Cathedral, Education

Wells Cathedral

“The wells or springs, still seen today in the Bishop’s Palace garden, are the reason for the original settlement of this area. Stone Age flints and Roman pottery have been found near the springs and the earliest evidence of worship is a Romano-British burial chamber, which may have been Christian. Over this a Saxon mortuary chapel was built and in about 705, A.D. King Ine of Wessex gave permission for a minster church to be founded here.”

“The springs – in Anglo-Saxon, wella -, to which Wells owes both its name and its origins, bubble up continuously at a point which is now in the garden of the Bishop’s Palace. The most northerly spring was held to be a holy well and was dedicated to St Andrew. The springs are a result of the geology of the surrounding area. When it rains, water runs off the Mendip Hills and disappears into a system of underground channels and rivers. When it reaches Wells the water hits a layer of mudstone and is forced up through clefts in the rock to form what are known as the springs. On average 4 million gallons of water flow from the springs every day.”

“Native British tribes worshipped nature spirits, dedicating shrines near rivers, streams and springs. Whether they worshipped here, we do not know, though it seems highly likely and evidence of Stone Age flints shows that they visited the area. The sheltered location of the springs, with easy access to the summer grazing grounds of the Somerset Levels, meant that the area was very favourable for agriculture. In addition, the Mendips provided minerals, particularly lead, which were exploited by the Romans, and settlement, perhaps a villa, was established close to the springs.”

YouTube Channel:

Smarthistory. art, history, conversation.

Reference Site:

http://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/history/timeline/early-history/

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Sculpture

Lost History: the terracotta sculpture of Djenné Djenno

Replaced in the 12th century by the nearby city of Djenne, Dj enne-Djeno was a major trading center in the central Niger Valley from the eighth to the 11th century.

“The ancient city of Djenne-Djeno was located about 220 miles (354 km) south of Timbuktu. Before its decline after the 11th century, Djenne-Djeno served as an important commercial center in the Niger River Valley. Its ruins are still accessible, and archeological evidence shows that approximately 10,000 persons lived in Djenne-Djeno at its peak. The same evidence also suggests that residents of Dj enne-Djeno enjoyed a relatively egalitarian society, as the dominant elite present in most European cities in the same period was absent in this desert urban center. By the 14th century residents deserted the city in favor of the more prosperous Djenne, only 2 miles (3 km) distant, which became an important intellectual and commercial center for the region.”(2015)

“The Bozo people originally founded the town of Djenne in the 13th century as a fishing village. In that century, after the decline of Djenne-Djeno, the Soninke established Djenne as a trading center, providing the desert city of Timbuktu with food, cotton, GOLD, cola nuts, and slaves (see slavery) in exchange for salt and North African trade goods. Salt brought to Djenne was most likely bound for the gold fields in the Akan forest. Trade between Djenne and Timbuktu, described at length by the chronicler Leo Aericanus in 1512-13, centered on the Niger and Bani Rivers. Djenne remained an independent city (outside the jurisdiction of the various empires rising and falling around it), and one seemingly without imperial aspirations, until Sunni Ali Ber conquered it in the 1470s. Djenne’s location provided some security for traders, as it was surrounded by the two rivers for nearly half of each year. However, the protection of the rivers did not prevent more powerful invaders such as the Mali in the 14th century, the Mossi in the mid-15th century, and the Songhai under Sunni Ali Ber in 1491 from laying siege to the city, nor from Moroccan invaders in the 1500s.” (2015)

 

YouTube Channel:

Smarthistory. art, history, conversation.

Reference site:

http://www.worldhistory.biz/modern-history/81954-djenne-djeno-jenne-jeno.html

Paintings

Nazi looting: Egon Schiele’s Portrait of Wally

Walburga/Wally Neuzil was not only Egon Schiele’s model from early 1911 but also his girlfriend and faithful companion until the spring of 1915. Having started out as one of many models, she soon played a key role in Schiele’s life and works. Schiele created himself, his vision of an artist, through his works, while Wally revealed to him a world that was indispensable for this development – an open sexuality that had progressed from the constraints and dangers encountered by adolescents towards an emotionality enjoyed on an equal footing, an ability to have relationships and with it a more stable, reliable self.

While she modeled for Schiele, Wally was also working as a sales assistant, a cashier and mannequin at a clothing store. Together with Schiele she moved to Krumau in the spring of 1911 and visited him in Neulengbach. She stood by him during his time in prison in April 1912, trusted in his integrity and provided active support throughout this crisis. Until early 1915 she remained the person the artist related to most closely.

YouTube Channel:

Reference Site:

http://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/65/wally-neuzil

Poetry

Bianca Phipps – “Stay With Me”

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Performing at Rustbelt 2017 in Minneapolis, MN.

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Poetry

Aaron Coleman – “It Is Not a Question of Memory”

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Performing at his book release party in Minneapolis.

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About Button:

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry’s audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.