JHU Seminar: 3/21/2017 Story Telling, Object Based Learning and American Art.

Today, we went to school!

…Bagels were provided.

Tim Wendel’s Storytelling workshop was an absolute highlight for me. Not only did he present new ways of thinking about narrative, and storytelling, but for me as an aspiring writer of both non-fiction and fiction, it was a seminar in doing things that I want to professionally do.

Judy’s talk in using the cell phone as an object jumping off point also illustrated how though everyone has this connected experience, each individual experience is unique.  In this way we can both appeal to the to the group and still highlight the individual.

It was a pleasure to go back and visit American Art , 5 years ago, I got my start within museums as a volunteer at the Art of Video Games at American Art.  At the time, it was something to do while I was in between jobs; little did I know that that experience was the pebble that started the avalanche that led me to this program.

Now, at the point of culminating this program through this seminar, I am back at AAM.

One aspect of this course so far that has delighted me has been the ability to find objects that I not only find interesting, but speak to me on a personal level.

In doing our story telling activity, I was drawn to this image:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am half Puerto Rican, and Luis Muñoz Marín is an important figure in Puerto Rican History.  I was struck by the style of the portrait and the tired yet unbeaten look of the man in the portrait.  Again, their was a personal note,  Marín in this image is wearing a Guaybera, the type of button of shirt which (double pockets and a straight lined bottom worn untucked.  is incredibly common in Puerto Rico.

Its a look that my Puerto Rican Grandfather always had, and my Maryland Grandfather liked the look so much when he visited Puerto Rico, he also adopted it!

Tomorrow we go to …Air… AND SPACE!