By Gary Collins/ne news editor
Inspiration is the theme behind the latest fine arts project on NE Campus.
Newspaper Hill, sponsored by the NE art department, is an inspiration of Cindy Hurt, associate professor of art.
Similar to last year’s Post Secret exhibit, based on postsecret.com, Newspaper Hill is a take on Newspaper Rock in Arizona, which Hurt has visited.
“ It was really pretty amazing,” she said. “It has these primitive drawings on stone, and it is 1,000-2,000 years old,” Hurt said.
Indian tribes traveling through Arizona would stop and draw, but the meaning was lost, Hurt said.
Hurt also was influenced by the deaf artist Joseph Grigely, who creates art by using written conversations he has had in his life.
“ He started collecting scraps of paper that hearing people write words, comments or phrases on when he couldn’t read lips,” she said.
Grigely collected all his notes, pasted them to a wall and called the resulting work White Noise.
The TCC project is a combination of Newspaper Rock, Grigely and Post Secret.
“ I had this idea to do something with the wall [Focal Point],” she said. “And the idea was to do little sayings and people can bring stuff in. We would just keep taping this stuff to the wall as it came.”
Newspaper Hill will run through Dec. 15, and although the Focal Point wall is on NE, all TCC students, staff and faculty are encouraged to contribute.
“ We ask that contributors jot down a saying, phrase or poem on a piece of scrap paper,” she said. “Things in the day that inspire us, phrases or things your grandmother might have said to you.”
Contributors are free to select the medium and paper type, but are limited in size. The notes cannot exceed 5 inches in any direction, but since it is personal, students can be as creative as they want.
“ There is no censorship on the wall, but if one has a curse word in it, I might put it up high,” she said.
The notes are to remain personal, so they can be signed or unsigned.
Contributors can submit as many notes as they want or as often as they want before December.
“ I would love for the whole school to participate just as long as it is something inspirational—a phrase, picture or a color,” she said.
Anyone wanting to participate can take their creations to Hurt at NFAB 1305A and slide them under her door if she is not there. The Focal Point wall is in the Fine Arts Building adjacent to the theater.
