Art News at Good News Now is...

more than a Museum opening. Art with heart.

There are three articles I want to bring to your attention that deal with art. Art is something that I love so as I am reading through the news it gets my attention. I also love blown glass, so when I saw an article on the Toledo Museum of Art and its glass collection I not only wanted to post the story I now want to see the Museum… too bad it is in Toledo. I can say that having grown up in Ohio. It sounds like a good day trip when I get my way back home for a visit. Toledo is known for glass factories so the thought that the city has invested in serious glass art is really exciting.

House of glass

And even more exciting is you are able to watch craftsmen blow the glass in a state-of-the-art "hot shops" and lampworking studio. I always enjoy watching glass being created.

The next story is about artists.

Art passes to good hands

This is from the Orange County Register, the best Good News paper in the US. When I lived in Orange County I loved to read the paper. It is because they make effort to print a lot human interest stories about the people of Orange County. This is one. A retired Navy captain-turned-artist finally begins to sell his art. Then he discovers he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. When he could no longer paint his 13 year old daughter begins to paint for him. Read it.

Last and just as interesting a California artist who visited Antartica 10 years ago began to paint from his photos of his trip. He gets picked up by James Monosmith, director of Acme Archives, official licensee of Lucasfilm. The artist Cliff Wassmann is then commissioned to paint Star War scenes that are sold online and at conventions.

May the paint be with you


These photos were submitted by Gather Member Lisa M. of Rochester, NY. What can I say...

It must be in the genes.

or in the water...

7-11 Celebrates 80 years with Free Slurpee Drinks July 11

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A loaf of bread cost 9 cents, a gallon of milk 56 cents, a dozen eggs was 46 cents, and ice was sold in blocks rather than bags. That’s when convenience retailing got its start in 1927 with a little ice dock providing customers with what they wanted and expanding hours to fit their lifestyle. That small business evolved into what is now 7-Eleven, Inc., the world’s largest convenience retailer with more than 32,400 stores. 7-Eleven celebrates its 80th birthday on – when else? – July 11, 7/11/07, also known as 7-Eleven® Day.

As has been the tradition for many years, the company will celebrate July 11 with free 7.11-ounce Slurpee® drinks for customers visiting its U.S. stores. Special birthday cups will be available while supplies last.

“7-Eleven has been providing convenience-oriented and time-pressed customers with products and services they need while keeping up with their ever-changing preferences,” said Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven president and CEO. “The changes the company has made over the decades have been amazing, yet our stores continue to play a relevant role in the lives of busy people. It’s at this time of year when we take a look back at all we’ve accomplished and anticipate the many great things ahead for our company, our customers, franchisees and employees. And we want to thank the 6 million customers who come through our doors each day in the USA by giving them a birthday gift synonymous with 7-Eleven – a refreshing and free Slurpee beverage on July 11.”

Read more Good News at www.goodnewsnow.com.

Coffee

I just thought it would be fun to pass along this free offer I found today for coffee. There wasn't any good news I found about coffee today, but for me somehow coffee and the news go together.

To go along with that coffee send away for your free* Senseo® Barista Blends™ Caramel Macchiato flavor packet

So while you drink up here are a few stories I found that I thought were excellent.

...to go with your coffee I recipe for Sour cream blueberry cake from the Boston Globe.

This story was sent in my one of our readers. There is an article and a video clip.

Artist Kaziah Hancock: Heroism and Patriotism

and last but not least a love story from the Dallas Morning News. They post these every Monday morning. A good way to start the day.

True Romance: Love flew in unexpectedly

See, Today was Good News Day.

Defining Good News

Over a year ago before Good News Now was designed and launched the definition of “good news” was discussed. I was given the job to make the site cheery and bright. We wanted upbeat. I was given the job to post content. I was told that to gauge if a story was good news or not, I should ask myself when I am done reading the article, do I feel better?

That is a subjective assessment. So there is a tendency for me, of course, to choose articles with topics that make me happy. We want to broaden our scope by allowing readers to submit stories. We would welcome suggestions. We do not cover much of the entertainment news because so people can read that kind of news many place on the web. We do not cover a lot of sports because I am not interested in sports and there many outlets for sports on the internet. But if people would submit them I would gladly post them. I love space and science. I read a lot of science news and we always cover the shuttle launches. I am an artist so I cover the arts. So you can see how reader submissions could help rounds us out.

