Museum Visit: Sioux City Art Center, May 2022

 

I may have casually mentioned in a previous blog post that I have discovered a passion for LEGO bricks as an adult.  So, when I heard there was a LEGO exhibit coming to the Sioux City Art Center (a mere hour and a half drive one way from home) I was determined to see it as soon as possible. I packed my girls up for the day and we went on a Saturday art gallery adventure!

This was my first time visiting the Sioux City Art Center. They have three levels you can access via the largest spiral staircase I’ve ever seen (or if you’re like me and you have a stroller in tow, there’s also an elevator.) Because I had a two- and four-year-old with me, within the first 30 minutes of our arrival we had been to the restroom three times. It’s a nice facility, not much for art in there though.

Would’ve hit my 10,000 steps if not for the elevator!

The “Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO Bricks” touring exhibition consists of 20 real-life, iconic skyscrapers from countries across the world – shrunken down to 1/200^th size and built out of little plastic LEGO bricks. The master builder behind the exhibit? Ryan McNaught, of Australia. He and his team spent over 2,400 hours and used over 500,000 bricks to build the structures in the exhibit.

I think the word “impressive” sums it up nicely.

My favorite, standing at 125” tall, is the Tokyo Skytree. It took 191 hours to build, and consists of over 19,000 bricks! What caught my eye right off the bat was the number of diagonal pieces on the exoskeleton of the building. McNaught designed the structure using hinges to give the building the crisscross look.

“Truth or Consequences” by Meghan Flynn, egg tempera on watercolor paper

On one of our short trips between bathroom breaks, we made our way through the Briar Cliff Review exhibition. It features artwork by regional artists who were featured in The Briar Cliff Review, the annual award-winning literature and art journal produced by Briar Cliff University.

I was blown away by this piece – which is NOT, as I initially thought, a beautiful photograph but is in fact a beautiful PAINTING. It was painted with egg tempera and a massive amount of attention to detail on watercolor paper. I could have spent hours just admiring this piece by Meghan Flynn.

“Scarlet Tango” by Jacqueline Kluver, acrylic on canvas

I’m not usually one to lean towards abstract art – I really struggle in creating it, I’ve found that I need to be making something. That said, I love this red geometric piece by Jacqueline Kluver. It caught my attention and held it. There’s so much energy in it, despite a lack of quick brush strokes! It has its own dark “frame” around the edge, with small pops of green, blue, gold, and white throughout.

“There are Places on the Map that Don’t Exist” by Bart Vargas, keyboard keys, plastic bottles, foam, cardboard, paint, adhesive, hardware

It wasn’t a part of the Briar Cliff exhibit, but how cool is this piece by Bart Vargas? While I’d love to see the skeleton inside, the end result is just stunning! From across the gallery, I had thought it was another piece made of LEGOs, and was elated to discover upon approach that the exterior of the globe is composed of individual computer keyboard keys in varying shades of white, tan, gray, and black – with a few special accents like the red “PANIC” key at the north pole. The texture on this suspended sculpture are fantastic, adding such a depth to the surface. It almost feels like the oceans have waves, and the continents have mountain ridges and valleys.

“Emerging Brights” by Jeanette Beck, acrylic paint on canvas

Another abstract piece that really caught my eye is this lovely painting by Jeanette Beck. Although “Emerging Brights” is only a medium sized acrylic painting, it instills a peaceful calm with its gentle gradient in violet, orange, and blue. The textures are subtle and require closer inspection, and the light yellow splatters are a pleasant addition.

“Friday Night, 1993” by Mark Barone, oil paint on panel

Just before we left the gallery, this piece caught my eye. If ever there was a piece that described a mood, this is it! Painted in oils by Mark Barone, “Friday Night, 1993” could easily be turned into a fine art meme portraying the realities of married life!

My husband and stepsons aren’t artists (although Connor has been drawing some anime style fanart lately that is really great) so they only occasionally oblige me in my desire for family trips to art galleries. My girls, however, are still young and impressionable (and have to go where I take them anyway) and this was an EXCELLENT introduction to the world of fine art museums for them. It helped that we read a kid’s book about visiting an art museum on repeat the week before our trip.

