Lots and Lots of Dots

Kate's class was going on a field trip and since I'm not her room mom this year, I feel like I don't get to participate in as much for her!  Kate wanted me to go and I wanted to go, so I signed up to be a volunteer.  We were headed to check out Yayoi Kusama's work with Ms. Carolina, Kate's art teacher.  Paula (Chilean/Bolivian), Isa (Spain), Kate and Cecilia (Ecuador/Canada) have become very close this last semester.  I am so happy Kate has found such good friends and all in her class!!!  Today I finally got to meet these cute girls that Kate has talked about almost every day after school.  

As we boarded the bus, I looked at Mr. John and asked, "Now what's the artists name again?"  He cracked me up.  "I can't remember.  She's some crazy woman who likes dots.  I'm serious.  She is."  Good thing he isn't the art teacher.  

And so, we arrived at the crazy woman's exhibit to check out her dots.  Haha!  Dots weren't the ONLY thing she was interested in.  We saw a lot of other interesting things that she did earlier on in her lifetime, but I wasn't allowed to photograph much of anything at all.  

Kate looked at this as we walked by and said, "It just looks like a bunch of jelly beans to me."  It did to me too.  We will never be art docents.  It's ok.  

This room was incredible.  Millions of little "dots" reflecting from the still water below.  Every few seconds the lighting changed.  

Simply magical. 

I could have lingered there for a while if I hadn't had a bunch of 4th graders with me being threatened by the guide if they touched the water.  

Cool.

Then we headed into the interactive part of the exhibit where we got to help create the art.

Everyone was each given a sheet of sticker dots.  Our task?  

To place them wherever we wanted in this room.  

Wow.

Some of the 4A boys.

Cecilia, Kate and Paula

Then the kids got to be the artists.

Yes, this woman has checked herself into a mental institution where she still lives today, and yes, she might have a slight obsession with dots, and yes, there was a bit of art work I didn't like, but it provided for some learning and enjoyment for us today!  

Thank you, Yayoi Kusama.  

I think Kate and I will always think of you whenever we see polka dots from now on.