 |
|
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Mo Ringey
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carey Kalimba Scanlon Ascenzo
Lisa Clark
Susan Bergeron-West
Joyce Conlon
Doris Madsen
Sarah Pebworth
Michelle Cotugno
|
EXCREMENTAL ANTI-ART SPLASHFESTO CRYPTOLOGIES
Countering fetishized actions of banality? Or current
mysteries revealed?
 I found this bit
at The Gothamist the other day
(all quoted passages are in quotes, logically, and tildas, to
make them more obviously quoted things. I think of tildas as
little, ta-da!s):
~"Against Streetart: Tale of the Paint
SplasherOver
the last few months, someone has been splashing paint over major streetart works
all over the city. The "Splasher", as he's come to be known, has a taste for
targeting major pieces by Swoon, Obey, Momo, and others. His trail of
paint-dripped terror extends from Williamsburg, to Soho, and back again-- and
he's already obliterated dozens of pieces.
Often,
in the wake of his attacks, the Splasher also leaves wheat-pasted screeds,
attacking the streetartists as tools of capital, calling their work a
"fetishized action of banality" and "a representation of the most vulgar kind:
an alienated commodity".~
Whoever this
splasher is, he warns that his wheat screeds, one of which is titled,
ART:
THE EXCREMENT OF ACTION, contain bits of
glass and will harm whoever dares to remove them. The splasher is determined to
get his message across and does not want it messed with or his sign will cut
you. The article links to more pictures of the destruction at the flickr account
of one FlowerfaceKillah but when you click on the link, the images have now been
removed. For some reason FlowerfaceKillah felt the need to post and then remove
his images of the destruction. Stay with me, it gets more
interesting...
Then, the
imnotsayin.blogspot.com people did some
research and report their findings:
~"Here's our best
analysis: the Dadaists are an anti-art,
anti-culture movement that originated in WWI Switzerland. That classic image of
the Mona Lisa with a moustache and goattee penciled in? You
guessed it: Dadaist. Their deal? They mock the status-quo and live in the
moment.The Manifesto
appears inspired by an essay penned by contemporary British novelist Jeannette Winterson. Her Product is the Excrement of Action rails against the societal
infatuation with productivity - our modern compulsion to consider the physical
output and tangible results/rewards of all our actions in life, rather than just
"living our dreams". She specifically references art and artists in the
piece:
Artists
suffer from this tendency most of all; for their vocation itself depends on
making products out of the raw material of real-life
experience."~
and this post
prompted the following comments:
What does all this highly
intellectual, crazy artspeak actually mean?
Well, in secret spy
detective class we learned that the guy who lit the fire is almost always to be
found among the spectators and the message left behind often contains clues, not
only to his true identity, but to the real message he so desperately needs the
world to discern. When a person resorts to such attention-demanding and hostile
acts it means they really want to call attention away from what they perceive to
be a commonly held and extremely erroneous public perception. Often they are
angry because they see others getting attention for something they have done or
wish they could do (at least this is what I hypothesized in my psychology
textbook, which I only halfheartedly wrote in my imagination).
So I am
posting the manifesto in its entirety here with my expert analysis from my secret spy decoder ring, font size randomizing
decryptologizer software, and I while I have uncovered the true message
of the manifesto, I will leave it to you to decide just who seems the most
likely Raskolnikov here:
~"ART: THE EXCREMENT OF ACTION
A Dadaist
once smashed a clock, dipped the pieces in ink, pressed the
ink-soaked pieces against a sheet of paper and had it framed. His purpose was to criticize the modernist idealization
of efficiency. Rather than inspiring the
widespread smashing of clocks and
the reevaluation of time in society, the piece of paper has become a
sought-after commodity. The production of a representative organ(the ink-imprinted paper) for theaction (the smashing of
the clock) guaranteed this outcome. Likean idealistic politician, the piece of paper, despite its
creator's intent, can only represent, and it is for this reason that it instantly became a fetishized object segregated from the action. Only in a culture obsessed with its own excrement are the
by-products of action elevated above action
itself.
Representation is the most elemental form of alienation. Art as
representation is no exception. It is just another means by which our
perceptions and desires are mediated. Art is the politician of our senses: it
creates actors and an audience, agents and a mass. True creativityis the joyful destruction of this
hierarchy; it is the unmediated actualization of desires. The passion for
destruction is a creative passion. We are all capable of manifesting our desires
directly, free of representation and commodification. We will continue
manifesting ours by euthanizing your bourgeois fad."~
Mystery
revealed.
|
|
Mo's Better Living Through Arts & Culture
Newsletter March 19, 07
TO SUBMIT CONTENT TO THIS NEWSLETTER PLEASE USE
THE FORM AT THIS LINK.
TO FORWARD THIS EMAIL, YOU MUST
SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY BOTTOM AND USE THE FORWARD EMAIL BLUE LINK ON THE
LEFT, ON THE WHITE PART.
NOTE: I apologize for the crazy look of this new template. It is not
letting me drive the design. I had this notion that different color backgrounds
would make the articles stand out and then I looked back at it, aghast, and just
don't have the time to fix it this week. Next week is another week and hopefully
I will gain control of the font sizes and colors.
*See Big Mamou
Restaurant Review at bottom of
newsletter.
|
CALL FOR ARTISTS!! ART, MUSIC, AND FOOD AT THE THIRD
ANNUAL GREAT FALLS ART FEST!
March 19
& 20, 2007 
The Great Falls Art Fest will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 19th and
20th on the beautiful grounds of the Great Falls Discovery Center on Avenue A in
Turners Falls, MA (just off Route 2 and over the Gill-Montague Bridge).
