Different Takes: Come home to art
Daniel J. Williams
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Arts
For those who can't find enough artistry in football - graceful athleticism notwithstanding - this weekend's homecoming events offer plenty else.
In many respects, the events are the standard fare of a Hillsdale College homecoming weekend. It won't be difficult, however, for the observant to find enjoyment and even beauty.
Friday's fireworks will display sight and sound, commanding upturned eyes and gazes. The forceful combination of scattered light and resonance is an art form in itself, for those who care to observe it. Or, simply enjoy the dancing flames of the bonfire and the pep rally music.
Saturday offers a different form of beauty, one that's polished, waxed and rare. Vintage cars arrayed in rows will compete for attention, proud owners beside them. These classics will grab the eyes of young and old and those in between. Some forms of beauty never die.
Later in the afternoon, strong voices will preface kickoff with the college alma mater before a crowd of blue and white. Then Saturday evening, in the afterglow of a hard-fought game, the college will party.
After the tailgate grills have cooled, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels will bring aged but eager energy to the stage. Ryder, whose rhythms charted high in the '60s, has been likened to Little Richard in voice and James Brown in style. Ryder's high-energy stage presence may have faded from his top-40 days, but he should still be able to do justice to the sounds that made him famous.
So this weekend, look past the familiar itinerary. Enjoy the sights and sounds, the polish and lines, and the energy. It may be the unlikeliest of places to find it, but there is art, even in a homecoming.
In many respects, the events are the standard fare of a Hillsdale College homecoming weekend. It won't be difficult, however, for the observant to find enjoyment and even beauty.
Friday's fireworks will display sight and sound, commanding upturned eyes and gazes. The forceful combination of scattered light and resonance is an art form in itself, for those who care to observe it. Or, simply enjoy the dancing flames of the bonfire and the pep rally music.
Saturday offers a different form of beauty, one that's polished, waxed and rare. Vintage cars arrayed in rows will compete for attention, proud owners beside them. These classics will grab the eyes of young and old and those in between. Some forms of beauty never die.
Later in the afternoon, strong voices will preface kickoff with the college alma mater before a crowd of blue and white. Then Saturday evening, in the afterglow of a hard-fought game, the college will party.
After the tailgate grills have cooled, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels will bring aged but eager energy to the stage. Ryder, whose rhythms charted high in the '60s, has been likened to Little Richard in voice and James Brown in style. Ryder's high-energy stage presence may have faded from his top-40 days, but he should still be able to do justice to the sounds that made him famous.
So this weekend, look past the familiar itinerary. Enjoy the sights and sounds, the polish and lines, and the energy. It may be the unlikeliest of places to find it, but there is art, even in a homecoming.
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