Art and Landscape

I have been drawn to art (no pun intended) since I was in preschool.  I remember I decorated a wood tree that made my teacher think I was some child prodigy.  My Mom still has it, and by the looks of it, I think my teacher was simply trying to boost my self-esteem because my parents had recently gone through a divorce.  Whether it was amazing or not, this signified the moment that I felt like creating and knowing art was my thing.  At five I knew what I wanted to be an artist.  I wish I were as confident now as I was then about my future career.

After a year in the art school at UofM, I decided that was not the path I wanted to follow.  My interest in art led me then to Art History, where I am quite content.  Recently though, I have a great interest Public Health.  When I enter the real world in six short months I hope to participate in some service work that blends these interests.  I believe the battles our generation must conquer are environmental and health issues.  So, I want to get involved as soon as I can to make my difference.

I see myself playing out this tandem through the integration of art in urban settings.  The art can be of any kind; graffiti, urban gardens, and installations, anything to spruce up the environment and to integrate natural and unnatural materials into the landscape.  Art in urban setting makes so much sense; I’m not sure why there is not more of it across this country.  It decorates our world in a meaningful and powerful manner.  Now, I understand how some may see public art as clutter, but these materials would clutter another space, a landfill, so why not integrate them into our society for a purpose?  Public art generates self-expression, illuminates an area that was once shaded and inspires others.  In the upcoming weeks I hope to write about some places in the US that are merging art and landscape.  Look forward to it!