Your Museum Time
Thanks for being part of the Your Museum Time program. We're now in the third week. I hope all is going well and you've had some meaningful experiences in the Museum.
If you ever want to look back at previous prompts, you can find an archive of past Your Museum Time emails on our website here.
We still have plenty of notebooks left, so please invite others on campus to participate. There's no need to pre-register online; we can take care of it at the Welcome Desk.
And, if you have questions, or ideas for prompts, I'd love to hear from you. Email me at [email protected].
All the best,
Kris Bergquist
Mirken Curator of Education and Engagement
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Prompt #3
"You can't do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh."
– John Singer Sargent, artist
As we grow older, somehow many of us get it in our heads that we are either an artist or we're not. But being an artist isn't something you're born with, it's something that you can cultivate, learn, and develop. In fact, the skills that artists need are actually helpful in any area of life where you need to create and innovate.
There is an educational framework called Studio Habits of Mind, which breaks down eight thinking dispositions an artist needs to learn in order to do this work.
One of my favorites is the Stretch and Explore habit, which is about learning to create without a plan and without worries about your limitations. It promotes embracing the opportunities and breakthroughs that come from mistakes and accidents. You know that moment when you're creating something, and it's not working and you crumple up your paper and toss it in the trash? That is the exact moment where this habit of mind can come into play.
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SKETCH TO SEE
Today, spend some time sketching a work of art.
Embrace your accidents and mistakes. And, take note of all the things you notice about your chosen work of art as you look carefully and details begin to emerge.
Grab a stool, and find a work of art you want to sketch.
You choose—you can sketch an entire work of art, or spend time with a small part of it.
Remember, this is your time to Stretch and Explore. There is no need to be perfect.
After you're finished with your sketch, ask yourself three questions:
- Were there new details that emerged for you during the drawing process?
- Was there a moment where you had to use your Stretch and Explore habit of mind to keep moving forward?
- What do you wonder about this work of art, now that you know it better through the sketching process?
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Image: A perfect example of imperfection, this is a drawing I did during a program about Barbara Chase-Riboud's Malcolm X #14 sculpture, which is on display in the Sally and Michael Gordon Gallery. |
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Image: Barbara Chase-Riboud, Malcolm X #14, 2017. Bronze with black patina, silk, wool, polished cotton and synthetic fibers with steel support. 89 1/2 x 45 1/4 x 24 in. (227 x 115 x 61 cm). The Lunder Collection. Accession Number: 2018.013
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DON'T MISS: Looking Guides in Three Temporary Exhibitions |
During Fall 2020, we have three temporary exhibitions that offer opportunities to encounter and appreciate new perspectives, elicit different emotions, and pose challenging and interesting questions.
In each of these exhibitions—Hew Locke: Here's the Thing, The Sea in a Jug: The Welch Collection of Islamic and Later Indian Art, and Ja'Tovia Gary: An Ecstatic Experience (pictured here)—you'll find gallery guides to help you reflect on what you're seeing, as well as additional readings and recommendations.
For more information about these exhibitions, as well as our virtual programs and resources, visit our website, www.colby.edu/museum.
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BANNER: Colby College Museum of Art; photo © trentbellphotography.
Copyright © 2020 Colby College Museum of Art, All rights reserved.
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Colby College Museum of Art
5600 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901
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