Michigan researchers find that cuts in arts funding hamper economic recovery

This comes from a story posted yesterday on www.physorg.com

Michigan is hurting its chances at economic recovery by slashing funding for the arts, according to a study by Michigan State University researchers. 

 The study found that arts and crafts activities – such as painting, dancing and filmmaking – are closely related to success of the scientists, engineers and other innovators who create new companies and inventions that stimulate the economy.  

Yet during the past decade Michigan has cut funding for the arts by some 90 percent – from about $25 million in 2002 to $2.3 million this year. In Detroit, officials attempting to balance the budget have proposed large cuts to the city’s arts and cultural institutions. 

 "Politicians often strip funding for arts and cultural assets, assuming they are expendable ‘extras,’ but this may be a serious policy error based on false assumptions,” said Rex LaMore, lead researcher on the project and director of MSU’s Center of Community and Economic Development.

Photography by Nicole K. Somerville at Corridor Gallery in Casper

The Corridor Gallery announces another debut showing of Casper artist Nicole Somerville. “Shade of Inclination.” The show opens with a reception on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. and continues through Sunday, May 1.

Nicole appreciates the trek and skill involved with a classic landscape of a well-known area but chooses to take a different approach. Rather than seeking the end of the path, Nicole finds inspiration along the path and skillfully creates an emotional image. Nicole’s tools are her imagination, medium format film camera, 35mm film camera and a digital SLR.

“I photograph what I describe as abstract landscapes. The color stories, shapes and different perspectives take center stage; unlike normal landscape photography that features the importance of a place, subject and certain time. I’ve traveled across country and many of my photos can be derived from my backyard, all the way to the grandeur of Arches National Park.  Either way, where the photo was taken is not important to me, what matters is what the piece creates beyond the subject.  In these pieces I hope to propose the viewer to experience atypical beauty and to blur the conventional line of what makes a photograph. Do not try to figure out what you are looking at or where it could be, just simply enjoy the encounter.”

Nicole K. Somerville, 24, born and educated in Michigan, Attended Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, and majored in photography and fine art.

Nicole comes from a highly creative family but is the first to pursue a career from art. Owes her obsession of photography to her mother, who had a camera ready to go 24/7, everywhere.

In June 2010 she came to visit Casper after meeting her boyfriend at a wedding she photographed earlier that spring.  Everything just fit right together, and she moved out here that August and has completely enjoyed every moment creating art in the west once again.

Her training is strongly derived in the fine art sense. Also studied ceramics in college, which believes to have given her well-rounded approach to photography.  The photography program she went through was based on film and a strong sense of art history.  Although film techniques are quickly disappearing the knowledge gained from it she believes will ultimately help her stand out in today’s art/photography community.

Somerville concludes: “Art is alive in so many corners of the United States, for a while all she could think about was getting to Europe to study art there, after this trip she realized the great resources and subjects that are currently happening on our home soil.”

Contact: The corridor 307 333 7035, Zak direct 307 262 3549 or Reed direct 307 259 8001
Nicole Somerville Direct: 307-315-3612

Poetry and music Feb. 26 at the Atlas Theatre

Detroit performance poet M.L. Liebler and L.A. musician Peter Lewis will perform Saturday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m., at the Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. Tix are $5 general admission, $3 for students, military and seniors. M.L. and Peter are in town as part of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud project sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Poetry Foundation. More info at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us.

M.L. this to say about the Saturday performance:

"We'll do some of the songs that are sort of more or less poetic, songs we've written together and then Peter will perform acoustically some of the Moby Grape songs from his group, some of his own original pieces. We kind of have a nice little set where we're merging some of what we do together, some of my poetry in music, some of his Moby Grape and some of his original."