Along with a myriad of artists, the Great Falls Art Fest also offers two
full days of live local music, fun children s activities, and delicious local
cuisine. Proceeds from this event will benefit the community-based
programs at The Brick House.
Through the jurying process, the organizers of the Great Falls Art Fest are
working to assure a good balance and wide variety of arts and crafts.
The process, which began January 29th, will continue until the group
feels that it has met its goal of presenting a quality, balanced, and enjoyable
show that features the work of many artists from throughout New England.
In addition to the lovely level grounds at the Great Falls Discovery Center,
this year's fest is offering artists the opportunity to display their work in an
indoor venue, the Discovery Center s Great Hall. This space is limited and
going fast, as it is available on a first come, first served basis. The
next two jury dates are March 19th and April 9th, and we'd love to see your work
come across our table!
Artists who are interested in participating
should call Karen Stinchfield at The Brick House (413-863-9576), or visit
www.thebrickhouseinc.org, to obtain an application or more information. GREAT
EVENT! GREAT CAUSE!
Pictured is a vase made by Naomi Lindenfeld,
who has already been juried into the
fest |
CLAY JAZZ AT THE PEOPLE'S
PINT
Cool
Jazz & Fresh Beer, Wednesday. March 21, 8-10 PM
___________________________________________________________________________________ 
Sweet jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Blues, fresh brewed beer and ginger ale,
excellent pub fare, friendly atmosphere-- what's not to love? Join the Clay Jazz
Band the third Wednesday of each month at the People's Pint. Sarah Clay (vocals
& flute), Karl Rausch (guitar), Jon Oltman (bass), Seth Hoffsommer
(bass). It's a great way to ease the mid-week blues.
The People's Pint
24 Federal Street Greenfield MA 01301
413-773-0333
Price: No cover/Tip the
Band!
Wednesday. March 21,
8-10 PM
|
|
FABULOUS FACULTY ARE STUNNINGLY
SHOWCASED Northampton
Community Music Center presents a Faculty Showcase
On Wednesday, March 21, 2007
at 7 pm, the Northampton Community Music Center will present a Faculty
Showcase concert, featuring over 17 area musicians on the NCMC faculty, as
well as special guest, local composer and musician Clifton J.
Noble.
The concert is the culminating event in the series
celebrating NCMC s 20th Year. The faculty are the heart and soul of the
organization, said Jason
Trotta, and it s a great thrill to be able to showcase their
talents in this way. The event will feature a variety of composers and
significant diversity of styles. Clifton J.
Noble will premiere an original composition to be performed with Justina Golden, Jane Hanson, and Cathy Kay. Aric
Bieganek, who teaches classes in the Music for the Young Child Program,
will perform an original childrens song, joined on stage by some of his
students.
Organist Michèle Smith
will perform music by J.S. Bach in celebration of the composer s 322nd birthday.
Mezzo-soprano Jane Hanson and Evelyn
Harris (formerly of Sweet Honey and the Rock) will duel in the
classic Irving Berlin duet, Anything You Can Do, I Can Do
Better.
The
Faculty Showcase concert will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday,
March 21 in Sweeney Concert Hall at Smith College. Admission
is by donation to benefit the Northampton Community Music
Center. Suggested: $10 adults, $5 students/seniors.
|
|
It May be Sober, But It's a
Blast!
March 24, 7 to
11:30 p.m.
It's the annual Sober Dance Party Extravaganza at the Northampton Center
for the Arts, 17 New South Street, with New York City House DJ Byll Arnold; Rose
Champagne, belly dancer extraordinaire; the all-male Hairston House Dancers
Revue; Lord Russ does drag; vocalist Danny Ventura and surprise guest
stars!
There is always a large turn out for this event, which raises funds
for Northampton's two residential drug/alcohol recovery programs, Hairston House
for men and Grace House for women and their children. All main course dishes,
hors d oeuvres and desserts are donated by area restaurants (Spoleto Express,
Marge's Kitchen, Starbucks, Paul and Elizabeth's, to name a few) are included in
the ticket price. Beverages (non-alcoholic, of course) are available for
purchase.
The party is on Saturday, March 24,
from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Tickets ($8 ahead of time; $10 at the door) are available
from residents of either house or can be reserved by emailing wonmale@aol.com
and putting sober dance in the subject line.
|
TOMMY TWILITE AT JESTER'S
CAFE
Tommy Twilite
"Live-One Foot Freak"
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
Tommy Twilite "Live-One Foot Freak" March 20, 2007
Time: 7:30 pm
Tommy Twilite will be the feature poet at Jester's Cafe on Elm
St in Westfield on Mon, April 2 at 7:30 pm. Open Mic will precede the
feature. Tommy is founding co-director of the Florence Poets Society and
is well known for his powerful words and intense delivery. This reading
will coincide with the release of not one, but two new chapbooks, "The Hum of
Distant Turbines" and "Son of Richardson's Milk". You are cordially
invited to experience the power of "Twilite" in this intimate setting.
(Admission is free but Jester's has great food, snacks and ice cream, so bring
some money, and a poem or two to share, if you
dare!) |
COLOR FIELDS: TOM MORTON AND
DOROTHY OSTERMAN
March 22, 2007 at 7:30 pm
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
COLOR FIELDS: TOM MORTON AND DOROTHY OSTERMAN
Description: Tom Morton and Dorothy Osterman will speak about their work
at Conversations with Artists.
The evening is an
opportunity to listen, share, discuss art and the creative process. This month s
conversation is about Color Fields, Morton and Osterman s current
exhibition at Gallery A3. The show explores the rich and expansive nature
of color through hangings, wall pieces, paintings and video.
