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The featured cover art is an oil painting titled “Spring Tulips” by Ann J. Travis and is provided courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery.
a TMM T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E
E D I T I O N 1 5 N O . 1
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eatures F T p.30 CLASS OF 2024 ARTPOP STREET GALLERY
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MUSIC PREFERENCE & PERSONALITY
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Dr. Teresa T. Mercado, DDS, FICOI with Eric Mercado and their French Bulldog, Boomer
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MUSIC PREFERENCE & PERSONALITY Text by Jane Kuehne
W
hen you turn on the radio, you might hear songs you like and other songs you just skip past. But even the songs you don’t like usually have some fans. Maybe you don’t like older music, but your parents or grandparents might love it because they grew up with it. It’s familiar and comfortable. When you’re older, you’ll likely return to music you love too. As a music education professor who teaches music psychology, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about music preferences and how music weaves its way through people’s brains.
Photo by Erik Mclean.
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Some composers produce music with cross-generational appeal. Look at the song “True Colors,” which artists have remade time and time again. It was originally released in 1986 by Cyndi Lauper. Ten years later, Disney World’s Epcot used it as part of a pre-show video. Ten years after that, it made its way to our ears again as part of the “Trolls” movie. Now, if you scour the internet, you’ll find lots of covers of this song. How can this one song appeal to many different people over time, while other songs do not? Why do some people have wildly different tastes in music, even while certain songs can unite people from a variety of backgrounds and generations? Researchers have looked at how music works in the brain. They suggest people like music with unexpected twists and turns, which sometimes cause pleasurable physical reactions or chills. This finding suggests that humans have created and listened to music over time because it is pleasurable or rewarding. EMOTIONS AND PERSONALITY Some researchers suggest people experience emotions through music, or that they choose music based on what they want to feel. A 2011 study suggests musical preference may reflect the emotions people feel when listening to music, regardless of the music’s style. Some people respond to mellow and relaxing music. Others’ emotions are triggered by classical-style music. Still others Photos (top right to bottom right) by Eric Nopanen and Amir Doreh.
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emotionally react to singer-songwriter music like country, folk and some pop music. Preferences for certain types or styles of music might come from the time and place they’re first heard, or it may simply be specific to each person, regardless of what’s going on around them. Though people might like certain music at one point in their lives, their music preferences change over time based on their lived experiences. When you’re struggling through a tough time, you might choose music that reflects what you wish was happening and search for happy songs. On the flip side, sometimes people gravitate toward sad songs. People want to move through grief, so they may search for songs that help them make sense of their emotions. However, people’s choices don’t account for the whole picture. Musical taste goes deeper than the music type or genre. People who like pop or rock music don’t all like the same pop or rock music. Studies on personality and social media interaction suggest your musical tastes can tell others what kind of personality you have. If someone knows what kind of music you like, that might tell them something about your personality. Other research suggests your music preferences mirror your unique personality. So, people who already know you may be able
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to suggest music that you would like to hear. For example, those who are more open might prefer mellow, sophisticated music like Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” or intense music like Imagine Dragons’ “Natural.” The research found extroverts may lean toward contemporary music. Agreeable people prefer unpretentious music, like Garrett Kato & Elina’s “Never Alone.” Conscientious people lean toward unpretentious music or intense music like Marshmello’s “Power.” People who are more anxious might prefer many different types of music. People may like music by artists they like, rather than how the music sounds. Some prefer music from artists who are like them, especially when they can view their profiles on social media. Why does knowing what music others like matter? Knowing about different people’s musical preferences and personalities can bridge gaps between people with different personalities and identities. THE MUSIC PEOPLE STREAM A study of 765 million songs streamed by people worldwide revealed several reasons people listen to music. People’s preferences tended to change based on the time of day, their age and particular styles of music. Most people listened to more relaxing music at night but more intense music during the day.