Overlooked Artistry at Universal Studios

Art is everywhere. I’ve said it for years, and I’ll say it again. Art is everywhere.

But maybe it would be more accurate to say “Artists touch everything.” Well… no, that’s not right either. “You can find the touch of an artist everywhere you look.” That’s more like it! Now we don’t sound like creeps.

Cue the horror music!

Exhibit A: The cover for the official instructions on how to file your Form-1040, aka your TAX RETURN (if you live in the US.) Isn’t it beautiful? An artist took that photograph. A graphic designer created the IRS logo. And the FreeFile logo. Another designer laid out the rest of the page, with a font that was specifically chosen. The list goes on. That piece of paper from the Internal Revenue Service that has the power to keep people awake at night, is a thing of beauty. And what exposure it gets! The majority of adults in the United States are required to file a Form-1040 every year! The artists involved must be SOOOO famous (whoever they are!)

But, Haley, I thought we were talking about Universal! It even says it in the title! Right you are, friend.

For Spring Break this year we spent four days at Universal Studios: going on all sorts of rides, casting spells at the Wizarding World, and just enjoying the warmth of summertime… but in March (an unusual thing for Iowans.) Emma’s favorite ride was E.T., Alex could have spent the whole vacation playing at the toddler park in the Curious George area, and my stepsons went on the Hulk rollercoaster about 8 times, I think. My absolute favorite part of Universal, however, is the atmosphere.

The E.T. ride gets pretty weird.

I could spend my days just staring at the false buildings and storefronts, lost in the tiny details that make Universal Studios an experience, instead of just a bunch of rides. From area to area, and even ride to ride, the uniforms are different for the personnel. There’s even different music playing around you, that relates to which area of the park you are in. I remember my stepsons getting tired of me pointing it all out a few years ago on our first vacation there: “Look! An artist painted that!” “An artist made this wall look so old!” “Look, this is fake rust on this sign, hand painted by an artist!” “YES, HALEY, WE KNOW!”

But do you? I have a hard time fathoming the extensive team it took to design and implement all of it. Here’s a great example, the door going into the SpongeBob SquarePants shop:

I'm ready! I'm ready!

The 3-dimensional building is painted to look like it belongs in a 2-dimensional cartoon, under the sea. The artists working on it (I can’t imagine it was just one person) used varying shades and tints of each color to accent and help define the edges of the faux paneling on the wall, and the “grain” of the “wooden” door. The décor inside is all related to the kids’ TV show – there’s even a framed “Employee of the Month” picture of SpongeBob on the wall.

Where can I get red shingles like that?

Another excellent example from a kids’ TV show: Curious George! This area of Universal is a waterpark, where they have “books” laid out with pages open to read, letting kids feel like they are running around inside the story! The technique here is genius – painting the buildings flat but vivid colors, with bright trim, lots of signs, and black paint along the edges and details, making it look more 2-dimensional and cartoony, outlined just like the illustrations in the Curious George books!

The artists spent hours and hours of painting by hand to make the bricks look exactly right. Check out the ornate details on these railings and windows, and the sign made of lightbulbs – it’s all custom designed and created for these specific buildings – many of which are false fronts! Thank you, artists!

And because it was the McAndrews clan, of course we spent a lot of time in the Wizarding World. Replicating Diagon Alley must have been a massive endeavor – and they nailed it! As you enter through the “magic” brick wall, you hear the sound of the bricks shifting and clacking, and then you are hit with the unmistakable music from the movies. You really feel like you’ve entered a magical place, particularly with so many people dressing in Hogwarts robes and waving their magical wands around!

It's us. We are the robe-wearing wand wavers.

Universal is such a popular destination for people from all over the world, that wait times for the rides are regularly 60-120 minutes or more! It’s brilliant, but they (Universal) have planned out the areas where you wait in line and decorated them so you feel immersed – for the Spider-man ride, you walk through the Daily Bugle office; for the King Kong ride, you weave your way through a jungle temple; and for the Hogwarts ride, you find yourself exploring the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It’s all decorated spectacularly, with hidden Easter eggs for devout fans to pick out.

