Reading Journal
Entry 1
Nongkrong is described as a communal activity that encourages young people to share and exchange ideas. After reading this article, my overall impression is that it provides engaging research about the importance of art. Contemporary art sharpens the mind of students through learning about history thus creating cultural awareness. I consider art as a universal language that allows people to connect either through a song, poem or painting. Since nongkrong united people through art, it led to the formation of supportive groups of young and emerging talents known as Yogya artists (Dahl, 2016). In the article, one passage that stands out is the role of nongkrong in Indonesia. It is vital to note that art takes many forms but with a common goal of ensuring unity and togetherness. This is an important passage because it describes how contemporary art serves as one of the best platforms to build social relationships in the community (Dahl (2016). I view art as a way of escaping reality whereby different artists take you into their world. As such, nongkrong in Indonesia served the purpose of creating a new world for young people through creativity. My question after reading this article is whether nongkrong is a modern contemporary activity or whether it has historical significance in Indonesia. Additionally, I am sceptical about the support issued by the relevant government, community leaders, and teachers towards nongkrong. As described by Dahl, (2016), one of the multiple meanings of nongkrong is a social act of people spending time together. Dahl, however, does not mention any government support making me sceptical about its validity. Young people may use ‘nongkrong time’ to indulge in illegal activities and drugs making me question the efficiency. All in all, nongkrong seems to be aiding the Indonesian youth through creating art.
Word Count (302)
Entry 2
I am elated after reading the article by Gilkey (2019) as he describes how project row house (PRH) has transformed lives in the community. More vividly, Gilkey uses the term ‘social sculpture’ to describe the effects of art through his PRH initiative. In this case, art improved creativity and united people through learning African American history and culture. One passage that stood out for me is when PRH began an initiative to provide houses to the community and also renovate old ones. Gilkey achieved this through forming partnerships with learning institutions, governmental and non-governmental institutions. Forming such relationships shows the transformations that can occur through unity. The passage is significant since it shows the transformations that African Americans have undergone through such efforts as the PHR collaborative arts initiative.
My personal experience relates to reading through learning about African American history and culture. African Americans faced some of the most challenging times, especially through slavery. Therefore, African American history provides some of the most significant cultural lessons. On this note, the PRH initiative that improves the lives of African Americans through art is essential and should be considered as one of the most potent transformational forces in the community. I, however, have several questions after reading the article.
- What is the objective of the Project Row Houses initiative?
- Are African Americans the only focus of PHR?
- How effective is collaborative art for PHR initiative?
An idea that was difficult to comprehend was whether PHR only focused on African Americans living in Texas since it is a community-based initiative. This idea also made me sceptical about the article because, for over 25 years, PHR should purpose to improve communities across the US. However, PHR has demonstrated that community development is possible through incorporating arts and creativity, especially among the Africans Americans.
Word Count (303)
References
Dahl, S. (2016). Nongkrong and Non-Productive Time in Yogyakarta’s Contemporary Arts. ParseTimes. http://parsejournal.com/article/nongkrong-and-non-productive-time-in-yogyakartas-contemporary-arts/
Gilkey, E. (2019). Commentary: Project Row Houses: Arts, Culture, and Collective Creative Action. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 4(4), 334-335.