Conversations takes place on
Thursday, March 22 at 7:30 pm. Gallery A3 is located at 28 Amity Street in
the Amherst Cinema building. For more information call
413-256-4250. |
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE
THOUGHTS ON THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC'S FUTURE
Title: OPEN DISCUSSION: THE ACADEMY OF
MUSIC PART II
___________________________________________________________________________________ 
OPEN DISCUSSION: THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC PART
II
Sunday, March 25, 2007, 1-3
PM
Bring Your Self
Part II of the conversation about the future of the Academy of Music will
take place at the Northampton Center for the Arts, 17 New South Street, third
floor, on Sunday, March 25, from 1 to 3 p.m.
The program will include an
update; comments from the audience; and small-group discussions about the
definition of an ongoing relationship of the city government and the Academy;
future programming for the Academy; new fund-raising concepts; and expanded
collaboration among local arts organizations. Come help sort out the Academy's
future.
|
|
THE DANCE COMPANY OF MIDDLEBURY
COLLEGE PRESENTS TRIBUTE:
CELEBRATING A.P.E. ON THE
THIRD FLOOR OF THORNES MARKET
DIRECTED BY ANDREA
OLSEN
____________________________________________________________________________________  Saturday, March 24 at 8 p.m. at Thornes Market
in Northampton at 8 PM
The Dance Company of Middlebury directed by
Andrea Olsen premieres an evening-length work, Tribute, on Saturday, March
24 at 8 p.m. at Thornes Market in Northampton.
The hour-long dance features music by Philip Hamilton, video
by Jim Bruce, set by Herb Ferris and Gordon Thorne, and performance
by Olsen, Artist in Residence Tiffany Rhynard, and six Middlebury
College students. TICKETS: $5
Reservations: 586-5553
Dance master class:
Saturday, March 24 10-11:30 a.m. at Thornes Market, Third Floor Galleries:
Morning Movement class with Andrea Olsen, drummer Charles Miller, and the Dance
Company of Middlebury. Group warm-up and improvisation. All levels welcome. $10
donation.
|
Don Wilhelm at The Carberry Gallery at
STCC
The Katrina
Project - Reception: Friday, March 23, 5-7 pm
Don Wilhelm
The Katrina Project
An exhibition of drawings, painted studies and paintings culminating in a
large scale painting symbolizing the rise of New Orleans from the Katrina
disaster.
Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts
Gallery
March 20 - April14, 2007
Reception: Friday, March 23, 5-7 pm
Hours: Tues. thru Fri. 12:30-4:30, Sat. 10-2
The Gallery is located on the campus of Springfield Technical Community
College,
building 28, first floor.This exhibit is made possible by funding from
STCC
Student Activities. |
"Making
History"
Celebrating Women's History Month at the William
Blizard Gallery
____________________________________________________________________________________  "Making History"
Work By: Rose Ibarra,
Mo Ringey, Carol Sevick, Anna Slezak, Jill Turner
Celebrating
Women's History Month, talented local female professional artists show works
including portrait and religious paintings, sculpture of glass mosaic on found
objects, abstract colorful oil painting, and video art.
William Blizard Gallery* Reception for artists and public: Mar. 25, 2 - 4
p.m.
The William Blizard gallery is located at Springfield College and directions can be found here.
Pictured: Jill Turner video
still |
COMEDY FOR GROWN-UPS: BRING EXTRA SOCKS!
The Ha-Ha Sisterhood,
Live and Uncensored '07! Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m
The Ha-Ha Sisterhood, Live and
Uncensored 07! comes with this warning: We're letting the
cows out of the barn, all bets are off, pigs are flying and you d better bring
an extra pair of socks cause we re gonna knock em off!
On Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m., at the
Northampton Center for the Arts, these improvisational comedians will
make you laugh until your cheeks hurt, as they say, but they warn
that the kids should stay home this time; this show is for grown-ups. There ll
be plenty of tickets at the door ($10 for adults; $8 for students and
seniors) and you can check the Sisterhood's Web site at www.thehahasisterhood.com if you
want to learn more about what's in store.
|
| PAINTINGS BY JENNIFER O'CONNELL &
JOANNA
DUNN
at the Oxbow Gallery. Opening
Reception: April 6, 2007 5-8pm
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
PAINTINGS BY JENNIFER O'CONNELL: INTERIORS
PAINTINGS BY JOANNA DUNN: RECENT WORKS
at the Oxbow Gallery 04/05/07 - 04/22/07
HOURS: Th-Sun 12-5pm, Fri 12-8pm
Gallery 1: Interiors
- Paintings by Jennifer O'Connell, new gallery artist.
Images online
Gallery 2: Domestic
Scenes - Paintings by Joanna Dunn, Boston artist
Opening Reception: April
6, 2007 5-8pm
Oxbow Gallery
275 Pleasant Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 586-6300
|
| LILLIANNA PEREIRA OPENS AT THE
INCUBATOR PROJECT SPACE AT HAMPDEN GALLERY UMASS AMHERST
Fractured Tales: Small Works on Paper by Lillianna
Pereira
 LILLIANNA PEREIRA OPENS AT THE INCUBATOR PROJECT
SPACE
AT HAMPDEN GALLERY UMASS AMHERST
Fractured Tales: Small Works on Paper by
Lillianna Pereira
04/02/07
- 04/29/07
Opening Reception: 4/2 from 5-7
PM
Lillianna Pereira Artist's Statement:
The language of myth allows a story to be a part of a wider universal
context. Though these stories and archetypes may resonate very closely with me
on a personal level, their creation derives from collective material and their
power lies in the meaning and the broader truth that myths convey. Culled images
from magazines, books, newspapers (printed accessible ephemera) are manipulated
and reassembled in an order to activate the archetypes that lie therein. I never
start a piece with particulars in mind, serendipity and the personal unconscious
guide the composition and the personal becomes collective/conscious once the
stories start to emerge.
|
Sculpture Key West
 Sculpture
Key West
Former valley artist, Rebecca Graves, is showing a large mural
installation at Sculpture Key West. Her 8' x 8' paintings on steel panels hang
on the outside of the East Martello, a civil war fort in Key West Florida. The
fort is 20 yds from the ocean and the best view of the work is from the water.
