ArtsFest Day 7: Sculptures and the SAK

It seems impossible that there could been any form of art absent from the vast multitude of events during this week of ArtsFest, but on second thought, I realized that one medium had somewhat fallen by the wayside:
Sculpture.
Fortunately after consulting my 30-page ArtsFest pamphlet I realized that there was an event that was exactly was needed to fill the gap in my ArtsFest experience where fine arts should be. The City of Orlando’s Sculpture Exhibit was in full force downtown, and I’d be darned if I was going to miss it!
I drove into the city and, after circling what I thought was 400 S. Orange Ave. more than a few times, I managed to find a parking spot… in the scariest, darkest, most decrepit corner of the parking lot across the street. The wind was biting cold and the dead branches of the scraggly trees next to my car stretched up haggardly towards the golden moon, and the sound of my car door slamming behind me was the only sound in the entire, desolate lot…
It was creepy.
I hurried as fast as a could towards the building but was a little bit hesitant to enter when I saw display table after display table of what appeared to be VFW memorabilia. I scanned the area and checked the address to make sure I was in the right place and everything seemed to be correct, so I walked inside to make sure.
I was greeted by the sound of a disgruntled night watchman grumbling into the phone- not the watchman himself. He managed to separate himself from the conversation long enough to bark out “Sculptures?” and then, upon my timid nod, immersed himself in the conversation once more.
I wandered into the sculpture exhibit and silently appreciated the work. The first thing I saw was what appeared the be the shape of dress made out of mesh, with shreds of cloth attached strategically in some places.
Abstract pieces like this always leave me begging the question, “What is art?” And I don’t mean the technical definition that you’ll find in Webster’s.
I mean, what makes something art? What makes something beautiful? What makes something like Starry Night a masterpiece, or the Statue of David, or the Mona Lisa as well?
I don’t think anyone can really say for certain, because the world of art is, really, based on perception and individual interpretation. I could look at the sculpture of the octopus and say that it was angry and terrible and mean, while a stranger could say that it seemed sad and desperate, and evoked a feeling of helplessness.
But that, I think, is the true beauty of art. It’s the ability to create something from nothing, and to stir up feelings in people that experience it.
The beauty in art is doing it. Doing something.
Some people could argue that you can’t just “go do art”. There are rules for art; there are time-tested methods. You can’t just go out and paint a cow and call it “art.”
I would have to disagree.
There are some principles, of course, that come with art and are prevalent in all mediums, such as painting, drawing, film and dance; but I think the real beauty of art comes not from following the technical rules, but instead using them as guidelines to channel feelings into the tangible.
The real beauty of art is when artists capture an emotion and use it to build something that can be shared with the world.
That’s what is beautiful about sculpture, in my opinion, because whenever one looks at a sculpture, they’re looking not only at the creation, but into the soul of the artist who created it. It’s looking at a specific moment in the artist’s life that is perfectly crystallized into something that can be seen and touched.
In my opinion, that is what makes art, art.

The trip to the sculpture exhibit was quiet compared to my other misadventures during ArtsFest, but it was certainly not a disappointment! And there would plenty of time for rowdiness that evening at the SAK Comedy Lab.
I’m sure plenty of people are familiar with the improvisation television show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Well if that has you laughing, you should definitely check out the SAK!
The SAK’s new show “Dueling of Fools” kept me laughing longer and harder than I have in a very long time!
The way it works is that the players on the show are divided up into two teams of three, and select audience members are given score cards. The teams compete to win points, which are awarded based on how much the audience members like the improvised skits.
The show started with the host, Ron Weaver, sprinting across the stage and up the aisles with a bucket of tootsie rolls in hand. He scattered the candy into the excited audience with all the vivacity of a kid on a parade float, then picked up the mic and welcomed in the players of that night’s show.
Scene by scene, things spiraled into hilarious insanity as the players hopped around stage, climbed on top of one another, improvised their own Broadway musical numbers and ate bunt cakes off the floor.
The show had me laughing from beginning to end!
There will be shows at SAK for the next two days of ArtsFest, so if you’re looking for something fun and interesting to do with your Friday or Saturday night, check out www.sak.com to grab tickets and look at details on the upcoming events.

ArtsFest has continued to provide thought-provoking and entertaining events throughout the entire week, and I’m sure the next three days won’t be any less exciting!

Have a happy ArtsFest!