Event Blog 1: Hammer Museum

I attended the Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957 Poetry Reading at the Hammer Museum. I had never heard about Black Mountain College before coming to the event. Overall I had a great time, the Hammer Museum is very beautiful and modern.


http://www.thefamilysavvy.com/2016/03/now-at-the-hammer-leap-before-you-look/

    Four of the college’s literary descendants spoke at this event. The speakers included Rachel Blau DuPlessis, Duncan McNaughton, Michael Davidson, and Michael Palmer. They all seemed very passionate about the institution and the profound impact it had. The first speaker finished with two beautiful poems. All four speakers went on to have great careers in poetry and literature. I felt a little lost when they were referencing old poets and the crowd would laugh, but overall I had a great time. I tried the seat that can’t tip over which was in the outdoor courtyard.   

      

 
     (Courtyard at the Hammer Museum)               (My friends and I with a Hammer employee)

I find the idea of Black Mountain College very fascinating. It was a liberal arts college in North Carolina and it was the first of it’s kind. It was the first college to admit African American Students during times when all other colleges were segregated. It also was an important incubator for the avant garde. This college was very important in the art community because it greatly emphasized the importance of artists in society.

(Black Mountain College)
http://radioopensource.org/black-mountain-college/

Learning about the artists and Black Mountain College reminded me of our first week involving Two Cultures. By having a school dedicated to solely the arts in a very Science-based world was a huge leap for poets, writers, musicians, etc. The “Leap Before You Look” program carries on the legacy of the college and reminds the public how influential it was for the Art Community. I would definitely recommend anyone to go to this event if they get the chance. It was very interesting to learn about and the Hammer museum is very beautiful and modern. Being surrounded by such successful artists and poets was inspiring and an amazing experience!