More information, including how to apply for the show next year is available at
www.sculpturekeywest.com.
Graves now lives and works in
Brooklyn, New York.
|
|
LIGHT / TREES ~
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA LAWRENCE / JULIA MAX AT THE BLUE GUITAR
GALLERY
Saturday, April 14, doors open at 5 but
the performance is at 7
186 D NORTHAMPTON ST. (RT 10), EASTHAMPTON.
Julia Max: "Various cultures around the world have
consistently honored trees as the source of life, order,
knowledge, and healing; they are often depicted as an
portal into a spiritual realm.
My work portrays trees in a reverent and even allegorical
style; these trees are a physical connection to an ancient
and divine energy. I have used a Hobo 8x10 camera to create
most of the images on display. My use of a box camera
(literally a wooden box) with a fixed lens and shallow
depth of field along with Fuji color paper as a negative
produces a ghostly, impressionistic quality with subtle,
yet rich, colors."
Photographer Andrea Lawrence gives us a menagerie of images
manifesting from seeing the world directly without filters.
These photographs are taken in the Miksang - or 'Good
Eye' in Tibetan - tradition, developed by Michael Wood
under the guidance of the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa.
The photos reveal a commitment to pushing the shutter
in a moment of seeing which stops the mind. The images
capture a freshness freed from rules and mental constructs
- leaving only the direct perceptions of a mind unattached,
clear, uncomplicated and joyous. At 7 pm Andrea will give
a slide presentation. Christie Svane will tell a story.
Guitar music by Bill O'Haire to follow. more info at http://www.theblueguitar.org
|
APRIL IS POETRY
MONTH
The Florence Poets
Society presents "A Night to Remember - Poetry Night at the Invisible Fountain"
April 14, 2007 at the Invisible Fountain, Eastworks Building, Easthampton - 7:00
pm
___________________________________________________________________________________ This
is the kind of poetry your grandmother warned you to stay away from. In
conjunction with Arts Walk Easthampton, and "Captain" Luke Cavagnac, The
Florence Poets Society invades the Invisble Fountain for a no-holds barred
evening of spoken word. Free admission, light refreshments and amazing art
combine to make this a triple threat. Don't miss it!!!!!
April 14, 2007 at the Invisible Fountain, Eastworks
Building, Easthampton - 7:00 pm - "Poetry Night Out, A Night To
Remember"
|
ACADEMY AT CHARLEMONT PRESENTS JAZZ MANDOLIN
PROJECT
ON APRIL 27 AT JOHN M GREENE
HALL, SMITH COLLEGE, NORTHAMPTON
ACADEMY AT CHARLEMONT PRESENTS JAZZ MANDOLIN
PROJECT ON APRIL 27 AT JOHN M GREENE HALL, SMITH COLLEGE, NORTHAMPTON
04/27/07, Time: 7:30PM
The Jazz Mandolin Project ( www.jazzmandolinproject.com) will perform
their new multimedia work, "How Much Land Does A Man Need?"...Tolstoy's famous
parable about a man's greed and his downfall, retold in a unique multimedia
performance with video, music, and improvisation. Opening act to be announced.
Sponsored by The Valley Advocate and 88.5FM~WFCR, NPR News and Music for Western
New England. Proceeds benefit the Academy at Charlemont.
Tickets (general admission) are $25.00 (with student tickets at
$15.00). A limited number of $50.00 Producers Circle tickets, which feature
premium seating and a pre-concert reception at the Smith College Fine Arts
Center atrium, are also available. Tickets are available at the UMASS Fine Arts
Center in Amherst. To order tickets by telephone: 413-545-2511 or 800-999-UMASS.
|
ROCK 'N ROLL PHOTO EXHIBIT BY T-H-E-
BARRIE WENTZELL.
SOLID ARTIST IMAGES FROM THE '60S AND '70S.
SEE...AND BUY...THE IMAGES YOU'VE BEEN DROOLING OVER FOR YOUR LIFETIME! WORTH
THE TRIP!!!
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 
"Spring into Rock 'N Roll"
April 30, 2007
Tu, SA, SU 1 - 6 PM
The Robert Floyd Photo Gallery (Southampton, MA)(park in the Town Hall
Parking Lot)is proud to announce limited edition black and white photographs
will be on exhibit and sale throughout April. Many images never previously
exhibited in The Gallery will be hung in both Gallery rooms. The first exhibit
will concentrate entirely on the "British Invasion" from April 1 thru April 15.
Then, other artists, mainly from the USA will grace the walls from April
17 thru April 30. All images are from Barrie's famous Legend Series, a portfolio
of one hundred infamous images.
Barrie Wentzell, an internationally recognized photographer, was born
in the mists of Northern England, now living in Toronto. Barrie was the chief
photographer for Melody Maker Magazine, forerunner to Rolling Stone Magazine
from 1965 - 1975. Barrie's commitment to his work coupled with his uncanny
ability to capture the essence of the subjects he portrays has gained him public
and critical acclaim. As Barrie once confided, "The picture gives you an
impression, the music tells you everything. I wasn't trying to make them God, I
was trying to make them truthful."