I could listen to the paintings argue all day.

It’s such an incredible experience to be there with my kids, and I look forward to going back again when my girls are a little bit older (and able to go on more rides) but not too old to stop believing in the magic there. Emma was so excited about going to “Harry Potter’s castle” before we went this time, and now that we are home likes to talk about how much “Mommy screams on all the rides!”

Artistic Guilty Pleasure: Crafts and LEGOs

I have a number of guilty pleasures like vampire romance novels, really crappy movies, and eating way too much chocolate. I’ve also discovered I have what some may describe as an obsession with LEGO sets.

Growing up, my brother had THOUSANDS of LEGO bricks. I had zero (but I did have hundreds of stuffed animals.) And, as he was my older brother, I also had zero chance of getting my hands on his LEGOs. Instead, I played outside with what I could find in nature: rocks, sticks, dirt, etc. It’s really no wonder I fell in love with the Redwall book series at a young age (a medieval fantasy type world in which the characters are all animals, and they create food and drink, tools and weapons out of supplies found in nature.) To this day, I have a small collection of the paperbacks, lovingly on display in my art studio – and last year I made my first successful batch of dandelion wine!

I'll never throw this card away!

My very first LEGO set was gifted to me by my husband, Jon. It was Mother’s Day 2021, and he said “Your gift is that you get to put it together without children.” How could I not love this man? The set was #5005878, the buildable Mother’s Day card. He had found the set, which was a mere 47 pieces, on EBay. It is a cherished possession now, and permanently lives on my dresser next to the stuffed Ninja Turtle I got for Christmas when I was three. Once I put that little plastic card together, I was hooked.

Jon is also the one who introduced me to the Harry Potter series (I’m a Ravenclaw, if you were wondering) after we got together. He and my stepsons would listen to the audiobooks on long drives, and the boys had a number of the Harry Potter LEGO sets. When we started dating, Jon only had a lonely Hogwarts castle and broken down Hagrid’s Hut. We set it up on display on our kitchen shelf when we moved to Denison, and since have been adding little by little to our collection.

Our lighting is still in the trial-and-error stage.

I gave Jon a few sets as gifts; the Potions class that folds up into a book, and the Knight Bus. We also have a 20”x20” framed plastic brick family portrait hanging on our wall in the basement that I put together around the same time. My gifts for Christmas 2021 were Honeyduke’s and the Three Broomsticks, and the Flying Lessons set. At age 35, I was finally able to sit down at the dining room table with my dad (he came to visit for the holiday) and put together LEGO sets. He applied the stickers to the pieces as I assembled (hands down, the building is my favorite part.)

For Mother’s Day 2022, I was given more EBay LEGO sets – a massive bundle of bricks that formed five more Harry Potter buildings (and a Ninjago mech). Our collection is becoming obsessive – I mean - impressive, and by now I’m sure you can tell there’s a bit of passion in our family behind the hobby (and for the Harry Potter series.)

No glue! Can you believe it?

It wasn’t exactly LEGOs, but when we were on vacation in Florida this spring I picked up a wooden puzzle kit that formed a 3D angelfish. My stepson Connor helped me put it together one Saturday morning. I have a few crafty, wood sets that I have put together, and I adore them all!

What exactly is it that I enjoy so much about crafting and building? I find that I get lost in the assembling, much like I get lost in the process of creating my art. I treasure the memories from working on these sets, building them with people I love. I enjoy working with my hands, creating with a new (to me) medium. 

This begs the question – is assembling Lego or craft sets an art form? I’d argue yes. The design that goes into these sets is amazing, how it all fits together just so to create something new. There’s no denying that the designers of the sets are artists (and definitely engineers.) It’s a way for everyone, even those without artistic tendencies, to create. And really, when you think about it, there isn’t much difference between following the steps in the LEGO instruction booklet and listening to the step-by-step instructions given by the great Bob Ross (who whole-heartedly believed that everyone could be an artist) in his educational painting shows.