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Music streamed in Latin America often produced quicker physical and emotional reactions. Music streamed in Asia was usually relaxing. People who stay up later at night listen to less intense music. Depending on where participants lived, the length of the day also played a part in their music listening habits. In short, people’s environments and their individual moods shaped their preferences. So, why do we have different tastes in music? People have complex personalities, and the music they like may be related to this. People’s brains work in unique ways as they process music. Some may have a physical reaction to certain music, while others may not. People may like music because a musician’s views might be like their own views. That said, some songs surprise, intrigue and entertain a wide variety of listeners, which makes them universally liked. The bottom line? Each person is unique in many ways, and their musical tastes reflect that uniqueness.
aM T M T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E
Jane Kuehne is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Auburn University. Dr. Kuehne’s research interests include sight-singing/music reading in choral classrooms, equitable access to music education (with colleague Guy Harrison), effects deficit language in on pre-service music educators’ views of families and students, effects of early and across-degree teaching experiences on pre-service music teacher development, race and equity conversations in education classrooms, music psychology and music and the brain, effective use of technology in music instruction/ education, and several other areas. She teaches courses in a variety of areas including music teaching methods, urban and rural education, music psychology, music technology, music education philosophy, and other areas. This article was originally published on The Conversation.
Photos (top left to bottom right) by Mikkel Bech, Anthony Jacobson, and Blocks.
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ARTPOP STREET GALLERY
CLASS OF 2024 Te x t c o m p i l e d b y C a n d a c e M a t t i n g l y
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The ArtPop Cities Program is an annual juried-in exhibition with a twist - the gallery is the entire Charlotte metropolitan region: on billboards, digital displays, and more. Each year, 20 selected artists receive a combined $8 million in public media space, educational opportunities, features at artist events, and more - all to foster sustainable careers in the arts and to make art accessible to all.
Who makes this possible? Outdoor advertising spaces
How’s the art selected? Eligible submissions are blindreviewed by a jury of art professionals, collectors, and ArtPop alumni based on what will make great public art displays - no names, just the artwork.
its Cities Program Class of 2024. We’ll introduce you
are graciously donated from several media partners such as Adams Outdoor Advertising, Awedience Media, and more. ArtPop Street Gallery, a 501c3 organization that gives artists and communities across the region greater access to art and art opportunities, has announced to them on the following pages. To learn more about ArtPop and how you can support their mission, go to artpopstreetgallery.com. Now, let’s meet the artists…
Photo (top) of Joann C. McDaniel’s “There’s No Place Like Home” Billboard overlooking the Charlotte skyline. Photo (bottom) of Joann C. McDaniel, Janet Croog, Barbara Curry, Aba Hutchison, and Jake Summerour at the Class of 2024 ArtPop Reveal Party. Photo (above) of Ann J. Travis’ “Spring Tulips” Billboard. Photos courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery.
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ABA HUTCHISON Metallic Flail | Ceramic Clay | York County, SC
Aba Hutchison’s artistic pursuits are rooted in traditional visual arts, but her current fascination has shifted to ceramics and pottery. INSTAGRAM: @akh.prints WEB: akhprints.com
ANN J. TRAVIS
Spring Tulips | Oil | Union County, NC Finance professional turned artist, Ann Travis’ botanical paintings explore the colors and patterns found in nature. INSTAGRAM: @annjtravisart WEB: annjtravisart.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
BARBARA CURRY
Peach Gratitude Attitude | Oil on Canvas | York County, SC Barbara Curry’s creative journey has taken her throughout the United States where she’s discovered something from each area’s culture to admire. Today, she’s painting in oils, highlighting local and regional subject matter. INSTAGRAM: @unitytreearts WEB: unitytreearts.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
BRETT BEASLEY
Inward Corrosion | Ceramic | Mecklenburg County, NC Brett Beasley is a ceramic artist and sculptor who creates pottery for everyday use that is as artistic as it is functional. INSTAGRAM: @BeasleyCeramics WEB: BeasleyCeramics.com
CHLOE COMPTON
