Tuesday, September 16, 2008
About entropy.
What I am really interested in, and what I am so powerfully impacted by as a theme that unites Sparkplug members’ work, is not the phenomenon of entropy itself, but the fight against/resistance to/defiance of entropy and stasis that drives the art making process, and – more broadly – is a causal agent in dreaming up and enacting any kind of change to one’s environment. The contra-entropic impulse, if you will. One dictionary definition of entropy is “the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity” – i.e. the chaos and degradation all organisms and systems tend towards when no additional attention or oppositional energy is directed their way. But even artworks that appear at first to brim over with unbridled, noisy, surplus or even accidental energy and information (that is, lots of entropy!) have definite and deliberate organizing principles and patterns. These stratagems and motifs were put into play during their creation, and continue to evolve through viewers’ deepening engagements with the work over time.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
DCAC’s Sparkplug in New York City, Tuesday, Sept 16.
DCAC’s Sparkplug in New York City, Tuesday, Sept 16.
IT’S STILL. IT MOVES. II
E32 = VIDEO PHOTOGAPHY PAINTING MIXED MEDIA PERFORMANCE DOCUMENTATION DRAWING
Every 3rd Tuesday of the Month in New York City E32 is a video/discussion series that takes place at the 5C Cultural Center in New York City. E32 is pleased to announce DCAC’s Sparkplug is included in the upcoming video/discussion series titled:
IT’S STILL. IT MOVES. II
Tuesday September 16th, 2008
7:30 – 10:00 pm
5C Cultural Lounge
68 Avenue C at 5th Street
New York, New York
The show includes work by members of the DCAC’s Sparkplug including slides of work by: Kathryn McDonnell, Karen Joan Topping, Michael Matason, Lisa McCarty, Jenny Walton, Mark Planisek, Deborah Carroll-Anzinger, Peter Gordon, with Lea Ann Bigelow, curator.
More about E32 at http://e32.hitart.com/.
IT’S STILL. IT MOVES. II
E32 = VIDEO PHOTOGAPHY PAINTING MIXED MEDIA PERFORMANCE DOCUMENTATION DRAWING
Every 3rd Tuesday of the Month in New York City E32 is a video/discussion series that takes place at the 5C Cultural Center in New York City. E32 is pleased to announce DCAC’s Sparkplug is included in the upcoming video/discussion series titled:
IT’S STILL. IT MOVES. II
Tuesday September 16th, 2008
7:30 – 10:00 pm
5C Cultural Lounge
68 Avenue C at 5th Street
New York, New York
The show includes work by members of the DCAC’s Sparkplug including slides of work by: Kathryn McDonnell, Karen Joan Topping, Michael Matason, Lisa McCarty, Jenny Walton, Mark Planisek, Deborah Carroll-Anzinger, Peter Gordon, with Lea Ann Bigelow, curator.
More about E32 at http://e32.hitart.com/.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sept 14 - Meeting - Read carefully!
Hello Everyone – I am going to try to nip any confusion about the “PROPOSED MEETING” in the bud right now. It is happening – but read the below closely – it’s a little unorthodox.
While I was away at school this Summer in Philly there were committees and individuals that have been working on DCAC’s Sparkplug for the past year working. I am meeting with them first at the DCAC Gallery on September 14 from 7-8 PM to get their reports about our slide debut in the East Village, NYC, a Sparkplug proposal for a locally themed show of local artists and how to make membership clearer, fairer and help DCAC. Only people that were working on these projects should come to the DCAC Gallery at 7 PM.
We then wanted to have an open forum after that from 8-9 PM (or until it ends) for everyone that had been attending meetings sporadically for the past year and anyone new that might be lurking since we made our blog public (http://dcacsparkplug.blogspot.com/ ). We are all missing the easier going atmosphere we started off with and understand that we all need to get to know each other better if we are going to work together.
PROBLEM is that there is something in the DCAC theater that nite too – so it will not be a great idea for us to have a group larger than 10 or so people in the gallery on the 14th so as not to disturb the patrons in the theater.
THEREFORE, in order to solve this problem as soon as possible, I propose that at 8 PM we will all head over to the bar & pool hall, Bedrock Billiards, located in the Lower level of 1841 Columbia Rd NW. Some of you may recall this is where we first gathered a huge-ish group of people in 2007 to talk about why what they thought being involved in a collective could mean.
I encourage everyone that may be interested to see how we have handled our first year to come on by Sunday night, September 14 as we approach our “Terrible Two’s”. Feel free to email me directly at karenjoan@gmail.com with questions.
While I was away at school this Summer in Philly there were committees and individuals that have been working on DCAC’s Sparkplug for the past year working. I am meeting with them first at the DCAC Gallery on September 14 from 7-8 PM to get their reports about our slide debut in the East Village, NYC, a Sparkplug proposal for a locally themed show of local artists and how to make membership clearer, fairer and help DCAC. Only people that were working on these projects should come to the DCAC Gallery at 7 PM.
We then wanted to have an open forum after that from 8-9 PM (or until it ends) for everyone that had been attending meetings sporadically for the past year and anyone new that might be lurking since we made our blog public (http://dcacsparkplug.blogspot.com/ ). We are all missing the easier going atmosphere we started off with and understand that we all need to get to know each other better if we are going to work together.
PROBLEM is that there is something in the DCAC theater that nite too – so it will not be a great idea for us to have a group larger than 10 or so people in the gallery on the 14th so as not to disturb the patrons in the theater.
