Column: Bev Jackson Cotter, Art Is…

In the lobby of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, an incredible, large chandelier-type of yellow glass sculpture hangs from the ceiling. When you first see it, its size and unique design are overpowering. It’s a “Wow!” moment, and a “That’s Art!” surprise. It is truly an amazing piece.

But — we don’t need to be bowled over by art in order to be affected by it.

Recently, because I wanted my grandson to recognize how art is a significant part of our everyday lives, we wandered around my home reviewing the paintings and sculptures that I have collected over the years. There are no “Wow!” pieces like the MIA show stopper, but the art in my home creates an atmosphere that would not be there if the walls and table tops were bare, and it defines our personalities, making our house into our home. I do not know how much my grandson got out of the tour, but I learned something about me.

My husband Michael’s family has been farming the same land for 135 years. The love of that land, the nurturing and protecting that goes into caring for that land is evident on the walls of his den. The poster-size photograph of fence posts, pasture and the golden-colored barn under a stormy sky are a reminder of a scene that has been a part of his entire life. This photo was taken by his son Tom. A framed paper cutout of a windmill and a farmer plowing the land was given to him by a friend, and it questions, “What did he yield?” Every glance at that cutout brings memories of the storytelling festivals that the two of them shared and the conversations about the non-material gifts we leave behind us.

On an end table in our living room, an Irish wooden carved frame holds Michael’s picture. The photo was taken on a trip to Ireland where many years ago, his widowed great-grandmother lost her farm to the British and decided to bring her family to America for a new beginning. The land behind Michael is rocky and barren and one wonders how anyone could possibly scratch a living off of that soil.

We also have a painting of us as the American Gothic couple that was done by Agnes Boss of Albert Lea. Every time we look at it we have to smile, because it brings back thoughts of our delightful, talented neighbor, a July 3 parade, and the friendship that was brushed into every stroke.

Someone asked me once about the style of my furnishings and my interior decorating motives. I had to respond, “Our home is a combination of furniture that is antique, homemade, store bought, auctioned and gifted. It contains decorations that are new, old, antique, homemade, sentimental and practical.”

There is no particular style. It is our home, and it is us. Time spent in art classes and arts organization involvement make me very aware of the value of original pieces, not necessarily monetary value, but more important, the memories. Our walls contain watercolors and drawings that I have done reminding me of the trips that I have taken, oil paintings by area artists who are no longer living, posters from exciting exhibits that I’ve been able to attend, photographs of significant happenings in our family’s lives, a framed calendar picture from my aunt’s home that reminds me of ongoing generations and hope, drawings and photographs done by Michael’s friends in the storytelling circuit, and embroidered pieces by family that are mindful of how lucky we are to have each other.

Our home, and yours, is an art show. Its theme is family and love and individual personality. I would guess, if you took the time to wander through your home and really look, you might learn something about yourself, who you really are.

 

Bev Jackson Cotter is a member of the Albert Lea Art Center where “Through the Eye of the Camera,” photos and art of Tom Mullen, Julie Muellenberg and Heidi Gjengdahl will be on display through Nov. 5. The Art Center is located at 1031 S. Broadway Ave. and hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.