Hannah EdwardsPersonal LiteracyAndrew BrownUWRT 1103March 23, 2015Literacy of an Art GalleryWorks of art often last forever, or nearly so. But exhibitions themselves, especially gallery exhibitions, are like flowers; they bloom and then they die, then exist only as memories, or pressed in magazines and books. This quote by Jerry Saltz represents how an art gallery can leave a lasting impression even after they have been removed from a gallery. The Art Gallery is the place I am focusing my literacy on because of its purpose and goals, but in order to study it I have to have my own definition of literacy and a literacy sponsor.I am doing the literacy of an art gallery because it allows me to study a place for what it is and discover its importance. The purpose of the Art Gallery is to share peoples passion with others and provide a place where students can come and go to share like-minded ideas about art. The Art Gallery is definitely a place to show off art but I do not think any place could be a gallery because some places do not have the atmosphere for it. The place must be peaceful and have no loud noises because the art wouldnt be able to be appreciated correctly. For example, the Rowe Art building has art hanging on all of the walls but they have a floor plan designed to create a peaceful feeling. They sectioned off walls to create small rooms so there are like mini art galleries. If a place had a lot of traffic flow then it disturb a students ability to stop and focus on the art. The place must be easily accessible but not in a place with a heavy traffic flow which creates loud noises. With the correct environment, I do think that certain places could be considered a gallery. Unlike other places with art, this Art Gallery is set aside specifically for an art gallery because the showings change monthly and the artist are able to come talk to students about their artwork.My personal definition of literacy is being able to share ones own ideas and knowledge with others. My personal definition of literacy works with the Art Gallery because the art inside the gallery was made by artists who want to share their messages and ideas through their art. Their artwork could represent their opinions and knowledge on certain topics. Art Galleries allow artists to share their passion and talents with students who could be inspired by the artwork to create their own opinions. Students are also able to learn from the artwork because the pieces topic might be on something that they have no clue about or on a controversial topic and it shows a different point of view about it. Learning this literacy can change my current life by allowing art to have a new meaning in my life. A few months ago I never really thought about art and their meanings but now I realize that they have hidden messages and that they could be making a statement about a topic that causes strife. For example, I went to an art gallery that was about slavery and the artwork depicted what slaves went through. The art showcased opinions that werent popular but represented the truth. This new literacy can also change my life by showing me what it means to think more creatively and learn more about myself. By contemplating the meanings of the art I can discover parts of myself that I may have never noticed because there was never a chance to use it. It also teaches me that all art is beautiful in their own way even though it may not look like it at first glance. Art teaches me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My literacy sponsor is my friend from high school, Holly Simmons. Holly is an art major at UNCG and she has won multiple awards in art showcases. She is my main literacy sponsor because she was the first person to take me to see art and to an art gallery. The first art gallery that she took me to was Art Walk, a gallery in Boone. I remember that the art was made out of things like broken glass, rocks, and everyday items like silverware. The main thing that caught my eye were the dreamcatchers because my mom loves them and so do I. I ended up buying her one to add to her collection because these were homemade by local people. The mood of this gallery was very calming because they had an atmosphere that was welcoming and their employees were extremely kind. This gallery was comforting because it had wooden floors and ceilings which made it have a cabin-like feel to it. The gallery was set up like a shop because they sold most of their items but kept their main pieces on the walls. There was also a downstairs that had things like hand carved tables and even crafty doors. This gallery that Holly took me to is definitely one of my favorite galleries. The literacy of the Art Gallery was my focus because of how its goals compared to my personal definition of literacy and the ideas/influence I received from my literacy sponsor, Holly. The Art Gallery is a place where students come to relax and look at art that represents the artists point of view. The Art Gallery showcases new and old talent that students can learn from and discover new messages about important topics in todays society.