THEREFORE, in order to solve this problem as soon as possible, I propose that at 8 PM we will all head over to the bar & pool hall, Bedrock Billiards, located in the Lower level of 1841 Columbia Rd NW. Some of you may recall this is where we first gathered a huge-ish group of people in 2007 to talk about why what they thought being involved in a collective could mean.
I encourage everyone that may be interested to see how we have handled our first year to come on by Sunday night, September 14 as we approach our “Terrible Two’s”. Feel free to email me directly at karenjoan@gmail.com with questions.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Hi DCAC SPARKPLUGGERS
I'm back from Philly - Hope you all had a good Summer. Stay tuned for details on an open forum September meeting. I won't be able to announce the details until after September 8th or so - but I wanted to give people a chance to ask questions and get prepared for what is on our plate at the moment and find out how you can help out.
Ciao, Karen
I'm back from Philly - Hope you all had a good Summer. Stay tuned for details on an open forum September meeting. I won't be able to announce the details until after September 8th or so - but I wanted to give people a chance to ask questions and get prepared for what is on our plate at the moment and find out how you can help out.
Ciao, Karen
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
July Update
Hi all,
Just a few quick notes.
Our regularly scheduled meeting in July was just Mark and I. We had a great conversation over some beverages at Angles Bar. We missed you all.
Mark, Peter, and I have been meeting about getting the Arlington Arts Center proposal together and hope to have it ready for roll out to the general Sparkplug population by our September meeting. We are hoping to meet with the AAC people very soon and are excited about the possibilities of collaboration.
We are hoping to have an August meeting. So please stay tuned. If anyone has any questions, please contact me.
Jenny Walton
Just a few quick notes.
Our regularly scheduled meeting in July was just Mark and I. We had a great conversation over some beverages at Angles Bar. We missed you all.
Mark, Peter, and I have been meeting about getting the Arlington Arts Center proposal together and hope to have it ready for roll out to the general Sparkplug population by our September meeting. We are hoping to meet with the AAC people very soon and are excited about the possibilities of collaboration.
We are hoping to have an August meeting. So please stay tuned. If anyone has any questions, please contact me.
Jenny Walton
Monday, May 19, 2008
Meeting Minutes 5/12/08
Sparkplug minutes
5/12/2008
prepared by Jenny 5/19/08
First…an update:
Deborah and Josh welcomed little Zoë into the world on the Wednesday, the 14th. Everyone is doing well. She weighed 6lbs 3 oz and was 19.5 inches long.
Now down to business…
Members present: Karen, Lisa, Mike, Mark, Jenny, Kathryn and Peter. New people Christian Benefiel and Eva Hennessa.
Discussion:
Membership – It was discussed how to move forward with projects and still get the maximum enthusiasm and strength to continue in each project. The question of how large is too large was brought up and also if there should be criteria for membership. Several characteristics were discussed of fellow artists that we would hope to look for in someone entering the group. Development of a body of work, accomplishment, seriousness and commitment to working practice of art were all qualities and criteria we would like to look for. Further discussion will happen at the June meeting.
Blog – it is now public. The question of how it can benefit the community as a whole was discussed, as our findings from Learnapalooza were that there were some people that were really enthusiastic about creating, but may never actually want to join Sparkplug. Our question is how do we continue to reach out to those individuals?
E32 presentation draft: Lisa and Lea-Ann have done a great job in getting the draft of the presentation together. Lisa compiled all the images curated by Lea-Ann and put them together in a running slide presentation; each artist has 4-5 images. We did a couple run throughs of the presentation and made any necessary change notes. It was discussed that the show may run in June or September in New York. The general consensus was we would rather have it run in September to allow everyone to possibly get the time off to go see it. Lisa needs all info ASAP to complete the presentation. The presentation will be in it final format for the next meeting.
Cuisine des Artistes presented by Karen: DCAC’s biannual fundraiser is coming up on Wednesday May 28th. Sparkplug members are highly encouraged to participate in some way. Please contact Karen as soon as possible if you are interested in participating. If you are contributing food/art, Blair needs a paragraph bio and the “title” of your piece for the event by TODAY.
Arlington Arts Center proposal presented by Peter: We will be putting together a proposal for the Arlington Arts Center Community Gallery. The space is 13’ x 35’. Jeffrey Cudlin, director of exhibitions would like us in there in early 2009. Some issues to address in the proposal are: site specific to Arlington, how is Sparkplug’s mission different from DCAC’s, What is our idea of a collective. Several of these will necessitate a meeting with Mr. Cudlin to clarify. The idea of a sub-committee to take care of the initial dealings and proposal was brought up to make sure we submit a clear and concise proposal.
Eve Hennessa presented her work.
Next meeting Sunday, June 8th at 3pm at Jenny’s house in Kensington; poolside with potluck BBQ to follow. The meeting will happen from 3pm to 4:30pm then let the potluck begin! I will be inviting other artists to the potluck as a social art gathering. The pool should be open by then so bring your suits if you are interested in swimming. Please RSVP to jenny.walton@gmail.com this meeting and I will forward directions.
AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
i. Continue discussions of membership
ii. View final presentation of E32 submission
iii. Arlington Arts Center proposal
iv. artist presentations (if any)
v. exhibition exchange with San Francisco collective Agent Peach
5/12/2008
prepared by Jenny 5/19/08
First…an update:
Deborah and Josh welcomed little Zoë into the world on the Wednesday, the 14th. Everyone is doing well. She weighed 6lbs 3 oz and was 19.5 inches long.