I search major news sources for most of what I post because I cannot possible read all the local papers, but our readers are from all over and they do. We would love to mine the treasure of “good news” from local papers but we can’t do it without help. What is going on in your neck of the woods? I live in Plano Texas, here is what I found in our paper today that I want to share with you.

McKinney youths go on mission to help Katrina victims

This is a great example of what we would like to see more of, what your church, club, school or organization is doing to impact your community, nation or world. Tell us your good news, we want to tell the world about it.

Here is our Shot of the Day it is from Gather http://www.gather.com/ , an online community.

By Gather Member Angela M.

If you would like to submit a photo for Shot of the Day email it to goodnewsnow@goodnewsnow.com.

More Humor Photo Rejects

This is too cute, but not quite fit to the Good News Now website. I DO NOT, I repeat NO NOT want to promote cruelty to animals. But whoever thought up this advertising was brilliant.

Once again, Good News Now has strict no bullying policy......... but man can't you think of at least one person would love to do this too. Well deserved I am SURE!

Once again this is against policy. We DO NOT promote cults. These kids are the offspring of the "I would like to teach the world to sing" singers from the 1974 coke ads. They are now known as "the Family."

A serious Sly Stone wantta be.

Good New Now does encouarge fitness and health, but......... how "healthy" can this be, I am with the little guy, he looks rediculous.

Last but not least we have your general weirdness, which I am not opposed to and I have always secretly wanted to make something out of the CD's I recieved from AOL. I just never did. Obviously this guy has something in mind.

Photos I Rejected for the Humor Section...

well almost all of them. After all we are "good news".










They speak for themselves.........

Today in the Good News Now was about The Arts.

For whatever reason, the stories that got my attention were stories about art. I like to hear about exhibits and local artists; what they are doing and why. I like to know what motivates an artist to create the way they create. I like to know how an artist deals with their struggles. I want to know how they market their art. I want to know about how they see the world and the process they go through as they develop their work and style. I want to know who and what influences them.

Baltimore painters keep the urban folk art of window screen scenes alive

This is story about and artist from Baltimore MD and a form of art I have never hear of. It is more a craft or folk art but Dee Herget is determined to keep the art alive. She is well know for screen painting. The art come about in 1909 when William Octavec owned a grocery in Baltimore. In the summer he noticed that the sun dried his fruits and vegetables. His solution was to paint the screens that covered his produce with pictures of the produce. People liked them. He decided to paint charming little landscapes of the area. People liked his work so much they requested painting on screens which they put in their doors and windows. In the 40’s and 50’s this art form was so popular there were an estimated 100,000 painted screens throughout the area.

The next article that got my attention was hilarious. It is about a French performing artist Sophie Calle.

A Woman Scorned Turns Rejection Into an Art Form

Sophie received an email Dear Jane letter from a boyfriend and turned it into art. I always say the best revenge is to live well, well she takes it a step further the best revenge to give the email to 107 women of varying professions and talents that have them translate, dissect, reinterpret and a variety of artistic expressions that are blown up and cover the French pavilion at the Venice Biennale, wall to wall and floor to ceiling.

“Calle gets female experts to translate the note into Latin, Braille, Morse code, bar code and shorthand, all presented huge on the pavilion wall. A female journalist writes it up as the briefest wire story; a puzzle writer turns it into a crossword; a grade-school teacher reworks it as a fairy tale with a sad ending; a pair of Talmudic scholars put it through the most rigorous scriptural analysis.

In a room of ever-changing videos, Calle has the e-mail read and commented on by the great French actress Jeanne Moreau, by British stars Miranda Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave, by pop singers Peaches and Feist. It gets "interpreted" by a clown and a puppeteer. It's sung out by an opera diva and danced to as a tango, a ballet and tough punk rock.”

(Blake Gopnik Washington Post June 14, 2007)

Too good to be true and I have a dear Ruth letter I would like to pass around. This just showed me Big Time to not care what people say… to fear God not man. After all what is said about one can be seen in so many different ways from so many different perspectives and analysis, who is to say who is right on how someone is to be understood. I would like to see my letter painted in cubism, performed in a tap dance, sung as a ballad and shot by an archer and more.