The University Daily
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
KANSAN
Monday, July 6, 1981
Vol. 91. No. 154 USPS 850-640
John Newman, KU graduate student in fine arts, sketches at his desk in the KU Art and Design Building. An exhibition of his prints is on display outside the office of minority affairs in Strong Hall.
KU graduate student strives for emotion in his artwork
By LINDA LANG Staff Reporter
Since then he has worked on developing the attitude that his own satisfaction in art is what is important.
John L. Newman first felt satisfaction with his artwork as a child, when one of his crayon drawings done on brown wrapping paper was painted in the Adelson-Atkins Art Galleries in Kansas City Me.
"Being an individual, it has its merits," he said. "Even if nobody liked my prints now, it satisfies me. I went to my mother's the other day and got a copy of my old paintings, and it's really coming about."
NEWMAN, A KU graduate student in fine arts with an emphasis in print-making, has a series of prints on display outside the Office of Minority Affairs on the third floor of Strong Hall.
Newman commutes from Kansas City, Kan., where he lives with his wife and two children. He received his bachelor's degree in fine arts from Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus. He is also a certificate from KU. He taught art in Kansas City high schools before returning to KU last fall.
He looked at the prints on display at Strong Hall, all self-portraits, and pointed to one that had the figure of a heart etched over and over within the body of the figure, scarcely visible in the other lines of the print. He said he often used heart figures to symbolize emotion in his prints.
Another print, titled "Pardon Me While I Play My Blues," grew out of his enjoyment in listening to music, especially blues, jazz and spirituals.
HE SAID HE FIRST remembered hearing blues when he was a little boy tagging along with his father to bars. His father would set him up on the dance floor, where he could pop drink and he would listen to the music.
"I really get a nice home message about listening to the blues," he said. "Listening to the blues is something that I enjoy."
Newman said he liked to feel involved with the subject he was drawing or painting, and that was a good thing.
"I like the figure," he said. "I do a lot of figures. I usually have a reason for making a drawing or doing a print through the people I know. It takes a lot of energy for me to draw a picture. I can do it a little longer if it's something I know."
For example, he said he planned to make a print about a robbery. When he taught art in Kansas City, he coached to supplement his income. When he and other coaches attended a coaching seminar in St. Louis, they were robbed at gunpoint on their way back to the hotel.
"What they say about your life flashing before you, it's all true," he said, laughing.
Sometimes, however, his need to feel involved with his subject has proved to be a disadvantage.
"I just can't respond as well to some of the models in class," he said. "Or some people might say, 'Draw me.' And I have to say, 'Oh well, I'm sorry.'"
He said he thought most artists responded to their environment. For that reason, Newman said, the term "black artist" could be confusing, since he and many other black artists, like all artists, were just responding to their surroundings.
"That's one of the key points about art," he said. "In the 1960s everybody tried to define 'black art.' I would say more 'ethnic art,' not 'black art.'"
NEWMAN WAS CARRYING a book titled "Interviews with Francis Bacon." He said he admired Bacon, along with Milton Glaser and Aristotle, for the mood they created in their work.
Besides studying art this summer, Newman teaches classes in print-making at the KU Midwestern Art and Design Camp. He said it was similar to his teaching jobs in Kansas City at Arrowhead Junior High School, Coronado Junior High School and Summer Academy.
“There is a fine line between abstractionism and realism,” he said. “My work now seems more abstract because I'm putting more of my own views into it.”
"The more I read about artists I like, the more I find we like the same people in the past," he said.
Newman's own work is becoming a little more abstract, he said.
He was surprised to find he had much in common with artists he read about.
He said when he taught school in Kansas City he emphasized to the children and their parents that there was money available in art-related jobs in order to interest the children in art.
Newman said that since he had returned to KU he did not worry so much about getting a job in the art field, which was the reason he originally not a teaching certificate.
"I feel good about teaching a child to achieve," he said. "The child can take it home with him."
Budget cuts will not affect student financial aid for the 1981 fall semester, Jerry Rogers, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid said recently.
"I realize I may have to put in 20 years in a factory to support myself." he said.
HE SAID TEACHING and supporting his teaching income with coaching involved too much.
There was a possibility that when he finished his graduate work, he and a Kansas City artist, Eid Hogan, might work together operating a small shop and printing press.
By ACHAL MEHRA Staff Writer
Aid reductions not expected this year
Rogers, whose office channelmed more than $25 million in aid to more than 10,000 students last year, said approximately the same amount available to students for the 1981-82 school year.
Staff Writer
He and Hogan, who is also interested in portraits and figures, might exhibit their work together in Texas and the East and West Coasts, Newman said.
"In general, students will have to bear a little burden of the burglar and will have to reduce their crime rate."
THE OVERALL EFFECT of the few changes made during the coming academic year would be as follows:
He said that recipients of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, now renamed the Pell Grant, received $180 million.
Each recipient would receive $80 less this year, following new restrictions that limit the maximum grant under the program to $1,670, compared to the $1,750 maximum of last year.