Now down to business…
Members present: Karen, Lisa, Mike, Mark, Jenny, Kathryn and Peter. New people Christian Benefiel and Eva Hennessa.
Discussion:
Membership – It was discussed how to move forward with projects and still get the maximum enthusiasm and strength to continue in each project. The question of how large is too large was brought up and also if there should be criteria for membership. Several characteristics were discussed of fellow artists that we would hope to look for in someone entering the group. Development of a body of work, accomplishment, seriousness and commitment to working practice of art were all qualities and criteria we would like to look for. Further discussion will happen at the June meeting.
Blog – it is now public. The question of how it can benefit the community as a whole was discussed, as our findings from Learnapalooza were that there were some people that were really enthusiastic about creating, but may never actually want to join Sparkplug. Our question is how do we continue to reach out to those individuals?
E32 presentation draft: Lisa and Lea-Ann have done a great job in getting the draft of the presentation together. Lisa compiled all the images curated by Lea-Ann and put them together in a running slide presentation; each artist has 4-5 images. We did a couple run throughs of the presentation and made any necessary change notes. It was discussed that the show may run in June or September in New York. The general consensus was we would rather have it run in September to allow everyone to possibly get the time off to go see it. Lisa needs all info ASAP to complete the presentation. The presentation will be in it final format for the next meeting.
Cuisine des Artistes presented by Karen: DCAC’s biannual fundraiser is coming up on Wednesday May 28th. Sparkplug members are highly encouraged to participate in some way. Please contact Karen as soon as possible if you are interested in participating. If you are contributing food/art, Blair needs a paragraph bio and the “title” of your piece for the event by TODAY.
Arlington Arts Center proposal presented by Peter: We will be putting together a proposal for the Arlington Arts Center Community Gallery. The space is 13’ x 35’. Jeffrey Cudlin, director of exhibitions would like us in there in early 2009. Some issues to address in the proposal are: site specific to Arlington, how is Sparkplug’s mission different from DCAC’s, What is our idea of a collective. Several of these will necessitate a meeting with Mr. Cudlin to clarify. The idea of a sub-committee to take care of the initial dealings and proposal was brought up to make sure we submit a clear and concise proposal.
Eve Hennessa presented her work.
Next meeting Sunday, June 8th at 3pm at Jenny’s house in Kensington; poolside with potluck BBQ to follow. The meeting will happen from 3pm to 4:30pm then let the potluck begin! I will be inviting other artists to the potluck as a social art gathering. The pool should be open by then so bring your suits if you are interested in swimming. Please RSVP to jenny.walton@gmail.com this meeting and I will forward directions.
AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
i. Continue discussions of membership
ii. View final presentation of E32 submission
iii. Arlington Arts Center proposal
iv. artist presentations (if any)
v. exhibition exchange with San Francisco collective Agent Peach
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Associated Press: Pop artist Robert Rauschenberg dies in Fla. at 82
The Associated Press: Pop artist Robert Rauschenberg dies in Fla. at 82
This is such a huge loss to the art world.
This is such a huge loss to the art world.
Friday, May 9, 2008
pricing artists DVD's for sale
This information came to me thru Lea-Ann while hanging the Sparkplug show - and I realized what a great resource it was - hard to find discussion of it anywhere out side the gallery system. It gives good reason to burn & complete these things before you exhibit them. This all made more sense when it was in someone elses words. Thanks!
pricing artists DVD's for sale
AP (Artist Proof) would be priced the highest. For future knowledge, the number of APs in an edition is contingent upon how many copies make up the edition. There should only be one AP for every third of the edition. If there is an edition of three so that means 1 AP. If there is an edition of 10--you would have 3 APs.
pricing artists DVD's for sale
AP (Artist Proof) would be priced the highest. For future knowledge, the number of APs in an edition is contingent upon how many copies make up the edition. There should only be one AP for every third of the edition. If there is an edition of three so that means 1 AP. If there is an edition of 10--you would have 3 APs.
SPARKPLUG at Learnapalooza 2008 Saturday, May 10th
Hope you're planning to join us this Saturday for Learnapalooza DC
2008! Check out this awesome selection of workshops at DCAC:
http://www.dcartscenter.org/sparkplug.htm
SPARKPLUG at Learnapalooza 2008
Artist Materials 101: 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM taught by artist, Jenny
Walton
This short demonstration will take you through materials that artists
have traditionally used up to today's vast variety of widely available
media. We will explore the transition from dirt to paint and
everything in between, focusing on the genres of drawing and painting.
*Black and white
Graphite & Charcoal, Differences between each, how are they made
Inks: Sumi and India
Commercial – traditional vs. modern (natural and synthetic)
*Color pigment – what is it and where does it come from?
Natural vs. synthetic
How does it get mixed to create different mediums
Watercolor, Gouache, Oils, Acrylics, Pastels
*Paper - Small history lesson on papermaking
Examples today’s vast variety
Usage
Eastern vs. western methods
*Painting Grounds
Canvas vs. linen painting
Stretching Your Own Canvas: 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM taught by artist, Peter
Gordon
This demonstration (with a handout) will give people the knowledge to
stretch their own painting canvases in order to save them money and
increase their sense of ownership using a three step demonstration so
people can see the process first hand before attempting in their own
studios.
Demonstration supplies:
• Unprimed canvas (3 pieces, roughly 14-17 inches each)
• Stretcher bars (six 11 inch/ six 14 inch length bars)
• Canvas pliers (1)
• Staple gun (1)
• staples (plenty!!!).
