Volume 3 • No. 21 • New Moon • November 1, 2024
Bald Eagle • Empire, MI • 2023
Blue Heron/Cormorant • Traverse City, MI • 2024
Vulture • Traverse City, MI • 2024
White Beeches in the Fall, Christian Rohlfs
…Does art even matter? A friend of mine confessed lately to mulling that question. I didn’t see it coming, especially considering he’s an art history professor. It’s an honest question that he tends to grapple with in the first days of courses he teaches. And believe it or not, learning along with those grappling to uncover and dig into the depths of meaningful but often unquestioned assumptions is powerful. Here at Crosshatch, where art is baked into our very name, the question of art’s actual role deserves reflection, too.
I often work from ingrained and unexamined patterns. Sometimes, this instinct is helpful, but other times, things like rupture and reminding — deep affectation of the heart — are needed. These shifts can come about through a handful of means, but one of the primary ones — and one that I can participate in through my own agency — is the experience of art. I say “the experience of art” meaning both the encounter of observing artwork and the encounter of creating artwork.
Before diving in too quickly, though, I want to travel first. To Delaware. Looking back a decade and a half…
The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration
|| 1 || If you read First Slow Me Down, And Then Move Me you’ll know that the Delaware connection refers to time spent on a farm. Suppose you’ve ever heard me mention living and learning with Quakers and Anarchists. In that case, that’s the spot—a small farm on the east coast run by Trebs Thompson, a gifted farmer, offerer of hospitality, and artist who primarily works with stained glass and found objects. She’s also been continuing this work for years while losing her eyesight. Details in her pieces offer small glimpses of the difficulty that come with the process of blindness:
“The clock with letters instead of numbers is a statement about my inability to get useful information in the ways that I always have.”
On that note, this moving ten-year-old short film, Notes on Blindness, similarly offers perspective rarely encountered without direct experience. The end always gets me (most of it does, if I’m being honest). I’m struck by similarities in the continuum of experience—hardship, and hope—that Trebs and John Hull, whose audio tapes the short film is made from, speak to.
Despite her visual restrictions, Thompson remains optimistic. “The only way for me to approach it is to say I’m going to do things, but do them differently. The positive outlook is that it will force me to have experiences I wouldn’t have had.”
What It Means To Be A Visual Artist Who Is Going Blind, is three years old. In a week, Trebs hosts her first-ever solo show, A New Day, in New Castle, DE.
|| 2 || If you started reading First Slow Me Down, And Then Move Me, you likely encountered a definition of art from Allan Kaprow, à la Springboard for the Arts’new field guide Heartland, Heartwork, and a handful of my own iffy maxims on what art is. Here are eleven maxims from Allan, found in How to Make a Happening. His approach reminds me of Sister Corita Kent’s ever-encouraging Ten Rules for Teachers and Students, popularized by John Cage.
I wanted to track down the context of Kaprow’s definition of art. It’s in his essay The Real Experiment, and it made me smile:
”But let’s say that art is a weaving of meaning-making activity with any or all parts of our lives. (This is awkward and a mouthful, but it emphasizes purposive and interpretive acts instead of mere routine behavior, whether such acts are politics or nature walks.) According to this definition, the model for art shifts from the special history of the field to a broad terrain embracing not only lifelike art but religious, philosophical, scientific, and social/personal exploration.”
Maybe awkward, maybe a mouthful, but Springboard and I alike found the definition helpful. If The Real Experiment is too much to digest, but you’d like a better handle on what Kaprow is getting at, here's a brief encapsulation.
The Weft — News and Events
We’re heartened by a wide-range of expressions of resilient communities and gatherings. Here’s a smattering of regional events and happenings that reflect that diversity, collected for your consideration. Choose your own adventure!
|| 1 || Alluvion Arts Open Walls Art Exhibition—Commongrounds and Alluvion Arts @ 414 present Open Doors / Open Walls, a temporary exhibition showcasing the work of 15 local artists. Artwork will be on display in the Aviary Lounge (first floor of Commongrounds) until November 5th.
|| 2 || Request for Proposals @ Hatchquarters. Crosshatch is seeking architectural design services for a stand-alone residential unit, which will serve as the anchor for a comprehensive campus (XH Campus) to follow. Find more details here, or click here for the full project vision.
|| 3 || Grand Traverse Beekeeping Club, November 7th, 6:30-8:30pm at Oryana West. Expect winter prep discussions, including feeding options for overwintering, and reflections from the recent Michigan Beekeepers Association conference. More details are available here.
|| 4 || The 2024-2025 Carbon Farming and Forestry Planning Cohort (taking place between November 2024 and June 2025) is recruiting now. Participation is recommended for all individuals and families seeking support for conservation and climate-smart activities on land they steward. The program provides connection opportunities with other land stewards, decision-making assistance, and guidance geared toward climate resilience. Find more information and sign up here.
|| 5 || Renewable Roots Convention: Biochar and Other Regenerative Practices. Lake City, November 18th-19th. Expect workshops, networking, meals, training, and more. Presented by the Missaukee Conservation District. Find more information and sign-up here or on Facebook.
|| 6 || North Central SARE’s (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Farmer Rancher Grant Program—Proposals are now being accepted for grants “for farmers and ranchers who want to explore sustainable solutions to problems through on-farm research, demonstration, and education projects.” Find more information on deadlines, Q&A sessions for potential applicants, and other details here.
|| 7 || The Kingsley Folk School, “a non-profit community space for sharing and learning skills from folk traditions for all ages,” is raising funds to build a yurt for year-round classes and workshops for larger audiences. Find more on the fundraiser here.
|| 8 || Produce Safety Trainings, Virtual and In-Person—One-day training courses for produce safety certification from MSU Extension’s Agrifood Safety Department are coming up soon. Here’s a list of upcoming dates and opportunities, along with more details.
|| 9 || Happenings at The Alluvion Between Now and the Next Whole Field include: Natalie & Brittany Haas with Nic Gareiss, Mindful + Musical with Miriam Pico: Día de los Muertos, The Rodney Whitaker Septet, feat. vocalist Rockelle Whitaker, Big Fun, The Jeff Haas Trio featuring Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, Jordan Hamilton with After Ours & Hannah Laine, Nancy Stagnitta's Musical Trilogy, Afternoon Delight Improv Show, Funky Uncle, David Wilcox, Kyle Joe, Here:Say Storytelling—Twist of Fate, and Interlochen in Town: Sea Shanties and Siren Songs.
Find more information at www.thealluvion.org.
sponsored by:
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Many thanks to the Michigan Arts & Culture Council and the National Endowment for the Arts for their support of this work.
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