also visit Yarnbombing.com to see some of the results from National Yarn Bombing Day.

To some Shea Hembrey might seem to have a case of multiple personality disorder,  to others he is simply a genius. One thing’s for sure though, he is most definitely creative.

Shea knew that he wanted to produce his own biennial, which is typically a contemporary art show put together by a number of artists in two years time. He had certain “criteria” that he wanted fulfilled by these artists. Most of  his criteria was developed after seeing some contemporary art shows in Europe that seemed too inaccessible. Shea wanted artists and non-artists alike to be able to grasp and appreciate the different works. It was after realizing this that he knew he would have to create every piece himself.

Shea developed 100 different “characters” or different artists that he embodied to create unique art. These artists came from all over the world and each had their own story. His inventiveness both in his art and in his stories is impressive.

To see the video of his story and to see some of his work, please click here.

Children can be humbling and inspiring in so many ways.  Their creativity and determination can surprise us all. Kennedy, a second grader from California, is one of those surprises. After hearing of the gulf oil spill, she was determined to help. With her parents assistance, her simple idea of selling the artwork she created has now turned into an organization that donates profits to charities such as American Red Cross, Keep America Beautiful, and the Pet Adoption Fund, just to name a few.

All kids in grades K-12 can submit their artwork and be able to feel like they are part of something bigger. It is Kennedy’s hope that kids from all over will get involved and be inspired to “act on the things that move them”.

For more information on Friendly Neighborhood Helpers and to read the rest of the article, please click here and don’t forget to visit www.friendlyneighborhoodhelpers.org to purchase some great artwork and donate to your favorite charity!

The overwhelming devastation that happened from Japan’s earthquake last month left many of us feeling helpless. But the people at Daily Paintworks have come up with a simple way for many of us to both share our talents and help those in Japan. This “challenge” they created started March 19th, but artists and buyers can continue to participate. The challenge is for artist to submit their works to the Daily Paintworks auction, and agree to donate the proceeds to an organization aiding Japan of their choice. So far an impressive amount of almost $27,000 has been raised! Anyone and everyone should participate in this challenge. More and more beautiful paintings are being added every day.  To learn more about how to submit your own work or to place a bid on one of these paintings, please visit: The Help Japan Challenge.

Please help spread the word!

*Painting featured is by artist Millie Nguyen and can be found in The Help Japan Challenge auction.

What do fashion designer Zac Posen, actor Robert Redford, pop artist Andy Warhol, and author Truman Capote all have in common? Before they were famous, they were all chosen as receipients of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Earlier this month, 1,500 more students from all across the U.S. joined them on that list. These creative students produced work in categories such as sculpture, painting, novel writing, poetry, fashion design, and even videogame design.  Each year ART.WRITE.NOW.,  an exhibition of some of the chosen works, is displayed across the country and this year’s tour began at the Seattle Art Museum. ART.WRITE.NOW. is made possible by sponsors such as Dick Blick Co., Ovation, and Scholastic Inc.

CEO of Dick Blick Co., Bob Buchsbaum, was a proud speaker this year at the ART.WRITE.NOW. exhibition, showing his much appreciated support and generosity. For more information on award winners, dates, and locations  of this exhibition, please visit the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.

Help keep the arts alive by participating in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Nine organizations have entered this contest in hopes of winning up-to $250,000 to help make a difference to the arts in your community. These nine organizations are all part of the 111 Arts Coalition. Some of the organizations include NAMTA, The Dave Project, and ShenenArts.

Please visit this link to learn more information and to vote! Just a couple minutes of your time now through January 31st, 2011 can help make a difference to the arts in your community. You can vote in three different ways, so make sure to do all three and make your vote count!

Learn more about the Pepsi Refresh Project.

top-50-art-education-blogs

In speaches made regarding the education of our children in the United States our programs are often compared to those in Finland, Singapore and Canada.  Here is what Education Secretary Arne Duncan had to say August 25th. 

“Today, there are many different approaches to strengthening the teaching profession — both here in America and in countries that are outperforming us such as Finland and Singapore.Our competitors in other parts of the world recognize that the roles of teachers are changing. Today, they are expected to prepare knowledge workers, not factory workers, and to help every child succeed, not just the [ones who are] easy to teach.”

In the “Answer Sheet”  posted on Washingtonpost.com, Sean Slade, Director of Healthly School Communities, provides the reader with comments made by leadership in these countries.

Follow the  link to this interesting article on what these countries think of Art Education and its importance to a child’s development.

Answer Sheet

What are your thoughts?

Please click below to read about this interesting program and how it came to be –  posted by Anindita Ghose for livemint.com:

Art as a Lifeline

Dosomething.org’s Make Art. Save Art. got some art publicity recently. Angela Kinsey and Ellie Kemper, stars from “The Office”,  have donated art to the campaign sponsored by HP and AMD.

As mentioned in an earlier post this campaign wants to use artists and students to spread the message  that arts are important to American schools. 

Read more about what Angela and Ellie are doing in support of this campaign

Office Stars and Make Art Save Art

To read more about Dosomething.org, Make Art. Save Art and sponsors HP and AMD click below

Dosomething.org