Framing Tips: 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM taught by artist and museum
preparator, Mark Planisek
In this demonstration the canvas that was stretched in the earlier
class is placed in a widely available standard size commercial frame.
Students will get pointers on the different fasteners that can be used
to hold the canvas in the frame, how to wrap a professional picture
wire, when to use D-rings and what kind of hanging nail to use with
each hanging mechanism.
Plus 60 more, learn Mandarin, Improv, Meditation, Juggling, Yoga,
Capoeira, Photoshop, Photography, Pool, and dozens of other things...
all for free.
. l
http://learnapaloozadc.com/workshops/list
AND... AFTER THE WORKSHOPS, LET'S MEET UP FOR DRINKS!
Learnapalooza After-Party
7-10 PM, Saturday May 10th
Local 16 (1602 U St NW)
$4 Learnapalooza drink specials
See you there!
P.S. If you want to help out, email i...@learnapaloozadc.com. We need
volunteers Friday evening 6-8PM and Saturday all day.
2008! Check out this awesome selection of workshops at DCAC:
http://www.dcartscenter.org/sparkplug.htm
SPARKPLUG at Learnapalooza 2008
Artist Materials 101: 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM taught by artist, Jenny
Walton
This short demonstration will take you through materials that artists
have traditionally used up to today's vast variety of widely available
media. We will explore the transition from dirt to paint and
everything in between, focusing on the genres of drawing and painting.
*Black and white
Graphite & Charcoal, Differences between each, how are they made
Inks: Sumi and India
Commercial – traditional vs. modern (natural and synthetic)
*Color pigment – what is it and where does it come from?
Natural vs. synthetic
How does it get mixed to create different mediums
Watercolor, Gouache, Oils, Acrylics, Pastels
*Paper - Small history lesson on papermaking
Examples today’s vast variety
Usage
Eastern vs. western methods
*Painting Grounds
Canvas vs. linen painting
Stretching Your Own Canvas: 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM taught by artist, Peter
Gordon
This demonstration (with a handout) will give people the knowledge to
stretch their own painting canvases in order to save them money and
increase their sense of ownership using a three step demonstration so
people can see the process first hand before attempting in their own
studios.
Demonstration supplies:
• Unprimed canvas (3 pieces, roughly 14-17 inches each)
• Stretcher bars (six 11 inch/ six 14 inch length bars)
• Canvas pliers (1)
• Staple gun (1)
• staples (plenty!!!).
Framing Tips: 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM taught by artist and museum
preparator, Mark Planisek
In this demonstration the canvas that was stretched in the earlier
class is placed in a widely available standard size commercial frame.
Students will get pointers on the different fasteners that can be used
to hold the canvas in the frame, how to wrap a professional picture
wire, when to use D-rings and what kind of hanging nail to use with
each hanging mechanism.
Plus 60 more, learn Mandarin, Improv, Meditation, Juggling, Yoga,
Capoeira, Photoshop, Photography, Pool, and dozens of other things...
all for free.
. l
http://learnapaloozadc.com/workshops/list
AND... AFTER THE WORKSHOPS, LET'S MEET UP FOR DRINKS!
Learnapalooza After-Party
7-10 PM, Saturday May 10th
Local 16 (1602 U St NW)
$4 Learnapalooza drink specials
See you there!
P.S. If you want to help out, email i...@learnapaloozadc.com. We need
volunteers Friday evening 6-8PM and Saturday all day.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Next meeting is planned for Monday May 12, 730 PM
Hello - Next meeting is planned for Monday May 12, 730 PM at DCAC,
definitely in the gallery - we need to de-install. For the 7 that
were in the show - if you can’t make this meeting you need to let me
know ASAP so I can arrange to get you in to pick up your stuff on
Sunday nite.
Agenda items for next meeting
1- deinstall - post-mort show & learn-a-palooza and document what was
great and what we need to do better
2- presentations
Kofi Dofour cannot make the meeting on Monday so will have to present
later.
I have had inquiries from five or so new people. If you are one of
those new people and would like to present some slides let me know
ASAP. Bring a CD of only five or so jpgs representing your most
current work and plan to talk for 5-10.
3- Working on getting a draft of the E32 project to screen - but not
sure that is going to come through in time for Monday - if it does
we’ll show it
4- Talk about Cuisine des Artistes - DCAC really needs everyone to
help with this. I am glad many of you have mentioned ideas to me, but
you really, really need to email bstan...@dcartscenter.org so he knows
you are confirmed and can put you in touch with the coordinator for
the event. We can brainstorm more ideas at the meeting as it would be
fantastic if everyone that was just in the exhibition could do
appetizers and talk about your experience so far with Sparkplug to the
guests (those that can ‘show us the money’) at this event
5- Talk about my draft for the new Sparkplug web page on
dcartscenter.org as well as possibility of documenting the 1st show
with an online publication
6- plan a June meeting some where other than DCAC (the show that comes
in after us will be de-installing both Sunday and Monday) - options
could be another party or meet at a museum or someone’s studio,
7- decide what you want to do about meetings for July & August so I
can let B & DCAC know
8- ~ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk
about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda-AND
ANYTHING I MAY HAVE FORGOT!
definitely in the gallery - we need to de-install. For the 7 that
were in the show - if you can’t make this meeting you need to let me
know ASAP so I can arrange to get you in to pick up your stuff on
Sunday nite.