Slipcast Birds | Slip-Cast Stoneware | York County, SC Chloe Compton incorporates ceramics, sculpture, printmaking and digital processes to study the landscapes that surround her. INSTAGRAM: @chloecompton22 WEB: chloecomptonstudio.com
CLAIRE KIESTER
Luminous Loops | Crocheted Rope, Paracord | Mecklenburg County, NC Claire Kiester is a fiber artist employing eco-friendly production methods. She seeks to reduce waste by utilizing recycled materials in the creation of her art. INSTAGRAM: @clairekiester_art WEB: clairekiester.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
ELSIE EBRAHIMI
High School Senior Student Artist On the Way to the Creek | Watercolor, Chalk Pastel, Oil Paint Sticks | York County, SC A senior at Fort Mill High School, Elsie Ebrahimi is inspired by nature and paints using impasto techniques (where paint is thickly laid on a surface, so that brushstrokes or palette knife marks are visible) accented by bright colors. INSTAGRAM: @elsie.portfolio Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
JAKE SUMMEROUR Rest Day | Acrylic on Canvas | | Mecklenburg County, NC
A local artist who gained national attention during Inktober 2022, Jake Summerour is most known for his lighthearted ink illustrations that have evolved from realism to stylized creatures, characters and bright colors. INSTAGRAM: @jsumm_art WEB: jakesummerour.com
JANET CROOG Paper Tiger | Paper | Gaston County, NC | Gaston County, NC
Janet Croog is a paper artist who transforms two-dimensional designs into vibrant three-dimensional expressions. INSTAGRAM: @jacroog WEB: janetcroog.com
JINNA KIM
Korea Pavilion at World Expo | Digital Photograph (printed on wood) | Mecklenburg County, NC An interdisciplinary artist formally trained in classical music, Jinna Kim has expanded her creative life to explore filmmaking and photography, in addition to music. INSTAGRAM: @iamkoreanamerica WEB: iamkoreanamerica.wordpress.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
JOANN MCDANIEL
There's No Place Like Home | Mixed Media Collage on Yupo | Mecklenburg County, NC Focusing primarily on watercolor, acrylic painting and collage, Joann McDaniel enjoys applying her work to various substrates including yupo (synthetic, waterproof paper) and wood panels. INSTAGRAM: @handscreateart WEB: handscreate.com/about-us Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
KRYSTALLIN LOUDERMILK
Reflections | Mica, Silk Pla, Wire, Ribbon | Catawba County, NC Krystallin Loudermilk has a passion for incorporating natural elements and themes into work that spans various art forms. She frequently explores the themes of femininity and raw emotions, simultaneously celebrating the light, as well as the darkness, in her subjects. INSTAGRAM: @loyalblush WEB: loyalblush.com
LAUREN GIBSON
Sunday Drive | Photography | Mecklenburg County, NC Lauren Gibson is a fine art photographer with a focus on movement within cinematic, street-style scenes. INSTAGRAM: @charlotte.to.paris WEB: charlottetoparis.com
LILY ROMAN
Lavi Apre | Acrylic | Cabarrus County, NC Despite being an active creative for many years, Lily Roman describes herself as an emerging artist. Her current mediums of choice are acrylic on paper, canvas and wood. INSTAGRAM: @lilyromanart WEB: lilyromanart.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
LORI SCHEMBER Zion | Oil | Lincoln County, NC
A painter, metal sculptor and photographer, Lori Schember has taken a creative path across the country. Her paintings especially seek to convey the surreal, dreamlike qualities inherent in the American Southwest. INSTAGRAM: @lori_schember WEB: lorischemberart.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
MALAYSHA BELTON
A Blue line in a Red Sky | Digital Media | Mecklenburg County, NC Malaysha K. Belton’s passion is exploring Black culture through the arts. Her most recent collection features work that reflects advocacy for social and emotional change while calling for the healing of our culture’s inner child. INSTAGRAM: @malaysianink WEB: malaysianink.square.site
MARGARET FLEEMAN
Urban Sunset | Acrylic on Canvas | Mecklenburg County, NC Margaret Fleeman is a textile designer and fine art painter who uses symbolism and abstract design in her art to illuminate and explore future environmental issues. INSTAGRAM: @margaretfleemanstudio WEB: margaretfleemanstudio.com
MELISSA D. JOHNSTON Release | Digital Media | Iredell County, NC
Melissa D. Johnson is a self-taught digital artist. Her recent focus is creating art with mobile devices. INSTAGRAM: @melissadjohnston WEB: melissadjohnstonart.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
NATALIE DARATONY
All Matters | Acrylic, Mixed Media | Mecklenburg County, NC A multi-disciplinary artist, Natalie Daratony creates work that reflects on the calm and organic shapes of nature. INSTAGRAM: @nataliedaratonyart WEB: nataliedaratonyart.com
Photos of artwork courtesy of ArtPop Street Gallery. Photos of artists by Robb Webb.
