Aesthetic Education Culminating Project

1. Garvey Park By: Kelley Reiner, Claire Hogan, and Destiny Wegemer.

2. Mind Map Saw and heard people, felt wind, smelled fall air, heard crunching of leaves, Making art with objects from nature. I.E- Using leaves as brushes/ Nature walks. Senses Noticing Experimental Art Making Questioning And Inquiring Garvey Park Who is Garvey? Why was the park made? Booth: Greene: Eisner: Wakeford: Reflection Readings and Class Aesthetic Education It is important to consider nature a work of art because it surrounds and sustains us everyday and enriches our lives. Connection: Using your imagination to view nature as a work of art.

3. Noticings People walking/talking. Leaves blowing. Felt the wind blowing. Smelled the fresh fall air. Colors of the leaves. Clock in the middle. Bell to the side. Trees. Flowers. Fountain. Benches. Plaques/dedications. Layout (strategically placed.)

4. Noticings Continued Day Night Warm/sunnier. Colors more noticeable. More people out. More noise. Shadows. Cold/windy/rainy. Lights on. Glares on camera. Moonlight. Better pictures because of lighting.

5. Day Vs. Night

6. Questions and Inquiry Who is Garvey? What did the park used to be? Why was it made? Who donated things? Why is the bell so important? Why do we consider this to be a work of art? What purpose does it serve? When was it built?

7. Reflection The park is beautiful. It is a good place to go and hang out. It is aesthetically pleasing. (Red brick promenade) It reminds us of the beauty of nature. It proves that nature is art in and of itself. The Canterbury Clock is very helpful because it chimes every hour. The bell’s history is very moving. We liked the contrast of day and night pictures. Good place to take pictures.

8. Virtual Tour http://www.mercyhurst.edu/ Click on “Take a Virtual Tour!” Choose Garvey Park

9. Historical and Contextual information Canterbury Clock was founded by the Canterbury Feast, a medieval dinner that used to be held on campus. The Red bricks cover up a design that used to be on the concrete before they were laid. Named for Dr. William P. Garvey, the college’s ninth president. A pond named Lake William was once where the park is, it was then filled in and made into a parking lot until 1985.

10. Sister Damien Bell The bell was donated in memory of Sister Damien, a sister of mercy who used to ring a cowbell at every hockey game. There is now an empty seat that is considered hers in the hockey rink. She was a receptionist at the college. She passed away in August. The class of 2005 established the Sister Damien Spirit Award in her honor.

12. Line of Inquiry How did Garvey Park become central hub for student life? Why did they decide to remove the lake, and then the parking lot? How was the space utilized to be considered aesthetically pleasing? Why was it decided to include the clock and bell in the park? Is the fountain part of the park? How does Garvey Park’s colors and attributes draw students in? Do seasons effect one’s view or mood?

13. Personal Reflection We thought that it would be a good idea to chose Garvey Park for this project because it is often overlooked as a work of art. Because of Aesthetic Education, we have come to recognize the art that surrounds us everyday that we may have missed before, such as nature. We all agree that nature should be considered a work or art because it is a constant part of our world and it provides us with unique views and a greater understanding of the world we live in, it also allows us to conceptualize art in a stronger way. We chose Garvey Park because it is right here on campus, and it is something we see and walk though everyday. It is not in a museum or even on display, yet it is a constant yet changing work of art.

14. Activity Ideas Art Make a mural using objects in nature. (I.E. painting with sticks/leaves.) Identify different colors in nature. Draw the park, or make a clay model. Science Plant something and record its growth. Lesson on recycling, the effects on the environment. Geography Create a dimensional layout of Garvey Park or anything in nature. Study the layout of the park.

15. Activity ideas English Write a story to go along with a picture of the park. Journal about thoughts while viewing the park during different seasons. History Research history of the park and the objects in it. (Bell and clock) Research the plants. Math Measure the length of bricks, estimate number of bricks, and size of the park. Identify shapes in the clock and bell.

16. Aesthetic Education It is important to view nature as a work of art because art should be an everyday experience. Nature is part of everyday life. Since it is important to experience art it is also important to experience all nature has to give. Nature is an ever changing process, it can be added to and subtracted from.

17. Connections to Readings: Booth Booth writes, “When we direct our attention to exploring masterworks, we borrow the eyes of genius” (p. 174). Nature should be viewed as a masterwork that should be explored. “Skilled perceivers find symbols in the everyday; they see, feel, and act upon the presence of the universal in the specific. Each adventure begins anew” (p. 178). You can see nature everyday, but it is constantly changing and becoming a new work of art, something you can see, feel, and act upon.

18. Connections to Readings: Greene Greene explains, “You cannot possibly succeed in education if you yourself cannot understand the experience you just had.” Without experiencing nature we cannot understand it, and without understanding it we cannot fully understand art. Greene discusses that we can live through lyrical moments of our own and find beauty even at the sight of trees, which is exactly what we believe.

19. Connections to Readings: Eisner “An individual who wishes to externalize a concept must find some way of constructing an equivalent for it in the empirical world. To do this, people invent new forms of representation or borrow from those already available in the culture.” Nature is a form of representation that is already available in culture, and is one that will always be available. Thus people borrow, and will continually borrow, ideas form nature to make a works of art.

20. Connections to Readings: Wakeford “The arts are not only learned, they help constitute the process of learning itself.” Everyone can learn, just as everyone can produce a work of art and experience nature. “Imagination often provides the springboard for expression.” When viewing nature, on can use their imagination to express their views in a unique way.

22. Sources Mercyhurst College Website Earleen Glaser: Librarian Eric Booth Maxine Greene Michael Wakeford Elliot Eisner Garvey Park!