Agenda items for next meeting
1- deinstall - post-mort show & learn-a-palooza and document what was
great and what we need to do better
2- presentations
Kofi Dofour cannot make the meeting on Monday so will have to present
later.
I have had inquiries from five or so new people. If you are one of
those new people and would like to present some slides let me know
ASAP. Bring a CD of only five or so jpgs representing your most
current work and plan to talk for 5-10.
3- Working on getting a draft of the E32 project to screen - but not
sure that is going to come through in time for Monday - if it does
we’ll show it
4- Talk about Cuisine des Artistes - DCAC really needs everyone to
help with this. I am glad many of you have mentioned ideas to me, but
you really, really need to email bstan...@dcartscenter.org so he knows
you are confirmed and can put you in touch with the coordinator for
the event. We can brainstorm more ideas at the meeting as it would be
fantastic if everyone that was just in the exhibition could do
appetizers and talk about your experience so far with Sparkplug to the
guests (those that can ‘show us the money’) at this event
5- Talk about my draft for the new Sparkplug web page on
dcartscenter.org as well as possibility of documenting the 1st show
with an online publication
6- plan a June meeting some where other than DCAC (the show that comes
in after us will be de-installing both Sunday and Monday) - options
could be another party or meet at a museum or someone’s studio,
7- decide what you want to do about meetings for July & August so I
can let B & DCAC know
8- ~ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk
about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda-AND
ANYTHING I MAY HAVE FORGOT!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Congratulations and thanks to everyone that helped make this show a reality. Can I just tell all of you how impressed I am with everyone's contributions and thankful I am that you have welcomed me in participating in this experience. The learning and resources shared by this "gang of nine" in the past 4 weeks has surpassed what I had ever imagined and is only the beginning.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Meeting Minutes 04/13/08
SPARKPLUG 4/14/08 minutes (taken by Karen) There were 12 people in attendance : Jenny, Kathryn, Mike, Mark, Lisa, Deborah, Peter, Lea-Ann, Philip, B, Kofi & Karen
Agenda items were covered as follows AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RESPOND WITH QUESTIONS, CORRECTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS –WE COVERED A LOT!:
1-introducing
We had one new prospective member attend the meeting. His name is Kofi Dofour and we will plan of having him do a short presentation of his work at the next meeting. In the meantime his website is http://kofidofour.com/splash.html
2-Slides “E32”
Lisa was kind enough to volunteer to take everyone’s images and burn them to a CD so Lea-Ann could take them home and work with ordering them – at this point we did not put a dead line on this.
• Lea-Ann will put them in a power point so we can all take a look at the presentation.
• Once the presentation is OK’ed Lisa will work on sizing the chosen images (and syncing the music choice),
• Karen or Kathryn need to go back through their emails and get the submission format requirements for resolution to E32 and send to Lisa,
• When we have uploaded to E32 we let Kathryn know so she can let her contact Linda Griggs know,
3-Sparkplug the exhibition
Lea-Ann will be contacting people in this first exhibition (Jenny, Kathryn, Mike, Mark, Lisa, Deborah, Peter, & Karen) to schedule studio visits to get a dialogue going about what work we should be bring for installation on 4/30. She will post these times as open studio times if others are available at the set times and want to participate in the studio visit.
Peter will work on formatting resumes, etc. for a gallery binder for the show. Please send him a resume and statement in Word ASAP so he has time to mock up everyone’s resumes in a similar format.
Karen will work on getting an email phone list distributed for this show so we can contact each other directly rather than through the group in the next two weeks. (You should have received this already) She should also be able to send you a pdf/html of the show postcard for you to send to your individual email lists between the 16th & 18th. Hard-copy postcards should be available the week of the 23rd. Stay tuned for more details on dealing getting hard-copy cards.
Once you have spoken with Lea-Ann make sure that you have the following information for all the works she has selected/suggested you bring to installation
Your name,
title of work
Medium
Dimensions h x w x d
Year
For all future projects – make sure you provide this information with any images that are collected!!!!
critical details as discussed:
Submit resume/statement for binder Sun., April 20
Drop off work and hang the show Wed./Thurs., April 30 & May 1
Opening Event - Fri., May 2
Learn-a-Palooza/Meet the Artists Sat., May 10 – 2 PM to 5:30 PM
Take down show remove work from gallery Sun., May 11 (After 7 PM)
Mon., May 12 (730 PM & after-this is also our next meeting day)
3-Learn-a-Palooza
link to last years Learn-A-Palooza http://www.learnapaloozadc.com/
It was agreed that the format of offering the three workshops we are brainstorming as 25 minutes classes in the following order would be preferable:
230 PM – materials show & tell
330 PM – stretching a canvas
430 PM - Now you want to frame it
If we get a good turn out this will leave us plenty of time to answer questions so we don’t run over out time limit. Right now we can still use the theater for the workshops. The gallery opens at 2 PM.
Lisa and Kathryn can help with set and break down and then assist in the gallery if people come to the meet the artist (though we need to clarify times for them as I don’t think either of them can stay the whole time). We need to be cleaned up and out of the theater by 5:30 PM.
Karen will work on getting the class descriptions posted to learn-a-palooza and the DCAC listserv and approach Utrecht for material donation. Hope to have an answer about that by the end of the month – if not we will need to get stretcher bars to fit in Mark’s 11” x 14” frame.
3-goals for goals
Cuisine des Artistes – is DCAC’s major fundraiser. This year it is on Wed., May 28.
