I JUST AM GETTING MY BREATH BACK FROM AN AMAZING 17 CREATIVE FILLED DAYS AT THE JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER CULTURAL CENTER IN SHEYBOYGEN WISCONSIN.
THIS IS THE BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF LAKE MICHIGAN THAT I WOKE UP TO EVERY MORNING. EVERY MORNING I WAS TEMPTED TO TAKE A DIP, (I HAD MY BATHING SUIT WITH ME).
THIS IS THE ENTRY OF THE JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER CULTURAL CENTER. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZINGLY, CREATIVELY FUNCTIONING CULTURAL CENTERS THAT I HAVE EVER VISITED.
THE BRILLIANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LIVING LEGEND, IS RUTH DE YOUNG KOHLER, I CAN'T BRAG ENOUGH ABOUT THIS WOMAN. I AM SURE THIS CULTURAL CENTER IS ADDING TO THE BRILLIANT CREATIVE MIND POOL OF THIS NATION AS WE GO INTO AN ERA OF NEW CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS.
THIS IS THE DOORWAY TO MY DOMAIN FOR 17 DAY, I HAD ADDED THE TITLE UTOPIA LAB TO THE ALREADY "THE ARTERY", WHICH I LOVE THIS WORKSPACE.
I CAN'T CALL IT THE HEART OF THE CULTURAL CENTER BECAUSE EVERY SPACE I WALKED INTO WAS THE HEART OF THE CULTURAL CENTER... EVEN THE BATHROOMS!!!!...
THEY LET ME REDESIGN THE WALLS, SO I DESIGN A MURAL ON PHOTOSHOP WITH HIGH AND LOW AQUA PYRAMID'S WITH INSPIRATIONALLY HIGHLIGHTED PEAKS, (EACH PEAK IS GOING TO HAVE A RED ROOSTER STENCILED ON THEM, THIS IS A ONGOING CREATIVE COMMUNITY PROJECT), I WENT TO THE PAINT STORE, PICKED OUT SOME COLORS THAT WOULD BE SOOTHING TO WORKING TO WORK IN AND WHEN I WALKED INTO THE NEW UTOPIA LAB EVERYTHING WAS READY.
THE "ARTERY" WHERE MY UTOPIA LAB WAS OPERATING, IS RAN BY OME OF THE HARDEST WORKING YOUNG WOMAN IN THE STUDIO ART BUSINESS. THE MIGHTY, DIVINE YVONNE MONTOYA.
THIS CARDBOARD HOUSE WAS BUILT, I CALLED IT THE "INSIDE/OUTSIDE HOUSE". I WAS WORKING WITH CONCEPT ART WITH THIS PART OF THE UTOPIA LAB PROJECT.
THIS IS THE VERY FIRST BRILLIANT YOUNG ARTIST THAT STARTED TO WORK WITH ME IN THE UTOPIA LAB. SHE WAS THE FIRST TO TEST OUT THE RECYCLED NEWSPAPER CROWNS I DESIGNED. SHE WAS A GREAT INSPIRATION TO ME. SHE IS STAYING IN THE "INSIDE/OUTSIDE HOUSE, THAT HAS GREEN GRASS AND BLUE SKY ON THE INSIDE.
SHE IS STANDING NEXT TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITE SIGNS THAT READ "THINKING HAT AREA, IMAGINATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION", THAT MEANT EVERYONE HAD TO CREATE THEIR THINKING HAT/CROWN, AND BOY-O-BOY DID THEY CREATE SOME OUT OF THIS WORLD CROWNS.
WE HAD INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES COMING INTO TO STUDIO, AND WE HAD GROUPS. THE CENTER WAS CELEBRATING A ANNIVERSARY MY FIRST SUNDAY THERE, SO THERE WAS NONE STOP ACTIVITY.
I WAS WORKING WITH ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH, HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, SENIOR CENTER, AND OTHER YOUTH AND ADULT GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITIES.
I WANTED TO WORK WITH AS MANY GROUPS AS I COULD, IT WAS SO MUCH FUN SEEING EVERYONE CROWN THEMSELVES.
THE CONCEPT THAT I WAS WORKING WITH WITH THE CROWNS WAS FOR EVERYONE TO BE THEIR OWN MUSE, WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET PAST THE CROWN PROJECT. BUT IT WAS A GOOD EXERCISE ON BEING INSPIRED BY WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE IMAGINE OURSELVE.
THIS BEAUTIFUL SELF CROWNED SENIOR HAS CELEBRATED 92 YEARS OF LIFE, SHE GAVE ME THE BIGGEST HUG...
THE KING SITS BEFORE US...
THIS IS A GROUP OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS FROM MILWAUKEE THAT CAME FOR A CREATIVE WORKSHOP, AND THEY JUST TOOK OFF ON THEIR OWN AND CREATED THESE DYNAMIC HEADDRESSES, CROWNS AND LIKE I SAID.... THEY TOOK THIS WORKSHOP OFF THE CHARTS!!!!... AND THEY KEPT ON GOING...
THE JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER CENTER HAS A ENDLESS STORAGE ROOM FULL OF MATERIALS, SUPPLIES AMD TOOL. WE WERE DOING A LOT OF RECYCLEING, USING NEWSPAPER FOR THE BASE CROWNS OF THE CROWN THAT I DESIGNED.
BASICLY WE HAD A ROOM FULL OF MATERIAL, I SHOWED A GROUP OF TEACHERS HOW TO MAKE ROSES OUT OF NEWPAPER, AND AFTER THAT, GLITTER, NEWSPAPER, POM-POMS, CUT CUTS OF COLORFUL CONSTRUCTION PAPER WAS FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
...AND WHEN THE GLITTER AND FEATHERS SETTLED, EVERYONE HAD THESE AMAZINGLY FUN CROWNS.