Barrie's "Legends" include Neil Young, Diana Ross, Led Zeppelin,
Leonard Cohen, Ian Anderson, Robert Plant, The Beatles, Jimmy Page, Leon
Russell, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John, Grace Slick and Dr.
John just to name a few. |
|
SPECIAL FRIENDS OF THE
NEWSLETTER
|
I am always
stunned when people make a donation, no matter the size. It screams a beautiful
message. Donations and links are like sincere Thank Yous. And I love Thank Yous
too.
Special
thanks to the following for donations to this newsletter and in the name of my
late co-host, Jamoka (1998-2006). He loves us now from another place.
Pics from the Jamoka memorial Bonfire thing, by Jon Whitney.
If I somehow missed anyone please let me
know. I get scatterbrained lately.
LIZ CHALFIN/ZEA MAYS
PRINTMAKING
TERRY ROONEY
CHRISTIN COUTURE AND BILL HOSIE
SARAH
PEBWORTH
DEBIN BRUCE
SUSAN BERGERON-WEST
CHARLES STERN
JANET
FRAIDSTERN
MAUREEN DENNING AND CHARLES ENOS
LARRY SLEZAK
TERRY ROONEY
ANNE BURTON
DEAN NIMMER
BILL MYERS
KATHLEEN TRESTKA
ANITA
HUNT
KATHY SERVICE & TIM DECHRISTOPHER
DAVID SMITH
JEFF
MACK
LYNN PETERFREUND
BRADLEY FOX
KAREN AXELROD
AACO (AMERICAN ARTS
COLLECTIVE ORGANIZATION), In memory of our artists friends who were victims of
AIDS and in honor of Aids Awareness Day, December 1st
KELSEY FLYNN
LYN
HORAN
HILARY PRICE & KERRY LABOUNTY
BRONWEN HODGKINSON
BRIANA
TAYLOR
DORIS MADSEN
BETSY DAWN WILLIAMS
MARY WITT
JOAN
AXELROD-CONTRADA
MAUREEN DENNING AND CHARLES (Donation made to Humane Society
in Jamoka's name)
DARYL LAFLEUR
WEDNESDAY NELENA SOROKIN
LINDA
BATCHELOR
| |
|
CALLS FOR ARTISTS
AND OPPORTUNITIES
NOTE: I cull
this information from many sources and it is really time consuming to add it and
format each line of text. So I apologize if at times there is expired
information here. Some weeks I don't have time to get to this section. I feel
like it's more important to use the time I have to post your event. Thanks for
your understanding.~Mo
CALL FOR ARTISTS -- GALLERY A3 IS
SEEKING NEW MEMBERS
Call for artists
Description: Gallery A3 shows contemporary art by Valley
artists. Since it opened in 2002, the gallery s been an alternative venue
for innovative art in a wide range of media and styles. Gallery A3 is a
cooperative run by its artists. Members share business and aesthetic
decisions and form a supportive community for making and exhibiting art.
The gallery has an exhibition space in the new Amherst Cinema building and holds
its opening receptions in conjunction with the Amherst Art Walk.
Artists working in all media are invited to apply.
Spring deadline dates are April 5 and May 9. Applications are available at
Gallery A3, 28 Amity Street, Amherst, MA. The gallery is open Wednesday
through Sunday from 1-7:00 pm. Phone 413-256-4250. For more
information please call the gallery or email mtc@crocker.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boston Art Commission Request for Qualifications
for
Public Art in Jamaica Plain, MA
Deadline for submissions: March 21, 2007
Mayor Thomas
M. Menino and the Boston Art Commission seek qualified artists
to undertake
a public art project for Art Square (South Street Mall) at the
intersection
of South Street and Carolina Avenue in Jamaica Plain, MA. This
public
square is approximately 5,400 square feet, adjacent to an active
recreational
area with two tennis/basketball courts and is surrounded by a mix of residential
and retail buildings.
The Boston
Parks Department is facilitating a public review process in advance of providing
significant landscaping and infrastructure improvements for the park. JP Centre
/ South Main Streets (JPCS) has completed a series of community vision meetings
and is seeking one artist to provide a public art component(s) to enhance these
park improvements, reflect the creativity and vitality of the neighborhood, and
participate in the public review process. Potential installations may include:
fencing between the recreational area and a walkway to create a visually dynamic
streetscape element and/or new entry to the recreational area; an art kiosk
landmark that might include public information, sculptural elements, lighting,
and/or green elements; or sidewalk art with engaging artistic elements underfoot
incorporating stone, bronze, and/or other durable materials.
Initial
funding is provided by the Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund Trust Fund of the City
of Boston.
Eligibility
Open to
artists/designers/teams residing in the U.S. Please note: The Boston Art
Commission has requested that artists/designers/teams who are currently working
on a public commission in the City of Boston or had a public art commission over
$100,000 installed in Boston within the last two years are
ineligible
to apply.
To apply:
visit http://www.callforentry.org./ Scroll down to
the description for the South Street Art Initiative: Art Square. Click on the
link for View More Info for complete guidelines. All application materials must
be submitted in digital format through CaFÉ. There is no charge for this
service. No
slides or
hard copy materials will be accepted.
