Art in Your Own Backyard

While traveling is always an adventure, you don't have to go far to find creativity blooming around you.  Two great (and very different) events took place in Hartford this past weekend: the Northeast Utilities First Conn. Regional Robotics Competition, and the 6th Annual Trinity International Hip-hop Festival.  I had students from my classes participating in both events.  I've never been to either, so it was time to get out there and see what was inspiring them.

On Friday, I ventured into the Robotics competition at the new convention center and was surprised by the energy and noise!  Complete with dancing mascots, bleacher stomping and rock music, this was the place to be for aspiring engineers.  Best stated by one of my students:  "This is like an art show for math and science."

Here's their robot at the start of a match, complete with mini-bot named "The Flying Dutchman" (the team's robot is in the center w/the highest held yellow tube).

Here's a score for their team, finishing the 'triangle, circle, square' sequence!  Definitely creativity with mediums beyond my usual studio practice.  Go math and science!

On Sat. I stopped by the Hip-Hop Festival at Trinity just in time to catch a seasoned graff artist finishing up a mural that combined ideas from a symposium at our school the day before.  Student input about Hartford, identity and home was the essence of the piece.

Graffiti artist Create putting the finishing touches on a graff piece started earlier in the day.

Student work starting off "Hartford".

 Tools of the trade with Tanzanian graff silhouettes :

this says it all!

and from my own backyard, literally:  the 'old crocuses' planted under the lawn a century ago when the house was built.  Still bloomin' and blanketing my lawn with lavender every March!