So often “urban” is likened to all that is gritty, crime ridden and conjested. Unfortunately that’s a label applied usually by those who have never lived in and enjoyed a thriving urban lifestyle.
New urbanism is one of those movements that reminds us of the gifts we already have – like the joy of conversation with a neighbor in a coffee shop; the smile of school kids running out of a bakery; the sketch of an artist chalking out his ideas on the sidewalk….
Sometimes we get so caught up in the problems associated with urban life that we forget the positive aspects that in so many instances outweigh the bad and if properly managed can help to address the problems that can plague cities – like poor housing conditions and crime.
One of the great things about our city is the commitment and passion that our residents have for the arts. You don’t have to have a degree in fine art to appreciate the excitement and beauty of something so fantastic like the re-opening of a great art gallery.
Sure it might help and I sincerely hope the art education we’re giving to our daughter will enhance her life in so many ways from the aesthetic appreciation of things to getting a job! But artistic expression and the mere pursuit of it in public settings and communities is a gift to everyone who has the opportunity to see and experience it.
Art for me shows a little of someone’s personality in a different form – one that I’m not use to. In our city we just reopened our art gallery and it’s not just the priceless works of art from centuries past and just last month that inspire you, but the re-design of the art gallery itself. You see this re-design is an artistic expression (maybe even a serenade) from the architect who is a native son of this city (Frank Gehry).
The picture featured in this post is the new “Galleria Italia” an open space that both features art and provides a sweet view of a street in our bohemian district where I got one of my first jobs after university – a gallery assistant in a tiny, lovely little gallery run by a woman about 3 years older than I was. It was a great experience.
And guess what? I knew nothing about art but loved everything about it 
Photo credit: AGO Photographer, Sean Weaver, 2008.