A Happy Medium by Erin Murtaugh

It’s crazy to think about, but art is everywhere, literally, everywhere. If you are reading this, take a minute to appreciate all the art around you.

The structure you live in is art. Someone had to design it. Someone designed the bed you sleep on and the couch you sit on. Someone designed the shirt you’re wearing. It’s all art.

The music you listen to on the radio is another form of art. A high school musical performance is art. When the dance team dances at halftime of a basketball game, that’s art.

As I’m sitting at a coffee shop writing this, I’m surrounded by art on the walls. An artist created the coffee cup that I am drinking from.

Did you know there are such things as food stylists? They set up food for photo shoots so they are presented in an appetizing way. That in itself is too an artform.

We are surrounded by art everywhere we go, whether we realize it or not. It takes some sort of artist to design nearly every product out there.

Art and design adds color and excitement to everything around us. Think about if you were in the grocery store. Would you want to buy that bag of chips if it was just a plain white bag that said “chips” across the front? Probably not. Instead, a designer came up with an interesting bag that grabs your attention and entices your senses. There are so many scenarios in life where this could be true.

If you’re an artist or designer, thank you for all you do. Without you the world would be one boring place.

 

Albert Lea High School graduate Erin Murtaugh is a first-year student at Rochester Community and Technical College. She can be reached at murtaugh.erin@gmail.com.