RICO MARCELO
Game. Set. Match. | Photography | Mecklenburg County, NC Rico Marcelo uses his camera’s lens to capture the beauty and essence of his subjects. He is motivated by being of service to others and in capturing small, genuine moments. INSTAGRAM: @ricomarcelophotography WEB: ricomarcelo.com
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MID-CENTURY DESIGN DIPLOMACY OF
FLORENCE KNOLL BASSETT Te x t by M a r g a re t R e
The look, feel and functionality of the modern American office can be traced back to the work of one woman. Florence Schust Knoll Bassett, whom Architectural Record called the “single most powerful figure in modern design,” died at 101 on Jan. 25, 2019. In the early 20th century, offices consisted of rows of dark, heavy desks and chairs, with the executive desk angled toward an office door. Knoll, who believed that a building’s interior was as important as its exterior, introduced an office aesthetic based on function. She interviewed people about how they did their job so they could do it efficiently and comfortably. She then went on to design products like the Model 1500 series – a desk that allowed drawers and cabinets to be added to the frame based on need. Architect and designer Florence Knoll Bassett poses with her dog, Cartree circa 1950. Photo courtesy of Knoll Archive.
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The press coined a term for her “humanist interpretation of European modernism”: the “Knoll Look.” Her clients included CBS, Connecticut General, Alcoa and the University of Michigan, and you’ll see her influence in mid-century period pieces like “Mad Men.” The U.S. State Department had also noticed Knoll’s growing reputation. As part of a Cold War propaganda effort to align consumer choice with political choice, they used her and her “look” to help establish and promote an American identity abroad. REIMAGINING THE TEXTILE Knoll attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art, a school that’s considered the birthplace of American modernism, where she was a classmate of future star designers Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia and Benjamin Baldwin. She eventually moved to New York, where she joined the architectural firm of Harrison & Abromovitz in 1941. While living and working in New York, she met Hans Knoll, the owner of a small furniture company, and she joined his firm in 1943. The couple married in 1946; that same year, the H. G. Knoll Company was renamed “Knoll Associates,” and the Knoll Planning Unit, which focused on interior design, was set up. Florence was named head. “I am not a decorator,” she famously declared in a 1964 New York Times article that credited her for revolutionizing office design as an architect in a predominantly male profession. Frustrated by the challenge of finding fabrics suitable for use on modern furniture, Knoll initially used men’s suiting fabrics for upholstery and interiors. Then, in 1947, Knoll Textiles, which worked closely with the Planning Unit, was launched, giving Knoll the opportunity to develop, market and sell printed and woven textiles.
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“Textiles were among the most visible and industrially innovative products produced in the U.S. in the 1950s and impacted many aspects of postwar life,” Berry College historian Virginia Troy told me in an interview. Wartime rationing, which included clothing and textiles, had ended in 1946. As the economy grew, so did the appetite for textiles. Used for upholstery, curtains and carpeting, they were integral to modern architecture: They could unify open floor plans, serve as dividers and separate work areas from living spaces. Knoll’s unobtrusive textile designs – which tended to feature subtle colors – often included geometric or biomorphic prints and woven fabrics in which vertical and horizontal weaves formed a pattern. Her textiles were quite different from the brocade and chintz cabbage roses sold in most of the era’s textile showrooms. BRANDING AND SELLING AMERICA ABROAD Around this time, the U.S. government started sponsoring international expositions to introduce the American people and their innovations abroad – what historian Robert Haddow called “Pavilions of Plenty.” The most famous is probably the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, during which thenVice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev held their “kitchen debate” and argued about the merits of capitalism and communism. But there were smaller exhibits that preceded the American National Exhibition in Moscow including “How America Lives,” which was held in Frankfurt in 1949, and “America at Home,” an exhibition in Berlin that took place in 1950. In 1951, the Traveling Exhibition Service – now called the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service – asked Knoll to curate and design an exhibit.