There is more information on the dcartscenter.org website about how to participate. If volunteering artists services will not fit into your schedule please see if you can volunteer in some other way for the event: like help set-up, clean-up, sell memberships. Volunteers are critical to making this a success. Passing on information to people that might attend is also really important to expanding our membership.
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
a-Suggestions for the short term to get it ready for the show on the May 2: Post the html of the show card and details and make it link to the blog ASAP before the postcards go out.
Not ASAP but sooner rather than later - we talked about what we needed to add to the Sparkplug page of the DCAC website to more accurately reflect how far we’ve come. So far the belief is that focus, themes and discussions will change and ‘prospectives’ should feel comfortable with working in the collective for the duration of their interest (I think the idea here is along the lines that commitment is only required for ‘projects’ not for participation-does that sound right?)
Participation in the monthly meetings was critical to motivating projects and the artists & curators that were participating so far would welcome anyone that makes the effort to ‘be there’. It is this sharing of experience and idea and being able to lend you individual skills at what you are good that is making this venture collective and a much greater motivating factor than just being a ‘member of a group’.
In general making the blog public was Ok with everyone. Adding a list of shows or some kind of group resume to the blog was suggested that lists the projects we complete. Karen will work from her notes from this discussion to draft something for dcartscenter.org/sparkplug. Be on the lookout to respond with comments to the ‘updated description’ that she will send out on the Google group.
b-curatorial development. Lea-Ann noted that at the first meeting at Bedrock Billiards A LOT of curators showed up and that perhaps we needed to comb through the list and work at re inviting these people to try coming to the set meeting times and get involved in the dialogue. DO we need to also try to develop in the area of writing too?
c-In the future if we want new people to come – we may have to strike doing so much administrative business at the monthly meeting and set secondary meeting times or REALLY use the web & phone ….
4~ACTION!
-Make sure you get in touch and set up your studio visit with Lea-Ann
-Make sure your schedule is clear AT NIGHT in the 30th & 1st so you can help out with the installation – keep both days free in case we can’t hang everything Lea-Ann chooses you will need to get it out of the space on Thursday nite
-Make sure that you come to DCAC with all the price list info-title dimension, etc….
-make sure that you can or arrange for someone else to pick up your works for De0install on May 11 or 12 (we will do our regular meet up on the 12th, 730 PM)
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is planned for Monday, May 12 at 7:30 PM
at the DCAC gallery
~De-Install works from the show that ends on May 11
~Kofi Dofour will present
~hopefully see a draft of the E32 presentation in power point
~plan summer meetings
~ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda-AND ANYTHING I MAY HAVE FORGOT!
Agenda items were covered as follows AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RESPOND WITH QUESTIONS, CORRECTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS –WE COVERED A LOT!:
1-introducing
We had one new prospective member attend the meeting. His name is Kofi Dofour and we will plan of having him do a short presentation of his work at the next meeting. In the meantime his website is http://kofidofour.com/splash.html
2-Slides “E32”
Lisa was kind enough to volunteer to take everyone’s images and burn them to a CD so Lea-Ann could take them home and work with ordering them – at this point we did not put a dead line on this.
• Lea-Ann will put them in a power point so we can all take a look at the presentation.
• Once the presentation is OK’ed Lisa will work on sizing the chosen images (and syncing the music choice),
• Karen or Kathryn need to go back through their emails and get the submission format requirements for resolution to E32 and send to Lisa,
• When we have uploaded to E32 we let Kathryn know so she can let her contact Linda Griggs know,
3-Sparkplug the exhibition
Lea-Ann will be contacting people in this first exhibition (Jenny, Kathryn, Mike, Mark, Lisa, Deborah, Peter, & Karen) to schedule studio visits to get a dialogue going about what work we should be bring for installation on 4/30. She will post these times as open studio times if others are available at the set times and want to participate in the studio visit.
Peter will work on formatting resumes, etc. for a gallery binder for the show. Please send him a resume and statement in Word ASAP so he has time to mock up everyone’s resumes in a similar format.
Karen will work on getting an email phone list distributed for this show so we can contact each other directly rather than through the group in the next two weeks. (You should have received this already) She should also be able to send you a pdf/html of the show postcard for you to send to your individual email lists between the 16th & 18th. Hard-copy postcards should be available the week of the 23rd. Stay tuned for more details on dealing getting hard-copy cards.
Once you have spoken with Lea-Ann make sure that you have the following information for all the works she has selected/suggested you bring to installation
Your name,
title of work
Medium
Dimensions h x w x d
Year
For all future projects – make sure you provide this information with any images that are collected!!!!
critical details as discussed:
Submit resume/statement for binder Sun., April 20
Drop off work and hang the show Wed./Thurs., April 30 & May 1
Opening Event - Fri., May 2
Learn-a-Palooza/Meet the Artists Sat., May 10 – 2 PM to 5:30 PM
Take down show remove work from gallery Sun., May 11 (After 7 PM)
Mon., May 12 (730 PM & after-this is also our next meeting day)
3-Learn-a-Palooza
link to last years Learn-A-Palooza http://www.learnapaloozadc.com/
It was agreed that the format of offering the three workshops we are brainstorming as 25 minutes classes in the following order would be preferable:
230 PM – materials show & tell
330 PM – stretching a canvas
430 PM - Now you want to frame it
If we get a good turn out this will leave us plenty of time to answer questions so we don’t run over out time limit. Right now we can still use the theater for the workshops. The gallery opens at 2 PM.
Lisa and Kathryn can help with set and break down and then assist in the gallery if people come to the meet the artist (though we need to clarify times for them as I don’t think either of them can stay the whole time). We need to be cleaned up and out of the theater by 5:30 PM.
