The Visual Arts In Northern Michigan And What To Do About It

Nov. 27, 2015

I have observed with concern that appreciation and understanding of the visual arts in this area lags behind the other arts.

I have seen good galleries come and go very quickly, having to shift from showing serious and challenging forms of art to works that have an easy tourist appeal. Such works often focus on subjects that are readily understood but not necessarily artistic in nature. Then the viewer lapses into a sentimental understanding based upon a literary or "story-telling" mode. Rather than eliciting a personal, intuitive visual interaction by the viewer, we are letting them think that "the story is all that art is about" and, in doing so they miss what art is about: The rich visual abstract qualities which evoke interaction on several levels.

WHY ABSTRACTION?

All art is abstract, because in its making each artist arranges the elements – such as line, shape, color, texture, and tonal qualities of lights and darks – in a personal way. The viewer then responds to the work in a personal way, not necessarily the same as the artist; and thus a dialogue begins. As the viewer becomes involved, that interaction happens on multiple levels"¦.sensory, imaginative, creative, inventive, emotional, thoughtful; all abstract qualities. The creative dialogue becomes the viewer’s own journey.

ABSTRACT QUALITIES IN MAKING ART

There are design elements we experience everyday without realizing they are part of the visual organization of art the world around us. Each element (color, shape, texture, etc.) can DESCRIBE (realism), SUGGEST (impressionism), or EVOKE EMOTIONS (expressionism). The artist organizes these elements according to particular design qualities that include HARMONY, BALANCE, MOVEMENT and RHYTHM"¦. and, in so doing, controls the viewer’s visual journey through the work as well as providing emotional and inventive possibilities.

Here are my suggestions to strengthen our region’s appreciation of the visual arts in our community:

1) Artists must be encouraged to focus on the deep, personal, creative experience of making art and not merely producing pieces that will be easy to understand or sell.

2) Artists, galleries and others involved must reach out to the potential consumers in an educative process, showing how the experiencing of art can open new avenues to the "self " and can be shared with others.

3) Arts organizations like Crooked Tree and others should educate and develop outreach not only to the community in general, but to local businesses, corporations,and professionals, encouraging them to set a standard of seeing and providing art in their surroundings, for their clients, their patients and the public.

4) The Dennos Museum and NMC should continue to reach out constantly to the community at large by showing quality works that will challenge ideas and promote visual growth.

5) All mass media outlets should be encouraged to employ visual arts writers to further the understanding of quality in art.

6) City government must delegate public art selections to a group of art professionals, acting as curators for community art projects. Not all people will agree with any particular public art selection; however the guidance given is part of the art education process.

The dialogue continues.

Delbert Michel is an artist and retired Hope College teacher of art, and has been a Traverse City area – resident since 2003.