what a wonderful collaboration between the library and local seed organizations
once again showing how important a library is to a community
“inside every seed is the potential for an incredible harvest.”
-farrah gray
Apr23
Category Archives: ann arbor
Feb7
whimsy’s on its way.
note to this townie and his car
who’ve made so many smile:
Shout out to the person driving the smart car that looks like a little tykes cozy coupe!
Everyone loves it and it brings all of the smiles and laughs every time you are spotted! 🙂
—
“whimsy doesn’t care if you are the driver or the passenger; all that matters is that you are on your way.”
-bob goff
Nov22
twists and turns.
i love that someone has created a poster
with some of our more interesting twists and turns
and wonder about the mindset
of the road planning engineers.
were they perhaps going for
more of an ‘artsy’ and unexpected approach to the roads?
more like the road of life?
—
“life is full of surprises and serendipity. being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. if you try to plan every step, you may miss these wonderful twists and turns. just find your next adventure – do it well, enjoy it, and then, not now, think about what comes next.”
-Condoleezza Rice – Former U.S. Secretary of State
Nov13
colors.
our latest mural created thanks to a community initiative
Ann Arbor Art Center’s Art in Public Places murals project – a fresh initiative designed to infuse art into our community. To make this dream a reality, they crowdfunded to raise $50,000 for the last two years to pay the artists a living wage and covered other mural expenses like equipment rentals, paint, permits, etc.
Ann Arbor has innumerable large- and small-scale murals already, but they have new company as the result of a crowdfunded project to bring art to walls and alleys around town.
In July, the Ann Arbor Art Center (A2AC) raised more than $50,000 to commission 10 murals around the city. The fundraiser was through Patronicity, and once the goal was met, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) matched the donations to double the money available to the mural artists. At the onset of the project, 10 artists paired with local business owners on the sites of their future murals. In October, two additional murals were announced, raising the total to 12. This initiative is part of the ongoing A2AC Art in Public program that aims to make art “accessible and equitable to everyone,” relying on community-based donations.
Since the Art Center helped crowdfund two other public murals in the recent past, those have been added to the A2AC Murals Map, which features a walking tour of all the works. Currently, 13 murals are finished, with the 14th debuting sometime in 2021.
—
“one can speak poetry just by arranging colors well.”
-vincent van gogh
—
link: https://www.annarborartcenter.org › art-in-public › murals
Apr30
les voyageurs.
on my frequent walks to the river
each time passing this sign
i wondered –
often someone chopping wood
putting up canoes, cooking outside
peaceful communal living
until i learned the intriguing backstory
and understood
the amazing spirit of this society.
—
Society of Les Voyageurs
As the oldest continually active student group on the University of Michigan campus (founded in 1907), the Society of Les Voyageurs upholds a long-standing tradition of convening over the love for nature and the out of doors. The Society owns a cabin on the Huron River just north of downtown called Habe Mills Pine Lodge that was built in 1927 to house the Society, its activities, as well as those members who choose to live there. The group also hosts potluck dinners every Sunday at 6pm, followed by a program from a professor or a community member pertaining to learning more about the out of doors. The group is known to embark occasionally on casual outings such as hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, caving, cross-country skiing, etc.
—
*”si le voyageur n’espere rien, il ne verra ce que voient les yeux.”
-eric-emmanuel schmitt (franco-belgian playwright, novelist, film director)
*(If the traveler does not hope for anything, he will only see what the eyes see.)
argo park, ann arbor, michigan, usa – april 2021
Feb24
crisp.
last night’s walk in the park
—
“it is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam.
this crisp winter air is full of it.”
-john burroughs
—
argo park, ann arbor, michigan, usa – february 2021
Feb1
take art leave art.
WDIV-TV shares a recently discovered local treasure –
When glass artist Shawn Bungo and his wife moved to Ann Arbor from Knoxville, Tennessee six months ago, they knew moving to a new city during a pandemic would be a challenge. No stranger to community collaboration, Bungo decided to engage with locals through virtual scavenger hunts for small glass works he would hide across town — and they were an overnight hit. He originally started the tradition while going on walks with his dog, Leo, in Knoxville.
“Being a glass artist, you have a lot of pieces that don’t come out, so that’s what started that,” said Bungo. “When I moved up here, after the pandemic started, I started doing that again where I would just go around and randomly hide things and put my card with them — typically in downtown Ann Arbor. I really connected with the community with that.”
Nowadays, his items are claimed within hours of his posts — and in some cases the people who find them share a photo of them collecting his works.
On his many walks, Bungo became fascinated with the city’s numerous Little Free Libraries. He shifted his scavenger hunts to showcase the various library boxes around town — which inspired him to relaunch a project he created in Knoxville.
Bungo constructed a Take Art Leave Art box and gallery outside his home on Ann Arbor’s south side. The concept is a free art exchange between community members.
“I just recently put it back up two weeks ago and I shared it with the Ann Arbor Townies group on Facebook,” said Bungo. “As soon as I did that, I almost immediately got people involved in it and it’s been really fun.”
He said he’s received about a dozen miniature paintings and other small items in the 12×12-inch box, some with handwritten notes. “Over the years, I’ve gotten poems, photographs — I’m open to everything,” said Bungo. He said it has served as a fun way to engage with other Ann Arborites during the pandemic.
“With people being so isolated right now, I think it’s the perfect time to do something like this, “ he said. “It allows me to connect with people because we haven’t been able to.” Bungo was supposed to show at the Ann Arbor Art Fair last summer, and with the event being canceled, he felt like he missed out on a true introduction both to Ann Arbor’s art scene and its residents. For now, keep an eye out for his latest adventures with Leo and his front yard gallery. You might just find a tiny treasure — if you look close enough.
story: wdivtv,clickondetroit, meredith bruckner – photos: shawn bungo, bungo glass
“art is too important not to share.”
-romero britto
Jun28
al fresco.
streets now closed to cars
on friday afternoons through sunday evenings
so people can move to the streets
to walk, talk, dine, and be distant
a pretty natural adaption.
—
“eating outdoors makes for good health and long life and good temper, everyone knows that.”
-elise de wolfe
—
ann arbor, mi, usa – june 2020
Sep2
team spirit.
first game of the year
and lots of excitement buzzing around town
most everyone embraces it
even the new arrivals on campus
on sorority/frat row
and the car wash
that stays open and works
while also hosting tailgaters
complete with
buses, games, food, and mini bar
now that’s team spirit.
—
“you are either supporting the vision or supporting division”
― saji ijiyemi
Jul16
rejoice.
headed off on a family fun river raft float trip
not real relaxing as expected
but lots of adventures/misadventures instead
so many laughs and we all survived
who could ask for anything more?
—
“rejoice as summer should…chase away sorrows by living.”
-melissa marr, darkest mercy
—
argo park, huron river, Ann Arbor, michigan, u.s.a. – summer 2019
I didn't have my glasses on.... 