| Maps inspire design, home decor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Whether you are fascinated by the Old World or prefer a modern look, there's a map for your home.It's easy to find antique-inspired sepia maps of the world that are full of mountain ranges and place names and look as if they belong in your grandfather's study. But there are also more glamorous maps, streamlined of all topography and made of clear acrylic that seems to float when hung on the wall. Fully illuminated maps look like high-def televisions, techy enough to make a gadget geek swoon.But all maps share this: They transport us back in time to the places we have traveled, as well as to the places we dream of going. Maps represent who we are, making them good conversation pieces in the home, says Larry Compeau, associate professor of marketing at Clarkson University in New York and executive officer of the Society for Consumer Psychology.Maps also can signify who we wish we were."Those who haven't really traveled, who have a map displayed, want to convey that they're knowledge-seeking, intelligent people," Compeau says.
Art Deco tours show the various architectural styles of the era
Modern day South Beach is still a vibrant monument to the Art Deco designs of the late 1920s and '30s. The narrow streets are lined with hotels and buildings designed with curved edges, porthole windows and pastel-colored facades, all touchstones of the style. The Miami Design Preservation League is offering tours of the Art Deco district - guided, recorded and one that can even be done listening on a cell phone. On a recent sun-drenched morning, guide Erika Brigham, who has lived in the area since 1988, kicked off the tour with a lively talk about the architectural history of the neighborhood. She wore palm tree-shaped earrings, a gold-and-black speckled visor and a T-shirt promoting the annual weekend event celebrating Art Deco, which was scheduled this year for Jan.
Kerry Hart: The danger of interdisciplinary arts education
Wouldn't it be great if we could read a couple of books on brain surgery and be ready to perform an operation? In arts education, that is the type of miraculous feat we often expect from our teachers. Every academic discipline requires a unique intellectual function — from quantitative reasoning to philosophical inquiry. The arts are no different. Dance requires a physical-kinesthetic brain function; music requires an auditory function; visual art requires a visual-spacial brain function; and drama incorporates a combination of several, including the verbal-linguistic function that is important to the literary arts. The college and university curriculum in each arts discipline is rigorous and, indeed, it takes a lifetime to acquire mastery in one subject area. Yet when it comes to teaching students who do not have a background in any of the arts, we create interdisciplinary arts courses that provide a superficial overview — usually from a historical perspective.
Collages reconstruct rooms
Lisa Tishman is a suburban homemaker and an artist, though not necessarily in that order. Growing up in a nice Jewish home in Miami Beach, says Tishman, who now lives in Davie, ``marriage and a family was really important for me.'' But so was art, which is why the 1978 graduate of Miami Beach Senior High attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned a degree in textile design. While Tishman worked with Miami-based textile company David & Dash after graduating from RISD in 1982, it wasn't until five years ago that she began creating the collages that won her a spot in The Miami Herald's Art on Newsprint series. Tishman creates three-dimensional collages out of clipped photos from magazines and newspapers. The clippings are assembled by perspective, color and light -- and create a new image altogether.
MySpace makes deal with states to protect young users
The social networking Web site MySpace will work with officials from 49 states and the District of Columbia to implement new measures to shield young users from sexual predators, authorities announced Monday.
The Web site has agreed to implement design and policy changes to protect users from harmful images and contact from adults, according to a statement from state Attorney General Bill McCollum. Some new policies include creating a closed section reserved for high school users under 18 and creating a registry in which parents can submit their child's e-mail address to prevent children from signing in or registering a profile.
MySpace will also work with the attorneys general to develop an Internet Safety Technical Task Force to develop an identity authentication system.
|
