Sculptures

         While discussing artwork and the different forms of art, it is impossible to ignore the impact that sculptures have had on society. Sculptures can come in many forms and sizes, some as small as the tip of a pencil, and some stand as tall as 597 feet. Some sculptures hold lots of value and are praised by society. A few of these famous sculptures from around the world include the Statue of Liberty, The Thinker, and The Great Sphinx. To start off, the Statue of Liberty is the tallest sculpture in the United States, standing at 151 feet tall. It is America’s symbol to people around the world who want to find a better life that they are welcome and free here, and deserving of new opportunities. The United States received the statue from France to commemorate the American and French alliance throughout the American Revolution. The statue was completed in 1886 and soon after, millions of immigrants came to the country in awe of the massive sculpture that welcomed them. Next, another sculpture that brings people in from all over the world is The Thinker, located at the Rodin Museum in France. The six foot tall, bronze statue was crafted in 1904 and sits in the gardens of the Rodin Museum, named after the original sculptor of The Thinker, Auguste Rodin. This sculpture has captivated people who visit to see the marvelous cast of a concentrated man ever since it was first opened to the public. Lastly, one of the most famous and ancient sculptures in the world, The Great Sphinx located in Egypt, never fails to bring in people who yearn for the opportunity to view the mythical structure. This massive monument made of limestone was built in 2559 BC, which has led many people wondering how this masterpiece was constructed considering the lack of proper tools or equipment. Although the true process of how this structure was created may never be fully understood, it is commonly believed that the Sphinx was built by masons who were constructing the pyramid complex, and discovered a large piece of limestone and either chose to or were ordered to carve a Sphinx from it. Sculptures such as these three will continue to amaze people who visit and will always be held at a very high value. If enough time and effort is put into a sculpture or structure and it has a story behind it, it may be praised and appreciated as much as monuments such as the Statue of Liberty, The Thinker, or even The Great Sphinx.

Museums around the Metro-Minneapolis

        People who reside throughout Minneapolis and around the metro area take pride in good artwork and hold a lot of value to the art museums and showcases that are located here. There are numerous places that one may visit in order to view some of the best and most exquisite pieces of artwork in Minneapolis. The largest and most well known museum located here is the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) which is home to over 90,000 pieces of artwork. The MIA holds some of the most exclusive artwork in the world with some of the oldest pieces dating back 5000 years. The Minneapolis Institute of Art is one of the most prestigious art museums in the United States and is a must see. Another popular museum located just a couple blocks away from the MIA is the Walker Art Center. The Walker Art Center has a vast collection of nearly 12,000 works of art that range from paintings, sculptures, films, performances, books and more. The art center contains artwork from over 2300 artists which allows for a variety of ideas and things to see when one visits the Walker Art Center. 

Q&A Article with Jonathan Maki

        For this project, I chose to conduct a professional interview with Jonathan Maki, Art Teacher at Minnetonka High School. In this interview, I went into depth with Mr. Maki about his past and how it has influenced his journey in becoming an artist. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he found his passion for art at a very early age. His start up of becoming an artist began as early as kindergarten, as he claimed, “my kindergarten teacher got mad at me for drawing bats all the time”. Growing up, Maki was surrounded by art. With his dad being an art teacher at his local high school, he had a heavy influence on his passion for artwork as he stated he was able to “go and see his class which amazed me and I instantly fell in love with artwork”. As Maki grew older, his passion for art remained and once he was in high school he was drawing band members, specifically the members from the band Kiss. He continued to create new art and eventually was able to get his artwork inside of the Milwaukee Art Museum, which was a massive accomplishment to him. Throughout Maki’s life, he has always been involved with art in some form which leaves no surprise as to why he chose to become an art teacher and teach young aspiring artists how to find success in their own journey. 

The Influence of Art