Last year, 3,357 students, including 63 in the summer, received the Pell Grant.
TOWARD THE END of June, the Office of Student Financial Aid had received 2,691 student applications for the Pell Grant.
Under a new formula approved by Congress in May to hold the total expenditure on the BEG to
The amount of money received by each student is determined by an evaluation of his financial standing.
Shelter forced to raise funds or close
By TIM ELMER Staff Reporter
The only remaining hope of the Women's Transitional Care Services for a substantial funding source ended June 28, when the Public Welfare Foundation postponed its decision on WTCS request for a grant until September. Doria, director of the shelter, said recently.
"I am just sick," Doria said. "I have been a basket cas aill weekend. You work so hard and I cannot."
WTCS. a shelter for battered women and their
"Our governing board met and agreed that we telephone satisfaction companies for families." she said.
WTCS MUST RAISE $2,600 each month to meet the expenses of the shelter, she said.
"We are going to try to get 200 people to donate a minimum of $10 each month until January," a member of the fund says.
In recent months, congressional budget cuts of social services reduced WTCS to zero-funding.
In a last-ditch effort to keep the shelter open, WTCS applied in June for a $24,000 grant from the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, DC. The foundation that supports liberal causes, she said.
ALTHOUGH THE PUBLIC Welfare Foundation postponed its decision on the grant request, Doria said, WTCS hopes to keep the community by soliciting donations from the community.
The month of July is critical, Doria said.
"During the month of July, we have to show that we can get enough community support to us."
At 26, Beers is still awaiting the big break
By CONNIE SCHALLAU
Staff Reporter
Oblivious to the wooden floor and the rowdy crowd, the performer was engrossed in his song until the crashing sound of two solid objects meeting echoed through the bar.
"Yeah, I was playing in this dump in Nebraska when some guy hit this other guy over the head with a chair," Mike Beers, lead singer of the Mofet-Beers Band, said.
"I was surprised and I missed a few chords. But I went on with the show."
THAT INCIDENT occurred about seven years ago at the beginning of Beers' music performing career, which began at the Windjammer in Inn on New York's Upper West Side. Moffet-Beers Band, a popular Lawrence group.
Beers' first performance didn't prepare the audience to tolerate it in the audience. In his stage debut he was brilliant.
"I was in the 'Littlet Angel' when I was in the land of the Lord," he said. "I was the leading leader. I was the leader."
The performing bug lodged deep after that initial stint in the limelight.
"I thought it was pretty neat to be in front of all the people and performing." Beers said. "And I said,
BEERS, WHO WAS wearing blue jeans, battered sneakers and a tie, said that he has had a myriad of experiences since he started to perform musically. Many of those experiences have had little to do with what he learned in his theatre and voice classes at KU.
"I've had drunk old ladies give me kisses and smoohes 'cause they thought it was cute," he said. "I love you."
"One time the band played at this place in Oklahoma that was a converted store. The clientele carried large knives and drove big trucks and large motorcycles. They were basically large people," the 5-foot-8 performer said.
However, be's also had hostile receptions.
"Well, anyway, they wanted to eh, what
they wanted to hear. And we didn't play what
they wanted to hear."
That engagement was supposed to last for a few nights. However, the owner fired them after the first night and didn't pay them for the one night they had played.
"We did sie the owner but he went bankrupt and there wasn't much we could do," he said. "The potential to get screwed in this business is there. Physically and otherwise."
BEERS THEN ALKED about the magnetism of the stage and how it attracts onlookers.
"Plus it's good business for the hand to attract women's attention."
"The stage does a tremendous amount for him," said the man. "That's not bad, That's just the way it is."
Most of Beers' songs are about love and romance.
According to Beers there are several reasons why his songs are mostly related to women.
He said that it had been proven that songs about love and romance are the ones that sell.
"Also when you've lived in Kansas all your life, there are limited situations that you can
It will be sunny today with a high of 90,
according to the National Weather Service
in Topeka. Winds will be northeasterly at
10 to 15 mph.
write about," he said. "I mean there are no mountains or oceans.
Tonight will be clear with a low of 70.
Tomorrow will be hot and dry with highs between 90 and 100 continuing until Thursday.
ANOTHER REASON that he gave for writing about love and romance is that he is emotional.
"And no, I don't think corn fields would make for a great song."
"I'm a very emotional person," Beers said. "I was just up to by Ordinary People." I was in town.
Emotions are what keep people from dying of boredom, he theorized.
"Any type of emotional situation can inspire me to write a song." Beers said. "As for ex-
amples, it's a great topic."
"Look, at 5-foot-8 I couldn't be macho if I had to be."
Last year, the Moffet-Beers Band recorded four of Beer's sons at a Kansas City studio.
"Constantly everywhere we send our music, they say they want to hear more and they like it," he said. "I can only assume that they think it's okay, but 'it can't quite there vet.'
Beers, 26, spoke candily about how his age mavet he getting a recording contract.
See PROFILE page 8
MIKE BEERS
MARTI FRUMHOFF/Kaneen Staff