For more
information, please contact: Jean Mineo, Project Manager jeanmineo@aol.com 508-242-9991
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sep 01,
2007 INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Seeking visual artists,
writers, and composers for 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-wk-long residencies, Jan 1 - Jun
15, 2008. Free housing and studio space and a $100/wk stipend. For application
and complete guidelines please contact: Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the
Arts, 801 3rd Corso, Nebraska City NE 68410 OR 402-874-9600 OR http://www.KHNCenterfortheArts.org OR
info@KHNCenterfortheArts.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deadline
- Ongoing *Three Rivers Community College Reviewing Work for Exhibitions, CT
Three Rivers Community College in Norwich Connecticut is accepting
portfolios to review for 1-to-2 month exhibitions. No fee. For consideration,
sent 10-20 slides, resume, statement, and return postage to: Sandra Jeknavorian,
Instructor of Art, Three Rivers Community College, Thames Valley Campus, 574 New
London Turnpike, Norwich CT, 06360 / SJeknavorian@trcc.commnet.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ongoing
SUBMIT
ONLINE FOR ART WALK EASTHAMPTON
Art Walk Easthampton, a monthly,
self-guided walking tour of arts and culture, has added a proposal page to its
website where visual, music and performance artists can outline what they would
like to show or perform if given the opportunity.
All the locations that
participate in Art Walk Easthampton can view the submissions for possible
inclusion in an upcoming event. The talent describes the work, provides images,
identifies the types of venues they would like to be in, the dates they are
available and provides contact information. If there's a match between the
submission and the venue's interest, the venue contacts the talent directly to
handle booking arrangements.
The proposal form is available at www.ArtWalkEasthampton.org and is open to all local and
regional artists.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ONGOING
An offer from Joe Blumenthal of Downtown Sounds who
generously would like to have artists display their work there. (Downtown
Sounds, 21 Pleasant St., Northampton, next to the Pleasant St. Theater)
The window is quite large, and has three panels, each one about 6' X 6',
and is about 24" deep. It is exposed to intense sunlight in the morning; the
heat of the sun plus the narrowness of the window make it inappropriate to
display most musical instruments.
However, the sunlight doesn't hurt
most artwork since it's only exposed for a month to six weeks. I normally pay
$150 to the artist who installs the window, and work out a consignment agreement
for the store to take a percentage of the price if the art is for sale and we
manage to sell some of it.
The artwork can be freestanding, lean against
a wall at the back of the window that's about three feet high, or (if it's not
heavy) be hung from the ceiling.
It's great when the art can have a musical
theme, but it's not necessary. Because of its highly visible commercial
location, the work should have a mainstream appeal and not have themes which
could be offensive. Small pieces don't work well since the window is so large.
If one of your readers is interested in displaying in this context,
please have them contact me via email: musician@downtownsounds.com, or via phone
at 413- 586-0998.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ONGOING.
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs + Image
Registry The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is the largest
public funder of arts and culture in the country. The Percent for Art artist
slide registry is an up-to-date and important component of the Program. The
registry is consulted by the architects, panelists, and City agencies for each
project. The Percent for Art staff prepares a slide presentation from the
registry for each panel meeting. The registry is open to any professional visual
artist residing in the United States. Deadline: On-going Information: www.nyc.gov/html/dcla/html/panyc/ slide_reg.shtml
| |
|
RESOURCES
FOR ARTISTS
|
STUDIO
SPACE AVAILABLE IN AN ARTS FRIENDLY BUILDING IN SHELBURNE
FALLS
ARTIST STUDIO SPACE AVAILABLE !
2 LARGE WINDOWS
WEST
& NORTH EXPOSURE
300 +/- Sq Ft
$300/mo !
High Speed
Internet connection available Includes heat and electric
ART BANK
22
BRIDGE STREET,
SHELBURNE FALLS
413- 625-
6177
schaktman@comcast.net
STUDIO
SPACE AVAILABLE NOW IN EASTHAMPTON - The Blue Guitar Gallery in Easthampton
is a shared workspace and gallery. It is 410 sq. ft. on the inside, and there's
also a small space 120 sq. ft., carpeted available. $200 month includes
utilities and the right to a private or shared show twice a year. There's also a
nice hall and reception area for hanging work. Since I need to keep the walls
clean for showing, I'm looking for artists who work on easels or tables, not too
messy. It's on the ground floor, at 186 D Northampton Street (Rte. 10), just
over the line from Northampton. It's opposite the post office. The grand opening
will be March 10, during Art Walk Easthampton!
Contact Christie Svane at
csvane@comcast.net, 413-247-9454, www.theblueguitar.org
"A.R.T.S. Anonymous is a
12 step recovery group for artists of all kinds and at all levels. We meet every
Monday from 6:30 to 8pm in Room 230 at Wright Hall on the Smith College campus.
No dues or fees. For more information call 413.527.5215 or visit their website,
http://artsanonymous.org/."
Northampton Playwright's Lab at Forbes Library
Northampton
Playwrights' Lab is a group for playwrights of all levels of experience and
everyone is welcome. Participants can sign up to bring their work-in progress
(short plays, one-acts, and full-length) to be read aloud by other lab members
or actors. Members will offer one another constructive feedback, support, and
criticism in the development of new plays. The group does occasional public
performances.
The NPL meets regularly on the second and fourth Wednesday
of the month. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 14th at
6:30 in the Watson Room. For further information, please contact Meryl Cohn:
msbehavior@aol.com
Valley
Entrepreneurs! Our service area just expanded! Valley CDC can help
you:
Explore your business ideas, Market your art, products &
services, Identify new markets, Get more customers, Write your business plan,
Explore financial viability, Improve business operations, Seek financing, and
more.
Free Business Counseling ?! Starting a business? Need more business?
Let us help! It's what we do.
Now serving ALL Amherst, Hadley, Northampton
& Easthampton businesses with 20 employees or less. No income restrictions.