Karen will work on getting the class descriptions posted to learn-a-palooza and the DCAC listserv and approach Utrecht for material donation. Hope to have an answer about that by the end of the month – if not we will need to get stretcher bars to fit in Mark’s 11” x 14” frame.
3-goals for goals
Cuisine des Artistes – is DCAC’s major fundraiser. This year it is on Wed., May 28.
There is more information on the dcartscenter.org website about how to participate. If volunteering artists services will not fit into your schedule please see if you can volunteer in some other way for the event: like help set-up, clean-up, sell memberships. Volunteers are critical to making this a success. Passing on information to people that might attend is also really important to expanding our membership.
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
a-Suggestions for the short term to get it ready for the show on the May 2: Post the html of the show card and details and make it link to the blog ASAP before the postcards go out.
Not ASAP but sooner rather than later - we talked about what we needed to add to the Sparkplug page of the DCAC website to more accurately reflect how far we’ve come. So far the belief is that focus, themes and discussions will change and ‘prospectives’ should feel comfortable with working in the collective for the duration of their interest (I think the idea here is along the lines that commitment is only required for ‘projects’ not for participation-does that sound right?)
Participation in the monthly meetings was critical to motivating projects and the artists & curators that were participating so far would welcome anyone that makes the effort to ‘be there’. It is this sharing of experience and idea and being able to lend you individual skills at what you are good that is making this venture collective and a much greater motivating factor than just being a ‘member of a group’.
In general making the blog public was Ok with everyone. Adding a list of shows or some kind of group resume to the blog was suggested that lists the projects we complete. Karen will work from her notes from this discussion to draft something for dcartscenter.org/sparkplug. Be on the lookout to respond with comments to the ‘updated description’ that she will send out on the Google group.
b-curatorial development. Lea-Ann noted that at the first meeting at Bedrock Billiards A LOT of curators showed up and that perhaps we needed to comb through the list and work at re inviting these people to try coming to the set meeting times and get involved in the dialogue. DO we need to also try to develop in the area of writing too?
c-In the future if we want new people to come – we may have to strike doing so much administrative business at the monthly meeting and set secondary meeting times or REALLY use the web & phone ….
4~ACTION!
-Make sure you get in touch and set up your studio visit with Lea-Ann
-Make sure your schedule is clear AT NIGHT in the 30th & 1st so you can help out with the installation – keep both days free in case we can’t hang everything Lea-Ann chooses you will need to get it out of the space on Thursday nite
-Make sure that you come to DCAC with all the price list info-title dimension, etc….
-make sure that you can or arrange for someone else to pick up your works for De0install on May 11 or 12 (we will do our regular meet up on the 12th, 730 PM)
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is planned for Monday, May 12 at 7:30 PM
at the DCAC gallery
~De-Install works from the show that ends on May 11
~Kofi Dofour will present
~hopefully see a draft of the E32 presentation in power point
~plan summer meetings
~ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda-AND ANYTHING I MAY HAVE FORGOT!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Next Meeting Sunday April 13, 700 PM at DCAC
Hello - Next meeting is planned for Sunday April 13, 700 PM at DCAC, probably in the gallery.
Agenda
1-Get to work loading up people’s chosen work and formatting the presentation for E32. If Lea-Ann has not already contacted you she hopes to get to everyone by Wed., 4/9. Bring the absolutely highest resolution of the image(s) chosen; and hopefully we will be able to work out the sizing of our images for E32 as a group.
2-Talk about what is underpinning the choices of the photos in order that we all have something to bring to the show installation at DCAC on Wed., 4/30. As mentioned earlier it is likely that some of us may not have the exact works available that get chosen for E32 because the work is sold or destroyed or not printed or what-have-you.…
To recall last meetings discussion there are two major tangents that I remember: 1- entropy, 2-place.
en·tro·py, noun
1. a measure of the disorder that exists in a system
2. a measure of the energy in a system or process that is unavailable to do work. Symbol S
3. a measure of the random errors (noise) occurring in the transmission of signals, and from this a measure of the efficiency of transmission systems
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
After looking at the definition of entropy, I think that although our discussion of ‘place’ focused on our experience of place as “Washington, DC” I think we all may start thinking about what guides the choice of works we can bring to install as:
1-entropy 2-place 3-systems.
These three words seem like more than enough to get people started.
3- thanks to Peter for volunteering to format a binder for this show – in the future we will want to make sure we keep this up as an electronic file available at DCAC too. I sent out a deadline of 4/25 to have information (A resume and a one to two paragraph statement) to Peter by, but as always the sooner the better. This is Peter's email: pgordon78@yahoo.com
4-Discuss Learn-A-Palooza. We communicated our short meeting about this event and the ideas for the three classes in another post. We will want to nail down the details like times and schedules at this meeting.
In order to post the classes on the Learn-a-Palooza website, have printed info available at the May 2 opening and get the event of the DCAC listserv I need the blurbs as soon as possible (definitely no later that April 15 for the blurbs-if I can get them before the meeting, even better) and canvas stretching and framing sizes (ASAP).
