INTERNal Affairs: Life is Like a Thanksgiving Feast

INTERNal Affairs is a series by GCAC Curatorial Intern and CSUF Art History major Shauna Hultgrien.

The holidays are upon us my Internet friends! Thanksgiving is just days away, which means Christmas is just around the corner (try not to panic too much you last minute shoppers). As I sit wrapped in my scarf and bundled in my coat in attempt to beat this California winter, I have decided to stop complaining about the bitter chill of sixty degrees and instead take a moment to consider something for which I am thankful.

While there are many things I enjoy; fish tacos, movies based on young adult book series, fish tacos, my wool coat, my scooter, fish tacos and my black boots, there is still one thing that I am thankful for far beyond anything else, and that thing is YOU. As a frequenter of the art world, it is no secret that my passions lie in the products of the creative mind. However, in considering this notion, another thought sprang upon me: I’m passionate about the product of any mind! Creativity is a human quality that we all utilize in various forms. It is what F. Scott Fitzgerald calls the “inexhaustible variety of life;” the fact that we are each unique; we are all our own, unlike any other there was, is, or ever will be. There is no possible way to recreate the exact circumstances which make you, you. And because of this, I am constantly flabbergasted, bewildered, amused, and entertained, over and over again.

My position as intern here at Grand Central Art Center has afforded me the opportunity to experience art as it is today. My jaw dropped when I first experience Cumulus, the gargantuan homage to the L.A. Aqueduct by Braden King and Matthew Moore. My mind spun and my side ached from fits of laughter after a walk through Eamonn Fox’s tongue-in-cheek exhibition. My heart ached as I fully absorbed the weight of the message embodied in Beatriz Cortez’s Time Machine. But art is not something simply hung from the walls. Art is everywhere and art is everything. My jaw also drops in awe of my microwave that can cook my potatoes in three minutes. The Dyson Airblade Hand Dryer is arguably the greatest invention of the last decade and I am overwhelmed with wonder and excitement every time that dryer returns my hands to me without the slightest hint of water. Every time I wheel my luggage from terminal to terminal I am beside myself with appreciation for whoever decided to fasten wheels to my over-packed suitcase. The bottom line is that we, as the human race, are great. Whether you’re Henry Ford or Pablo Picasso, the things we produce and the actions we take allow us to help each other experience that full spectrum of emotion. I am so thankful that we are all different and all bring our own homemade dish to this thanksgiving feast of life, it all looks so delicious and I want to try everything! I am never bored and always amazed and it is all because of YOU.

So thank you whoever decided to fry that fish and blanket it in a tortilla, bravo! Thank you shoemaker who cut the boots precisely to the height I prefer, wonderfully done! Thank you automotive company in Italy who knows how to package fun on two wheels, amazing! Thank you J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer and Suzanne Collins, your literary geniuses translated beautifully on the silver screen, a most excellent feat! And thank you, you! We are all in this together and you are making it one heck of a journey. This is your grateful GCAC intern, over and out.

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