In grade school, we practiced cursive until our fingers were numb. Repetition was a key to success. Hard to forget the letters, words, and phrases written on lined paper designed to ensure that tall letters – you know, l, d, h, and b – were high enough and letters that dropped down – q, y, p, and j – were low enough.
Even though the merits of cursive are debated today, there’s something reassuring about repetitive actions and behaviors . . . but, does practice make perfect?
Over the next few days – for the thirty-ninth time – the Woodson Art Museum will celebrate the opening of Birds in Art and welcome artists from around the world, members and guests, and the community at large to the all-new 2014 exhibition.
If practice makes perfect, with almost four decades of experience under our collective belts, you might think Birds in Art is on autopilot. That’s not the case. Birds in Art is a continual work in progress and an undertaking that involves – consumes, might be a better word – every member of the Museum’s staff.
While the individual artists – all 112 of them this year – give each Birds in Art exhibition a unique look and feel, the artworks share an avian theme and elements such as the fully illustrated catalogue, posters, activity guide, and audio tour contribute to the continuity.
Bu
t tweak, stretch, shake up, and grow can be powerful verbs and motivators that inspire the Woodson staff to push and pull and to work just a little bit harder to make Birds in Art not just a standard-setting exhibition, but also an exceptional visual-arts experience for all.
We may crave perfection, but we’re always tinkering to make Birds in Art even better.
What about Birds in Art seems perfect to you?
Note: This blog post marks the sixth anniversary of Woodson Wanderings – WOW! – and celebrates our commitment to weekly posting. In fact, not a single week – more than 300! – was missed in six years. That’s something to crow about!
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