In its visual arts coverage this week, The Arts Desk takes a look at imaginary cityscapes, illuminated manuscripts, American art and even art as a form of therapy. Pinterest in a good medium for a concept boards artist.

Fisun Guner was deeply impressed by Andrew Graham-Dixon’s BBC Four programme ‘Art of America’, the first in a series which traces the broad picture of American art, beginning with its colonial past. Graham-Dixon, she concluded, is the master of TV arts programmes, mixing erudition with an easy, light presenting manner, while BBC Four, she pronounced, especially with their sterling visual arts programming, is the only channel worth watching. The episode covered from the first attempts of white settlers – such as the artist John White, who recorded the pastoral wonders he found there in 1585 – to the fragmentary art and artefacts of the Native Americans, to Benjamin West’s paintings of American Independence. The art itself was often crude and rather dull compared to European contemporaries, but more interesting were the stories of the nation that they told, through what they showed and, indeed, what they omitted.

Meanwhile in one of the smaller London galleries, an imaginary city called Nobson Newtown, created by artist Paul Noble, forms the basis of his new exhibition at the Gagosian. It begins with the genesis of Newtown, with Noble creating his own myth for the city, illustrating Bible scenes in his own inimitable way, and then progresses to a huge drawing of the park. Judith Flanders was struck by the obsessive-compulsive quality of Noble’s intricate pencil drawings of this surreal cityscape, with elements of smutty cartoons reminiscent of Robert Crumb and ‘Viz’ thrown in. With his cartographic viewpoint overlooking the city, filled with turd-like men, rubbish and dying shrubbery, Noble comments on the creation, the state and the purpose or our cityscapes. Though the result is not particularly positive, his concentrated attention to detail makes his works compulsive viewing.

As a ‘Culture Show Special’ over Armistice weekend, Tim Samuels presented ‘Art for Heroes’ on BBC Two, dedicated to the invisible wounds of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the new art therapy that attempts to treat it. As archive footage showed, PTSD is nothing new, but it’s only recently been recognised and art therapy is currently available to precious few, though the veterans that Samuels spoke to, both in the UK and America, were entirely convinced of its efficacy, tapping as it does into repressed memories and things that cannot necessarily be verbalised. Though it’s perhaps unnecessary to judge their work by the standards of professional artists, Josh Spero noted that the veterans had just the same drive to create as any other artist and worked in a huge range of styles and abilities, some proving extraordinarily visceral, powerful and moving. The programme, though half an hour too long, culminated in an exhibition for the veterans’ work and left its poignant message that with soldiers returning from Afghanistan, there will soon be many more in need of this kind of therapy.

And finally, in her second art review of the week, Judith Flanders discovered a jewel of an exhibition at the British Library in ‘Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination’. It’s a collection acquired by the British Museum in 1757 but begun in the 15th century by Edward IV, who was looking to manufacture propaganda through books that celebrated God and through God his sovereigns on earth. The manuscripts, richly painted by master craftsmen of the age, comprise history books, conduct books, maps, mythical tales, bibles and psalters and provide an incredible record of history and courtly life. The scale of the exhibition Flanders found astonishing, with more than 150 manuscripts to look at and excellent digital aids as well. And though the captions are occasionally lacking in historical detail, it’s still a fascinating and beautiful show. As these works spend most of their lives hidden from daylight for preservation purposes, it’s a case of catch them while you can.

To help you weed through the pack and find the best environmental charities to donate to, read on for our tips and charity recommendations. As a parent, you probably know that the birthday party routine can be an almost painful experience. With about 20 children in your child’s class, going to more than one birthday party in one weekend can occur quite often. If you have more than one child, birthday-party weekends can take over your entire life. Finding the right gift takes hours, wrapping the present and preparing the card is more time. When it is your child’s turn for a birthday party, do you really want to put other parents through the same routine? Will your child really appreciate 20 birthday gifts on top of what you and your family have already given him? Does your child really need more toys?

Teaching our child that it’s just as wonderful to give as it is to receive is almost never easy. But once they understand the concept, the rewards can last a lifetime. As a parent, you probably want to guide your child to become a healthy and ethical adult. How can you lead your child to a healthy future? What kind of activities can you do together as a family that will steer your child towards becoming a compassionate adult? Community service and Volunteerism are your answer. Not only will you show your child that it is “cool” to care for others, but it will also be a wonderful way to get others involved. You can do just that with a charity birthday party.

Firstly, you must discuss this with your child. You can’t just announce to your child that some or all of his gifts will be going to charity. Avoid bribing and coercion, the mission is to get your child enthusiastic about helping others. I suggest the following:

1. Know Your Child and How Much He Can Be Expected to Give – Just because you are enthusiastic to give all of your child’s presents to charity, it doesn’t mean that your child will feel the same way. Again, don’t coerce your child to have a charitable party. Discuss with your child different ways that his party can become a means to give and not only to receive. For example, The child can keep half of his presents and the other half go to charity.

2. Know Your Child and His Interests- Each child has interests that can be converted into a great giving and charitable experience. If your child is interested in art, match them up with an art charity (http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org). If your child is interested in homelessness, match your child’s party up with a homeless shelter. Once your child is matched with the right charity, your child will have a rewarding charity birthday that he will always remember.

3. The Actual Events of The Party Can Be For a Charitable Purpose – Instead of giving away your child’s presents, you can consider holding a charitable project as the entertainment. For example, Charity Making and Stuffing a Teddy Bear Project (http://artistshelpingchildren.org/donateteddybears.html) and donate all of the teddy bears to a local pediatric hospital, orphanage, or shelter.

4. Have Every Child Bring a Used Toy or Item to Give to Charity – Instead of having every child bring a new item to be donated to charity, have everyone bring in a used toy, or other item. These items can then be donated to a non-profit organization. For children who aren’t excited about having a charity party, you can have everyone bring in a small gift for the birthday child in addition to a used item.

5. Remember to Still Make the Event Special for The Birthday Child – Don’t take all gifts away from your child. You must allow your child to still receive gifts from you, family members, and other close people in his life.

6. Meaningful Conversation First – If our child is having a difficult time figuring out what charity he wants to give to, it might be a good idea to watch the news together and see what sparks your child’s interest. Sometimes seeing less fortunate people and suffrage can spark a child into wanting to give. Also, bring up social issues and discuss them with your child.

7. What Do My Parents Do? – Children learn by example. If your child sees you as a giving individual, they will be more likely to want to give of themselves as well. How can you expect your child to give up things that are important to them without giving items yourself. Consider doing something giving at your birthday every year as well.

Can Having a Charitable Birthday Party Really Be Good For My Child?

You bet it can! It has been proven by researchers that a child’s self-esteem is boosted when taking on altruistic responsibilities. When children help others, they will begin to understand that they have the strength to make a real difference in their world…and this is a great feeling. Another enormous benefit of a charitable birthday party is that a child will gain a deeper understanding of the needs and wants of others. Researchers have also noticed that children who volunteer or give charitably might gain increased academic skills, including critical thinking and problem solving skills.

I run Artists Helping Children – http://www.ArtistsHelpingChildren.org – A non-profit charity dedicated to bringing comfort to children in hospitals, clinics, and shelters by brightening their environment with murals, artwork, toys, and art supplies.

Rachel Goldstein is Founder of Artists Helping Children – http://www.ArtistsHelpingChildren.org – A non-profit charity dedicated to bringing comfort to children in hospitals, clinics, and shelters by brightening their environment with murals, artwork, toys, and art supplies.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rachel_Goldstein/2147

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