We deliver more. Call for a confidential appointment today! 413 529-0420,
ValleyCDC.com
Funded by MA Commonwealth's Dept. of Business and
Technology-SBTA Grant, the City of Easthampton through the MA Community
Development Block Grant -Ready Resource, the City of Northampton-CDBG Program,
and Florence Savings Bank.
|
|
IRENE WILL WORK FOR
MONEY
Oops--I put this in last week with no name. This is from Irene.
WILL
WORK FOR MONEY
LOOKING FOR 10-20 HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT IN ARTS/CRAFTS OR WHATEVER
FIELD. HOURS ARE FLEXIBLE. I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN LOTS OF AREAS.
PLEASE EMAIL ME AT CYBERDEAL@AOL.COM. THANKS.
|
|
TO MAKE A
DONATION OR SPONSOR THE NEWSLETTER
Unfortunately due to stuff I can't comprehend, the PayPal button has to
say, "Buy Now", rather than "donate". I want it to say "Hello
Sweetheart!"
Anyway--thanks for your support!
If this button does not
work you may have to try another browser. sigh.
Show
Postcards and the like can be mailed to:
I think a lot of people still have my old
arts & industry address as postcards get forwarded to me but I think that
may expire soon.
THIS
NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY THE NORTHAMPTON ARTS
COUNCIL 
USD
|
FELLOW HUMAN BEING ETIQUETTE
HINT
It all ties in. You'll see.
____________________________________________________________________________________ The other day I had breakfast with a friend and it made me remember just
how hard it was to be a waitperson. I wondered if I could even do that now. I
remember thinking how much nicer life would be if everyone would just push their chairs back in under the table when they
got up to leave.
And as I watched the waitperson narrowly miss
getting decked a few times I thought, why can't we put on our coats without
flailing our arms out wildly behind us with no thought for fellow humans who
might be in the path of our flailing fists?
Then, This week from my
astrology.com horoscope: Instead of critiquing
someone's methods, why not observe how they're working and see if there's
something you can use? Your sharp mind is of better use that way.
Narrow-mindedness will only end up holding you back.
I don't see how not pushing in my chair when I get up
from a table or flailing my arms wildly about while putting on my coat can be
useful but maybe that's not what my horoscope
meant. |
BRING YOUR OWN ICE BUCKET. AND ICE
Dinner at Big Mamou. Another
unqualified food review by Mo
____________________________________________________________________________________
 Let me start
by saying that I am not a culinary expert, nor am I a licensed
oenophile. As a matter of fact, in my mind I was once enrolled
in, and expelled from, the Cuisine et Tradition School of Provencale Cuisine in Arles,
France for being a gastronomical ne'er do well because I chose
my forks based on astrological positions and I once led the
trained pigs in that "bottle of beer on the wall" counting song
while ostensibly rooting for truffles in the french countryside.
Was it Sartre who once said something about "rooting up muddles and fallacies like so many truffles..."? Maybe it was my Aunt Mary.
Anyway, I think most of going out for dinner is the experience.
The food is a huge part of it, clearly, but the service and
ambience are just as important in the overall dining experience
hypotenuse. And this is my newsletter so I can assign restaurant
reviews to me and so I did. Like I did with The Green Street Cafe, and El Guanaco.
So, Wednesday night Kathleen Trestka took me to dinner at Big Mamou
in Springfield for unhijacking her computer.
I LOVE Big Mamou. Part of the charm is that it is BYOB which
makes the whole experience more picnic-y, more down home and
much cheaper. On a busy Saturday night people arrive in large,
jovial groups bearing coolers or brown paper bags and inevitably,
flailing arms of coats coming off.
The waitstaff is snappy and sharp-witted, as they push in chairs
in the aisle (from the previous guests who did NOT) and work
around the stumbling, happy hordes, and dodge the inevitable
human flailing arms. So snappy in fact that I think if you accidentally
decked them while throwing off your coat, they'd likely deck
you back. And that's part of the charm.
So Kathleen and I stopped at a wine shop en route and asked
them for a recommendation. I have found that if you stop in
at a good wine shop and tell them where and what you are eating,
they can perfectly match your wine to your dish, which makes
the whole experience much more fun. We had help choosing a Kerpen
Riesling 2005 which was a nice match for the spicy acts to follow.
It was sweet and seemingly complex yet sheepishly light, in
a not so light kind of way. It was almost even shy. It was not
properly chilled however, and this set the stage for our waitperson
experience.
We wanted it really chilled to complement the spicy dishes we
anticipated ordering so we started by asking for an ice bucket.
The waitperson (let's name her *Dixiecup* so I don't have to
keep typing *waitperson*) said they had no ice buckets or things
to put ice in. I am tenacious though, so I asked did they have
any kind of containers at all? No. Can you find some old plastic
bucket to put some ice in? No. A condiment container? trash
bag? anything? No. Then I said, "Well, I think I have a nasty
old plastic ice bucket in my truck from The Hampton Inn in St.
Louis. If I get that can we clean it up a bit? No. I can clean
it in the bathroom sink maybe? No? If you give me some water
I can rinse it outside on the sidewalk and then we can use it?
Or I can use an old garbage bag from my trunk if you just give
us a little bit of water and ice? Or we could buy it? What price,
a bit of water and ice?" Finally Dixiecup
took her reluctance for a walkabout and
returned with a plastic bucket complete with a cup of water
and some ice. We put the wine in and the icewater barely covered
the bottom inch. We needed to act and fast!