So much potential in one little brick.

At the time I’m writing this post, we are taking a break from acquiring more LEGOs. We will probably pick it up again in the future, but realistically we have run out of space in our kitchen. When I admitted that I have “the LEGO bug,” Jon made the joke that when I die he will fill my coffin with LEGO bricks so if I try to escape I will step on them and won’t be able to get out. I’ll admit I’m impressed with his creativity sometimes, considering he isn’t an artist.

Artist Interview: Laura Enninga, Celia Studios

Laura Enninga, of Celia Studios, describes her paintings as “A bit like a shotgun; all over the place.” She creates out of her home studio in Anoka, Minnesota. Her paintings are a mixture of realism and abstract, very painterly, with plenty of humor in them. I first met Enninga in the Art Department at St. Cloud State University (St. Cloud, MN) and have followed her art on Facebook since.

“I like freedom of expression in making art,” she said. “Not settling on any one idea and evolving and growing my technical skills. There is always room to improve.” 

"Seal A Lisa" 16"x20" acrylic on canvas

Enninga also teaches painting classes. “I always wanted to open my own studio and had one for over a year in Osseo, MN,” she said. “People came in for studio time and I would give them pointers on their work or help them put together more intense pieces.” She helped manage a paint-and-sip company, where she learned to host and teach fun step-by-step classes. Currently, 3 people come weekly to learn painting techniques from Enninga.

"Espresso Reflections" 20"x24" acrylic on canvas

Earlier this year, Enninga was hired to live-paint a wedding. I’ll admit, I absolutely LOVE the idea of hiring an artist to create an original art piece during/of a wedding. I asked Enninga what her next project was, and she said she’s always working on multiple projects at a time. “I have a fun series of black and white and monochromatic with golds of famous faces and objects like coffee, and bowls. I also am working on my series of famous paintings but changing them to be funny spoofs.” [See “Seal A Lisa” pictured above.] She also has a few commissions in the works, and a set of four realistic figurative paintings that she’s planning on entering for a contest.

"Hummingbird Mosaic" 24"x30" acrylic on canvas

She is also working on backgrounds for future paintings. Enninga will use a variety of tools and techniques to create her backgrounds, like potato mashers, mesh, and lace, as well as mixing and making colorful boxes and drips. “I didn't like to work on backgrounds when I was younger due to being more excited about the subject matter itself,” she admitted. “But have developed a need to focus on the background and fine tune it before moving forward.”

Is easel envy a thing?

Her favorite art tool is a wooden easel that her father built for her. “My favorite tool, really isn't a tool but the easel my dad built me when I was younger because he believed in me and wanted to show me. I now have two he made and a third one for large canvases.”

"Prince of Minnesota" 24"x30" acrylic on canvas

A stumbling block Enninga has is the balance between painting commissions and painting things that inspire her. “I tend to procrastinate far more knowing I have art for a job versus making it for me and sharing it,” she said. “It isn't that I hate doing commissioned pieces; often times it is my bread and butter. It is the need to create something that inspires or moves me that keeps me dragging out commissions instead of getting them done.” Enninga will set aside time to work on her personal paintings, artwork that she’s inspired to create, and then work on commissions. Switching back and forth helps to keep her motivated. “I don't like turning out commissions I'm not proud of and this keeps me on track....most of the time, anyway.”

Her advice for other artists starting out? Don’t compete or compare yourself to other artists, and instead surround yourself with people who build you up and give you advice. “Make work you are proud of and would hang on your walls. Money comes with time and dedication to the craft.” Enninga said some of her best artwork wasn’t made because she was looking to make money, but instead because she was creating for herself. “People recognize you in your work and that is what sells them on the piece, not always the actual painting or artwork.” 

"I Fell In Love In Fall" 20"x24" acrylic on canvas

You can follow Laura Enninga on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celiastudios/ and be sure to check out her website at www.celiastudios.com.