A online dictionary defines art as “The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance” (“Art”).  My credence of art was not something “beautiful” nor interesting. Art was a jocular subject because it mostly was a bunch of lines scribbled on a page, or it was a pile of ludacris objects stacked and glued together. To me art was ugly and unimportant. Then, I began to ask myself, “Why do I feel the way I do about art?” Discovering that there was a cultural experience paper that was soon to be due, this was my chance to answer my question.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, America’s most famous forms of art were “painted landscapes and portraits in a realistic style based mainly on Western painting and European arts” (“Visual Art of the United States”). A online dictionary defines painted landscapes as “depiction in art of landscapes – natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view” (“Landscape Painting”). Nowadays, America’s most famous forms of art are known as sculptures and mosaic. A online dictionary defines mosaic as “a picture or decoration made of small, usually colored pieces of inlaid stone, glass, etc.” (“Mosaic”). What caused the famous types of art to change of the centuries? Why? Who founded these types of art forms? What is the most famous art form in other countries, such as Africa? Today, africa’s most famous art form is known as sculptures and clothing. An online dictionary defines sculptures as “the art of carving, modeling, welding, or otherwise producing figurative or abstract works of art in three dimensions, as in relief, intaglio, or in the round” (“Sculptures”). Where could one go to discover more about art? Where could one travel to experience and see different types of art while learning the story behind them? I began looking up local places where one could travel to have this experience. Discovering that there was an art walk taking place nearby, my mom and I jumped in the car and took off.

On September 26 of 2015, my mother and I drove to downtown Grand Haven to experience the wonders of the Annual Artwalk. “ArtWalk is an annual art celebration that involves a collaboration of artists, local businesses, and members of the lakeshore community. Artists compete in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media” (“Annual ArtWalk Returns With an Array of Events”). As we walked down the hill, the feeling of regret started to kick in; never believing that my murky mindset of art would become full of such blissful excitement, it soon did.

As we continued down the hill, the feelings of excitement started to fill my body. There was a giant Oreo in the middle of the road. Seeing even more sculptures along the road, the emotions of wanting to see more began to appear in my actions when I became excited from seeing all the bright colors in the paintings and tall sculptures; Murky feelings soon disappeared and ecstatic feelings arrived. We continued down the concrete path and saw extraordinary sculptures. There were multiple paintings and drawings. There was a parade of decorated bicycles. Some of the bicycles were just decorated with ribbons and bows, but others were created as sculptures. For example, one of the bicycles was sculpted into a gigantic verdant colored bridge. As we continued, I began to experience the feeling of happiness when it came to art because now there was a new perspective of it. Seeing past the scribbled lines and the piles of junk, there was now a sense of beauty that was unraveling; seeing beautiful paintings and sculptures, there were substantive emotions being expressed; seeing unique drawings and creations, there was a new story being told.  As we came to the last drawing, I began to feel the murky emotions once again. Instead of feeling depressed because I was going to be looking at art, I felt depressed because I was done looking at art.

  Although my initial question, “why do I feel the way I do about art?”, did not get answered, I am ecstatic that the ArtWalk was my number one picked situation for my cultural experience. The ArtWalk is a great example of a cultural experience because art is an object that some people can't go a day without it; It is in every ones daily lives. How? It is existent when one turns on the radio because music is a form of art; It is existent when one draws a picture because drawing is a form of art; It is existent when one writes because his or her handwriting is a form of art. People live by art and that is what makes it a cultural experience.

This experience shows how certain situations and objects can really impact one’s life. For example, art impacts a young woman named Nanci Burnside through painting. Nanci paints creations that come to her mind and then she competes at art festivals, such as the ArtWalk, against other artists. She sells her paintings to make a living.  Another example is how art impacts me through music, and I never recognized it; without music I would not be able to make it through this crazy world. Also, people show art through how they express themselves. People in fashion competitions express themselves through the clothing they create, and while they do that, they are creating art. Art exists in many forms around the world, but people do not always realize it.

Art impacts everyone's daily lives, and they may not know it. I highly recommend for one to participate in an event such as this one because it can leave the people who experience it with more knowledge than ever before; for example, one can discover that how one expresses himself is part of art. One can even gain more knowledge about different parts of art such as musical based art and photography. One may ask questions he never thought before. One may start asking questions such as who created the first creations of art? One might also want to know what other situations do they consider boring, but in reality the situations are life changing and meaningful?

Meeting Naci during my experience, along with the research I discovered changed my life for the better. It all taught me to recognize how art and other objects fit in with my life. With the knowledge and insight that I now know, I can help change the negative mindsets other have towards art. These people made me have a passion for something that was once something  dreaded, and to honor those people I shall do the same. This experience will cause me to make a difference in the world around us. What will your experience be?

Work Cited

"Annual ArtWalk Returns With An Array of Events." Muskegon Chronicle. 2015, The Thursday List ed., sec. C: n. pag. Print.
“Art.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Burnside, Nanci. Vote for # 0119. Digital image. Fine Portrait Artist, 2015. Web. 26 Sept. 2015.
Douma, Michael. "What Is African Art?" Webexihibits.org. Color Vision & Art, 2015. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Forms of Art." Factmonster.com. Sandbox Networks, 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2015.
"Landscape Paintings." Wikipedia.org. Wikipedia Foundation, 29 Nov. 2015. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Mosaic." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2015. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Sculpture." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2015. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Visual Art of the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Oct. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2015.