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For those of us that can't make it to Atlanta for the 10th annual ART PAPERS auction, will once again extend the bidding online. I just took a sneak peak at the site and there is an enormous collection of art (more than 300 pieces!) from famed and emerging artists from Atlanta and beyond.
Proceeds from the auction and live event support ART PAPERS magazine, and the development of new programs.
Can't get enough Obama tzhochkes? Then Martin Parr's 'The Obama Portfolio' is a must for your collection. Four unique prints (8" x 10" each) include Obama rhinestone pins, cola bottles and Obama underwear (of course!). For a cool $1,250, one of my favorite sites, Aperture, in collaboration with Janet Borden Gallery, is offering an edition of 50 prints next month.
'Our City Dreams' is a love letter to New York City which strings together the self-told narratives of five women artists whose passion for their art is only matched by their devotion to the City. The documentary tells the story of Swoon (thank to Will and Shelley @BrooklynMuseum for sending me one of her prints!), Ghada Amer, Kiki Smith and Marina Abramovic. Showing at the Film Forum Feb 4-17 at 209 W. Houston, NYC.
To kick off 2009 I just received Terminus Records founder Jeff Bransford's musical year in review. "The Audacity of Dope Mix 2008: Strange You Can Believe In" looks to be another gem. The six CD, 132 song compilation covers the best tunes from Bon Iver to The Walkmen. Safe to say this mix will own my iTouch for the next few weeks!
Among the highlights of my trip to Prospect.1 was the opportunity to meet artist-extraordinaire Mel Chin.
When Hurricane Katrina threw the spotlight onto New Orleans, it was announced in the wake of its destruction that lead levels in the city's soil were dangerously high. As a result, 30 percent of children in the city have blood poisoning. That's where Mel comes in with his initiative to provoke greater social awareness and responsibility.
He originated the Fundred Dollar Bill Project to draw attention to and develop solutions for environmentally responsible rebuilding of New Orleans from below the ground up including removing lead from the soil. The artworks—individually created Fundred Dollar Bills made by students—will be collected by an armored truck and delivered to Washington D.C., where an even exchange of the value of their art currency for actual funds will be requested. 3 million 100-dollar bills for $300 million to make a difference (equal to the cost of one day of the war in Iraq). Get involved here!
While Olafur Eliasson's New York City waterfalls project was among my least favortie art exhibits of 2008, his 'Take Your Time' show at the Museum of Modern Art (@MuseumModernArt) topped my list of 2008.
Playing with the idea of the cognitive aspects of what it means to see, Eliasson used makeshift technical devices to create a visual sensory overload ranging from strobe lights to highlight streaming water, reflecting spotlight beams, to a kaledeidescope room that created prismatic effects.
The power of the exhibit wasn't in seing Eliasson's vision (for a lack of better terms) but the opportunity to be a part of the experience was really interesting and fun. It's one thing to look at a piece of work, but to be a part of it made the installation memorable.
There's been so much talk about museums, galleries and artists creating communities online that it's nice to see the same momentum continue offline as well. Enter RiNo. Situated along the Platte River Bike Path in Denver, Colorado, RiNo is a concentration of creative businesses, including architects, art galleries, designers, furniture makers, illustrators, painters, media artists, photographers, sculptors, and an array of studio spaces.
It's exciting to see a coalition, dedicated to promoting and supporting the people and businesses that reside in the area, built around art and I'm interested to learn about RiNo's development and future initiatives.
While I am still angry with Team Obama for not sending me our three Jonathan Hoefler poster's (that we paid for!) I am of course (like everyone) looking forward to the inauguration and all of the surrounding festivities. I'm really interested in Manifest Hope. From January 17-19, Manifest Hope will spotlight artists who use their voices to amplify and motivate the grassroots movement that carried President-Elect Barack Obama to victory.
Among the featured artists is our good friend Regan Rosburg. Regan's intricate multi-layered, resin pieces are really interesting. While it won't be in the show, you need to see her piece where she ties all of her ex-boyfriends house keys together and has a beetle pull them through the dirt.
Not only is the list of participating artists intriguing, but the panel of judges that thought so highly of Regan's work is definitely an ego builder. Spike Lee, Shepard Fairey, Eric Hilton (Thievery Corporation), Laura Dawn (MoveOn.org) are among the panelists to decide who is in, and who is out.