Parallel bar design and textiles letter by Florence Knoll. Photos courtesy of Knoll Archive.
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“I needed a piece of furniture. It was not there, so I designed it myself.” She had been recommended by Edgar Kaufmann Jr., the director of the Museum of Modern Art’s Good Design program. It also didn’t hurt that Knoll was known in some government circles. She had designed Secretary of War Henry Stimson’s office, and Knoll Associates had outfitted government buildings in the U.S. and Europe. Titled “Contemporary American Textiles,” Knoll and the Planning Unit designed an exhibit that, like her office designs, was meant to be experienced as a whole. The self-lit aluminum-framed pavilion included its own drop-in floor, and double-sided wall panels assembled from textiles were hung by straps and braced by cross-wires. For a 2018 exhibit titled “A Designed Life,” organized by UMBC’s Center for Art, Design & Visual Culture, I recreated Knoll’s original exhibit using photographs and plans from the Archives of American Art. Brightly colored panels were used to make rooms within a room. Sight lines formed by triangular shapes and patterns directed visitors through the exhibit, offering a continuously changing viewpoint described by the magazine Interiors as “kaleidoscopic.” The display showcased over 150 well-designed, massproduced and readily available fabrics; in the forward of the accompanying catalog, Knoll described the textiles as “designs of beautiful color in all price ranges.” Over 50 of these fabrics were sold under the Knoll Textile label. The goal was to sell the idea of capitalism, America and democracy in a post-war Europe that was anxious to rebuild, and it appeared in West German and Austrian schools, museums and trade fairs.
- Florence Knoll
Government records note that the exhibit was included in the 1952 Berlin Cultural Festival and presented in 1953 in Munich and Essen. The U.S. Embassy in France also sponsored its display in a 1954 Parisian trade show dedicated to household management. To date, there’s no known physical trace of this exhibit. Was it thrown away or donated to a German school or museum in order to earn some goodwill? Was it discarded because the 1948 Smith-Mundt Act, which authorized international public diplomacy, discouraged the presentation of these exhibitions back in the United States? I have no way of knowing. I do know, however, that Knoll was proud of this exhibit: When German architect Walter Gropius praised it, she wrote that it was “a great honor.” And she included sketches, plans and photographs of “Contemporary American Textiles” in her papers that she donated to the Archives of American Art. The exhibit is a reminder that one of the country’s most influential designers was also one of its great ambassadors.
aM T M T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E
Margaret Re is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a design educator, practitioner, and researcher. Re teaches theory and history, with an emphasis on typography and curriculum development. She is a practicing designer and consultant to academic, cultural, and nonprofit institutions. Her work has been recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the American Association of Museums (AAM), and The Type Director’s Club (TDC). Her research interests include typography, design history, and women and design. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Drawing by Florence Knoll. Photo courtesy of Knoll Archive.
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chiropractic p.4 providence providence-chiropractic.com
adams realty p.55 helen helenadamsrealty.com
fine cabinetry p.6 dewils dewils.com
hardware p.63 blackhawk blackhawkhardware.com
street gallery p.8 artpop artpopstreetgallery.com
trailer store p.64 the thetrailerstore.online
at fort mill p.14 highpoint highpointfortmill.com
of charlotte artists p.65 guild guildofcharlotteartists.online
apricot lane boutique fort mill
in the mill p.15 apricotlaneboutique.com/store/fortmill p.68 made madeinthemill.com
dentistry of gold hill monarchdentistryofgoldhill.com p.17 monarch
medical p.27 hydrate fortmill.hydratemedical.com
realty p.29 mackey mackeyrealty.com
{ {
p.26 hopeway hopeway.org
'
street gallery artpopstreetgallery.com p.70 artpop
shop.local shop local
for.aa . vibrant for
prosperous community
SHOP•EAT•DISCOVER
local
'
EXPLORETHE THEMILL.COM COM ART+DESIGN+CULTURE•EDITION 15 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM
67
Let’s work together to protect, foster, and strengthen the local independent businesses that make our community unique.
Think, buy, and source
LOCAL. MADEINTHEMILL.COM
Lauren Gibson @ArtPopStreetGallery