So we cleverly ordered 2 glasses of icewater and informed Dixiecup
that we'd order our food in a bit, once we felt properly hydrated. We had
to remind her a few times that we needed water and then we'd
order so finally we got it. As soon as she wasn't looking we
covertly poured our icewater into our bucket, like secret spies
under cover. It was oddly fascinating and satisfying. It was
cat and mouse, spy vs. spy. Then a party of 3 lovely people
from Ware sat at the table beside us. They had a little cooler
and a bottle of wine. They seemed to be negotiating with Dixiecup
at frustrating length. When Dixiecup walked away they threw up their hands (not in a coat-shedding kind of way)
and looked at us and asked, "What did you pay?". I thought they
were kidding but then Dixiecup came
back with a wineglass full of ice and I saw one of the women
dejectedly pouring her cherished wine directly onto the ice!
I felt compelled to step in, like when you see a crime being
committed and you get an adrenaline rush and beat up the perpetrator
and save the victim and go on TV and get a medal of bravery
from the mayor (but first get a new haircut and even put on
lipgloss and mascara) and give autographs and interviews and
then go back to your life. Yeah, like that. I leaned over and
said, "Do you want..." and before I could finish she shouted,
"Yes! Thank you!" and she reached over and put her wine bottle
in our bucket with relief and vindication. We made new friends.
Every time they reached over to retrieve or return their wine
to/from our ice bucket, we exchanged niceties. It was really
quite special. We bonded. I wanted to hold their hands. I wanted
to tell them to go to youtube and listen to the Young @ Heart
Chorus sing, "I will fix you". I wanted Fred Nittle to come
along and fix us all. I wanted to start a fan club for the whole
universe. I think people from Ware seem really nice. I had never
met any before.
Anyway, the food. It was really good. I went to New Orleans
once and I ate everything I could find so I do have some gastronomical
comparative metrics against which to rate this feast. It was
truly great and we tipped Dixiecup well
because we kind of enjoyed the whole ice bucket battle and maybe
because we felt victorious. I feel victorious exactly 0 times
each week so it was a unique and refreshing feeling for which
I thank Dixiecup.
We started with the Louisiana fried oysters in seasoned cornmeal
with fresh Cajun remoulade. The oysters were plump and amiable
and the cornmeal coating was loose and light yet coherent and
did not overwhelm the oysters or hoard too much oil from the
fryolator so the result was more oystery than fry-ey. The remoulade
was seemingly mayonnaise-based with a mild spice and had a pleasantly
vague crunch. The slight crunch was clearly from some lucky
vegetable that had gone on a wild ride through the cuisinart.
I am guessing onion. Both Kathleen and Dixiecup thought maybe onion too. A local character
in New Orleans who once randomly best-friended me on the street
(my crazy magnet was showing 3 bars of reception), told me an
old Cajun joke: "When a bunch of Cajuns get together to make
dinner one says, 'You guys decide what you want to make for
dinner; meanwhile I'll start chopping the onions". And so it
goes. (that's Kurt Vonnegut, no?)
We then ordered the Crawfish Quesadillas in flour tortilla with
crawfish tail meat, cheese and green onion and served with corn
tomato salsa. The quesadillas were lightly somethinged. They
seemed baked but aren't quesadillas usually pan-fried? And the
cheese was in perfect quantity; it neither overwhelmed the dish
(as we are wont to do in this land) nor underwhelmed (as we
are not wont to do), and the green onions were complementary
without being a punchline. The whole melee was drizzled with
a beigey-brown sauce which was sweet and tangy. I think it was
vinegar and sugar and secret ingredients. Dixiecup
agreed it must be so. We wished we had more
of the corn tomato salsa but didn't want
to push our luck, already being the envy of Springfield due
to our ice bucket coup. During dinner we chatted about Kathleen's
upcoming residency at The Art Complex Museum in Duxbury and
about the universe, the anxiety of winter, the guy at the other
table who looked vaguely famous and had lots of bling, Dixiecup
and the icebucket tug-of-war. The Art Complex Museum has a separate
house just for artists where you get a month long stay and a
studio. The beach is nearby but the locals don't want outsiders
there so you have to be tenacious about actually getting to
the beach. It's like you need to get a fake ID and an entry
level Bentley and wear pearls and shorts with oxford shirt and
bowtie and kneesocks. Otherwise you can park at the other side
of the bridge and walk over the long bridge and go to the beach
that way. It's a nice month-long stay though and the folks that
run the museum are all nice and interesting and into helping
artists.
We finished with the Aunt Millie's Five Flavor Pound Cake with
brandied pecans and peaches. It had many flavors but my math
skills are hilariously lacking (according to my tax accountant
who says I would be best served by the witness protection program
or a winning lottery ticket) so I can't be sure about the actual
number of flavors thing but it was pretty good.
And this does not exactly make for a full tasting of the menu
but I also draw on previous visits in which I had the Chef Wayne
Big Bayou Special which was incredible and also the Cajun Blackened
Catfish which was delightfully delightful. But I guess I can't
put that in this review as on those visits I did not take notes.
Next trip to Big Mamou I am bringing ice, a bucket, candles,
and a letter *R* for the bathroom wall where it says, "Lake
Ponchatrain". I give it 5 ice cubes.
This week Lilly Pereira is taking me to Osaka for helping with
her current show at the Hampden Gallery (reception date and
time above, I hope to see you there and I *will* be taking attendance)
and so I will report on that.
|
|
It's not "dadaists", it one person doing all of this.
Go back to your own blog flower face. By the way do you think it would anger the anarcho-syndicalists to find out that I would be willing to pay maybe up to $20 to get one of their wheat-grass papers to fill up the empty space on one of my walls?"~