Blog #5

     One of the things I love most about art is that it is everywhere. This inspired my recent post: Overlooked Art. In this blog, I chose three cities that are not known as very artistic and showed that even in poverty-stricken cities, art is still there.
   
     The first city that I showcased was Atlanta, Georgia. I went to Atlanta to years ago and although I thought it was a cool city, I did not see much art at all. I was surprised to find that the city has started a program called Living Walls in an attempt to change the perspective of the "dull" areas that surround Atlanta. Every year, several artists are invited to create extravagant street art for ten days, then a conference takes place for four days after that ("Living"). This is a great way to change the way many people view the city.

     The second city I depicted in this post was Detroit. When most people hear Detroit, they think of industry, poverty, and crime. I've never been to the city, but I thought that there must be something creative beneath all the generalizations I have heard. Luckily, I was able to find just that. In an abandoned neighborhood in a dangerous part of town, there is a monument paying homage to the city. The Monumental Kitty not only represents the city's teams: the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions ("Ferretti's"), but also shows that as intimidating as the city might be, there is still good hidden inside of it.


     Lastly, I chose another northeastern city: Pittsburgh. Much like Detroit, Pittsburgh is known as a hub for industry and crime. It turns out that the city is not only home to Steelers, but givers as well. A local artist came up with a great way to get kids off of the streets and expand the city's art scene. In Pittsburgh's most violent neighborhood, Vanessa German opened the Pittsburgh Art House- a place where children can come and create whatever they imagine. This effort hasn't completely cleaned up the area, but many say that it has caused a more positive environment ("Young"). This shows how well art can bring people together and benefit the community.


"Ferretti's Monumental Kitty Sculpture Makes Its Home in N. Corktown." Model D. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

"Living Walls 2014 Brings 18 New Murals to Atlanta." Living Walls 2014 Brings 18 New Murals to Atlanta. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

"Young Artists Find Home And Healing At Pittsburgh Art House." NPR. NPR. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.