Art is...

I asked Google, "what is art?"

Google said, "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power."

I tend to think of art as really any form of human expression that reflects the human experience- or even just the experience of being. Maybe it's just any expression at all.

A question that has come up frequently lately has been, "Why do humans feel the need for expression at all?" Volumes and volumes of books could be written about that, but ultimately in my mind it comes down to the desire to connect with others... not just to not be alone, but because I feel that we are innately designed to long for that connection with others- and not just human beings, but animals or plants or rocks even or I guess maybe the entire cosmos.

Last night I was able to visit some dear friends in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. They run Center Ground Studios, an art gallery attached to their home. I got to play some tunes while folks checked out the art displayed by Jessica Kaminski, Teresa Lind, and Janelle Holmstrom.

The gathering of these people... artists of all different types- photographers, painters, musicians, potters, welders, and the likes... it gave me such inspiration. The world seems like a beautiful place when you find yourself surrounded by those who support art, those who make a life out of examining and celebrating the human experience.

We all hung out through the night, went to the local bar across the street and had breakfast together in the morning. I found myself in conversation after conversation about art, ego, love, religion and spirituality, living as an artist... 

And I thought of how weekend after weekend as a band we find ourselves in front of these people... we're sharing our songs and talents maybe, but mostly we're sharing our energy. And everyone in the room is part of that sharing. 

And I asked myself, "why do we do it?" 

And I remembered last week at our show at the Minocqua Brewing Company. I honestly felt it was one of the best shows we've ever played. And why was that? 

Questions and more questions.

Art puts people in a room that maybe wouldn't normally be in a room together. Art is the connecting, the sharing of what I often call energy, but I wish I could think of a word that implied something more intimate than that.

And it feeds us! It nourishes us. All different types of people seek out all different types of art forms every day. Last night I wasn't surprised to be surrounded by a lot of people from different places around Wisconsin that all sort of knew each other through various ways and different connections. And these things are more than coincidental in my mind. For example, I got to the studio to find out that Jessica Kaminski, whose photography was being showcased, is dating the man who does my tattoo work. There is no question in my mind that there's a reason in all of us finding ourselves together in a space like that.

So? Celebrate art. Support it. Eat it up. Breathe it in. Make love to it.


In respect to all these words... here's some links I was able to find if you're interested in checking out some of the cool artists I got to spend time with last night:


Center Ground Studios

John Pahlas 

Heidi Clayton

Ross Bisbee

Jessica Kaminski

Kahlil Gibran