The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,000 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 30 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 41 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 42mb. That’s about 3 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was February 26th with 134 views. The most popular post that day was A Broken Society by Chelsea C.E. St. Pierre.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, harlowgallery.org, en.wordpress.com.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

A Broken Society by Chelsea C.E. St. Pierre February 2010
2 comments

The Ecstasy of Six Tablespoons by Rebecca Spilecki February 2010
1 comment

Heart, Derived by Rebecca Spilecki February 2010

What’s teenharlow all about anyway? February 2010

Money Monster by a group of artists from Edward Little HS February 2010

First Prize went to Annah Kimball, Gardiner Area High School (see photo). Second Prize was awarded to Maggie Ditre from Maranacook Community High School for “Walter,” her college junk mail collage. Tied for Third Prizes were Whitney Wei from Hall-Dale High School for her sculpture, “Size 14”, and Alex Spies from Mt. Ararat High School for his work, “The Tides of War.”

Annah Kimball from Gardiner Area High School accepts the First Prize award for her sculpture, “The Fallen Man,” presented by her art teacher, Cheryl Herr-Rains, who organized the “Matter of Conscience” exhibition at the Harlow Gallery and Cheryl Harper (right), a nationally recognized artist and curator from Philadelphia, who juried and judged the competition.

The Peace Jam Youth Group from the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Augusta won the group prize for “Recycled Peace: The World Watches Us and We Watch the World”. Group members include Katelyn McAuliffe, James McAuliffe, J’rae Mendall, Cale Mendall, Tonia Reiter, Vanessa Gilbert, Katie Gilbert, Marie Donisvitch, Soren Donisvitch, John Hutton, Sean Oshima, Keiley Chaisson, Ben Barnes, Nick Barnes, Gracie Kavenah, Christian Heath, Maya Bentley, Connor Fahy, and Miriam Nielsen.

Cheryl Harper selected twenty-one pieces for the show from thirty-five entries by HS students from across Central Maine. She complimented parents for supporting artistic development of their sons and daughters and encouraged students to pursue their creative expression. Following the awards, she shared slides of her own social/political art (www.cherylharper.com) with exhibition attendees. Appreciation was expressed to Evergreen Foundation for generous financial support of the event hosted by the Harlow Gallery, home of the Kennebec Valley Art Association.

The Fallen Man by Annah Kimball
Gardiner Area High School
Ceramic
Dimensions: 14 x 8

This sculptured head represents World Corruption as a whole and how man has fallen because of it. The consumption of the earth/world indicates that man consumes up the world by being sucked in through passions, trials and tribulations. The world grabs ahold of us so that our lives are wrapped around it. The drawings on the head are symbols and words that signify hate. The fire shows how this individual is hot headed and full of fury. The bar code with the numbers 666 represent the devil and how he essentially owns us because we have fallen into his traps. The Cross burning indicates how many of us are not religious and lack in morals and values. The lightning strike symbolizes negativity, fear, hatred and evil. The words surrounding the neck are the seven deadly sins that man has sank into. The rope indicates unhappiness. He hangs himself because of how much he has fallen, because of his unhappiness and lack of faith. And lastly the word Fallen simply describes this individual as a whole. The world is corrupt and grows worse as time passes. We, as individuals, need to strive to better ourselves each day. Yes, we are IN this world, but we do not have to be OF it.

Walter by Maggie Ditre
Maranacook Community High School
Medium: Multimedia (college junkmail, foam core)
Dimensions: approx. 3′x3′

“Like most seniors applying to college, I was bombarded with hundreds of college junk mail letters. Sometimes I’d get 5-10 missives from the same college! It was obscene, and not to mention the environmental impact, so many letters was overwhelming and counterproductive. So I made a large monster made out of the junk mail that I think many viewers can relate to.”

The Tides of War by Alex Spies
Mt. Ararat High School
Medium: White & Brown Stoneware (clay)
Dimensions: 18” x 12” x 12”

My art work is supposed to represent the effect that war has on society. The three pillars in the center of the piece represent war; this is clearly conveyed by the various motifs on the pillar relating to war. The two pieces of the fish represent society and the fish has been split in half to represent how war tears society apart. My piece is attempting to convey a message about how destructive the force of war can be. Warfare is a powerful force that can be devastating to society and my sculpture clearly conveys this message.

See Alex’s statement on YouTube

Size 14 by Whitney Wei
Hall-Dale High School
Medium: Styrofoam, wood, nylon
Dimensions: 14.5″ l x 8″ w x 8″ h

This is ubiquitous beauty of an average American woman. Her silhouette, in the uniform color of black, opens up interpretation of age and race to make it applicable to more audiences. Without head or arms, the piece centralizes on the allure of curves–the very things that are lampooned by the media. 81% of women feel inadequate compared to the images of women that magazines, television, and fashion project. This size 14 woman, wearing a fluid gown, is anything but a coat hanger. She is powerful and strong. She is sensuous and confident. And, most of all, she is beautiful.

Recycled Peace: the world watches us and we watch the world
by the Peace Jam Youth Group at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Augusta:
Katelyn McAuliffe, James McAuliffe, J’rae Mendall, Cale Mendall, Tonia Reiter, Vanessa Gilbert, Katie Gilbert, Marie Donisvitch, Soren Donisvitch, John Hutton, Sean Oshima, Keiley Chaisson, Ben Barnes, Nick Barnes, Gracie Kavenah, Christian Heath, Maya Bentley, Connor Fahy, Miriam Nielsen
Medium: Metal, wire, paper
Dimensions: 4 foot by 2 foot and 2 foot by 1 foot

Throughout time people have constantly been growing in new and amazing ways, especially in technology and electronics. Our art sculpture is representing the change that has come over humanity in advancing our knowledge for the future. We are developing in new ways as much as the technology we make is. The sculpture is also built to show that we are still a part of the earth but we are connected to the earth differently than we were 100yrs ago. Yet, the earth still watches over us, and we still watch over the earth. The Noble Peace prize winners are on the earth to represent that the world is what we make it. It is up to us what we use our technology for, whether positive or negative, the future is in our hands”

A Broken Society by Chelsea C.E St. Pierre
Monmouth Academy/homeschooled
Medium: Mixed medium, paper mache and found objects

“A Broken Society”- I want to provoke thought with my art. With this piece in particular I want to explore the questions and answers brought about by the question: What are you really buying?
I made her with simple homey items such as masking tape, news paper, wire, along with paper mache. The real inspiration came after I discovered that my tape measure read: MADE IN CHINA. Which provoked the thought: How much of what I own comes from China? What type of environment are these pieces of fabric and other everyday household items made in? The answers were disturbing and painful to read. The pins and blood symbolize the pain and suffering innocent humans are going though overseas, and even in our back yards. I find it disturbing that we choose to ignore such truths. I question what kind of society do we live in that condones and even encourages such practices by buying and selling products composed in such frightening environments. I hope to cause my audience to more than just ponder the question I am asking. But look into and find the answers to; “What are you really buying”