As a Teaching Artist for the Massillon Museum, I was invited to participate in the exhibition “Conversations with Our Collection”. For the exhibit, artists who are on staff with the museum were asked to create artworks inspired by items in the museum’s collection. I chose the “Immel Circus” as my inspiration.
According to the museum’s website, the “Immel Circus” is a “100-square foot miniature circus [that] contains 2,620 pieces: thirty-six elephants, 186 horses, 102 assorted animals, ninety-one wagons, seven tents, and 2,207 people. Most of the pieces were hand-carved by Dr. Robert Immel using tools from his dental practice. Some were handcrafted by friends and retired circus performers.”
The Lilliputian sized model remains on permanent display on the second floor of the museum.
The “Immel Circus”
The Immel Circus celebrates the exuberant pageantry and constant motion involved in a circus. It also celebrates the culture of those who bring the circus about in the greatest of detail. I chose to highlight what might seem to be an insignificant detail in the overall largeness of it all – a balloon seller in the grandstand.
As a child, my father took my brother and sister and me to the circus many times. I remember being enthralled with how there were so many things going on at the same time, and how everything seemed so magical. My perspective came from a seat in the grandstand, and my view was framed by the vendors in the stands who cried out to us to sell their wares.
The “Immel Circus”
As much as I enjoyed the theatrical qualities of the circus as a child, I have been saddened to learn as an adult that the animals in circuses were often mistreated. I am glad that our respect for the quality of life for animals is evolving and that circuses are changing in our modern world. My hope is that future generations of children can enjoy the pageantry and magic of the circus without harm to exotic animals.
You can see the “Conversations with Our Collection” exhibit at Cyrus Custom Framing & Art Gallery, 2645 Cleveland Ave NW in Canton, Ohio from August 12 – September 23, 2016.
I don’t often get political on this blog. Most of my artwork revolves around pet themes, so my writing here typically follows similar paths.
Today I am changing my norm. It is a historical day, and I feel that my art and my words need to acknowledge it.
It is a historical day because, for the first time in history, a woman has been nominated by a major political party as their candidate for president of the United States.
Let that sink in. A woman has been nominated by a major political party as their candidate for president of the United States.
She has been reviled. She has been castigated. She has been falsely accused of everything under the sun. She has been publicly humiliated for deeply personal family problems, then, ironically, she has been criticized for clinging to her need for privacy.
But she has prevailed. And #imwithher.
I have followed Hillary Clinton for many years. I have held admiration for her stands on healthcare, worldwide women’s rights, gun rights and many other issues. I was a therapist for children for 20 years, and I personally saw the impact of her efforts to get healthcare and other needed services for families. I cherished my copy of “It Takes a Village” for its wisdom and its prescience.
I have not liked everything about Hillary, but she has been on the correct side of the values and issues that matter most to me for a long time. She served as a United States senator and as the United States Secretary of State with honor and dignity. She managed to work with disparate parties to get things done on a national and a world stage. These are no small accomplishments.
Despite all that she has done, she has faced unbelievable criticism. Her motives have been questioned, and because she has done so much, she has been criticized for being an “insider”. Although her accomplishments have been awe-inspiring, her voice is considered “shrill” by some, and thus, her oratory skills have been pilloried.
But she has prevailed. And #imwithher.
Hillary has had an upward climb for everything she has gained. Even though she may have had privileged access in some circumstances because of her FLOTUS role, she has faced fierce opposition at every turn. She has endured criticism that no male candidate would ever face, yet she has continued to stand tall and march on.
Yes, she is a politician. Yes, she is an insider. But as such, she has built coalitions and led people towards mutual goals. As much as we may despise it, that’s what it takes to create lasting change on a grand scale.
Hillary Clinton fits no ideal in the minds of Americans. She is a 69 year old woman who bears the scars of battle and carries the girth that most women gain as the years pass. She wears awkward pantsuits, and she sometimes fails to fuss up her makeup and hair. She is not “human enough” for some flashy TV commentators, and she is not hip enough for the Twitterverse.
But over time, she has prevailed. And #imwithher.
I like Hillary, because she has fought long and hard for causes that matter. She has absorbed herself in the details that most of us disdain, because someone had to do it, and because she was good at it. She has not led with her own personality as some would like her to do, rather, she has led by mobilizing others towards important concerns. She has focused on what mattered, and not on prettying herself up for the cameras.
Whatever her motives, and whatever her purposes, Hillary has worked tirelessly for the common good. As opportunist as some may call her, she has earned more grief than she has gained pleasure or undeserved power. Even so, she has a track record of accomplishment that few can match.
Whatever you think of Hillary Clinton, she is not the Claire Underwood character from House of Cards that she has been portrayed to be. She is not a conniving and selfish female caricature whose singular focus is power. Whatever her motives, she has committed herself to service, and she has many people standing by her and thanking her for it.
And despite all, she has prevailed. And #imwithher.
Hillary Clinton has faced down the bitterest of critics and she is still standing. Not only is she still standing, she is continuing to fight for what she believes is right. She is uniquely talented with the political skills that perhaps we all hate, but the ones that it takes to get things done. Lets not be naive. Our next president needs to be able to work within the system our founders created, and she needs to be able to enlist the support of others to do it.
That is why #imwithher, and why I am committed to helping her to prevail in November.
I feel strongly about Hillary Clinton as a candidate on her own merits. My desire to see her win the presidency, however, is heightened by the frightening possibility of her opponent winning. In my 54 years on this earth, I have never before witnessed a candidate presenting danger to the presidency like Donald Trump does. I have disliked candidates before, and I have feared the directions that their policies might take us. But I have never seen a candidate whose behavior is so reckless and whose ideas are so far away from our country’s values.
Hillary Clinton MUST prevail in November.
#Iamwithher. I hope that, even if she is not your ideal candidate, you will find it within yourself to vote for her to.
I have two 2017 calendars now available for pre-order – One for Cat Lovers and One for Dog Lovers.
The “Pawprints on Your Soul” BZTAT Studios 2017 Dog and Cat Fine Art Calendars” feature custom pet portraits of actual animals who have brought much love and joy to the homes of their devoted pet loving humans.
Each portrait was created through a process of artistically manipulating photographs with a variety of mobile app filters.
You can see all of the images in the calendar and make your orders here. All pre-orders made before 8/15/16 will be signed by the artist. Pre-ordered calendars will be shipped in early November.