I’m working on developing a materials list to try and get donations from Utrecht but that is not a done deal yet– so if you have something in your studio that you are not going to use and want to bring it on 4/13 to donate, give me a heads up in an email about what it is. karenjoan@gmail.com
3-ideas about ideas (which I seem to be monopolizing this month)
a-I have some updates concerning the past month or so at DCAC. What brought on my card mock up that is posted on the blog and DCAC’s Cuisine des Artistes upcoming fundraiser and how you can help.
b-my experience at the conference in NYC and some ideas or opportunities that could be pursued in the future,
c-there are at least 3 new people that have requested to join the list serve, have asked me questions and are looking at our posts. I hope to see them at the upcoming meeting.
d-as this first exhibit gets off the ground, we by default will begin to form a particular public identity for DCAC’s Sparkplug. I urge you to look at the Sparkplug tab on the DC Arts Center website http://dcartscenter.org/sparkplug.htm and think about the specific aspects of the experience so far, what we have contributed to this discussion and where we want to go.
4-goals for goals
a-discuss curatorial development, where do we find more idea people to help craft shows and statements, etc. as well as give fresh perspectives from non-artists perspective and how do we entice them to like us?
Email me any additions you'd like to see on the agenda, any questions or corrections. karenjoan@gmail.com
Agenda
1-Get to work loading up people’s chosen work and formatting the presentation for E32. If Lea-Ann has not already contacted you she hopes to get to everyone by Wed., 4/9. Bring the absolutely highest resolution of the image(s) chosen; and hopefully we will be able to work out the sizing of our images for E32 as a group.
2-Talk about what is underpinning the choices of the photos in order that we all have something to bring to the show installation at DCAC on Wed., 4/30. As mentioned earlier it is likely that some of us may not have the exact works available that get chosen for E32 because the work is sold or destroyed or not printed or what-have-you.…
To recall last meetings discussion there are two major tangents that I remember: 1- entropy, 2-place.
en·tro·py, noun
1. a measure of the disorder that exists in a system
2. a measure of the energy in a system or process that is unavailable to do work. Symbol S
3. a measure of the random errors (noise) occurring in the transmission of signals, and from this a measure of the efficiency of transmission systems
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
After looking at the definition of entropy, I think that although our discussion of ‘place’ focused on our experience of place as “Washington, DC” I think we all may start thinking about what guides the choice of works we can bring to install as:
1-entropy 2-place 3-systems.
These three words seem like more than enough to get people started.
3- thanks to Peter for volunteering to format a binder for this show – in the future we will want to make sure we keep this up as an electronic file available at DCAC too. I sent out a deadline of 4/25 to have information (A resume and a one to two paragraph statement) to Peter by, but as always the sooner the better. This is Peter's email: pgordon78@yahoo.com
4-Discuss Learn-A-Palooza. We communicated our short meeting about this event and the ideas for the three classes in another post. We will want to nail down the details like times and schedules at this meeting.
In order to post the classes on the Learn-a-Palooza website, have printed info available at the May 2 opening and get the event of the DCAC listserv I need the blurbs as soon as possible (definitely no later that April 15 for the blurbs-if I can get them before the meeting, even better) and canvas stretching and framing sizes (ASAP).
I’m working on developing a materials list to try and get donations from Utrecht but that is not a done deal yet– so if you have something in your studio that you are not going to use and want to bring it on 4/13 to donate, give me a heads up in an email about what it is. karenjoan@gmail.com
3-ideas about ideas (which I seem to be monopolizing this month)
a-I have some updates concerning the past month or so at DCAC. What brought on my card mock up that is posted on the blog and DCAC’s Cuisine des Artistes upcoming fundraiser and how you can help.
b-my experience at the conference in NYC and some ideas or opportunities that could be pursued in the future,
c-there are at least 3 new people that have requested to join the list serve, have asked me questions and are looking at our posts. I hope to see them at the upcoming meeting.
d-as this first exhibit gets off the ground, we by default will begin to form a particular public identity for DCAC’s Sparkplug. I urge you to look at the Sparkplug tab on the DC Arts Center website http://dcartscenter.org/sparkplug.htm and think about the specific aspects of the experience so far, what we have contributed to this discussion and where we want to go.
4-goals for goals
a-discuss curatorial development, where do we find more idea people to help craft shows and statements, etc. as well as give fresh perspectives from non-artists perspective and how do we entice them to like us?
Email me any additions you'd like to see on the agenda, any questions or corrections. karenjoan@gmail.com
Saturday, March 22, 2008
LEFT - mock up for possible invite
HERE IS THE TIMETABLE FOR THE SHOW WE COMMITTED TO AT DCAC -
Provide information for press releas/binder: April 13
Installation: April 30 and May 1, 2008
Opening Reception: May 2, 2008
Dismantle exhibition: Sunday, May 11 (evening -while the gallery is closed) or Monday May 12, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Hello - for discusions sake I am posting my first short semester paper, seeing it's about
~the relationship between art & school (relevent to Learnapalooza),
~I kind of take a stab at DC, which is kind of unlike me - but after a decade of not leaving the city very often I am becoming more and more convinced that we need a non-federal, relatively independant CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM in this city (which is relevent to maintaining and growing the arts and artists in the city)
~uses the New Museum's program "Night School" to introduce this facinating guy Anton Vidokle, I am most impressed that I have found THREE collections of essays that he has participated in published online as PDFs - and think in the future that even if we cannot pay to create 'catalogs' for whatever we do - we should definately consider using this online psoting of pdf books method - especially as we have some design people with some crazy skills that could make an online pdf look really hot and print really nice.
recess is over...Karen
Sleepless in DC because of “Night School”
Sleepless not because of the eleventh hour push to get assignments done or worrying about grades, but sleepless thinking about a program going on for the entire year of 2008 at the New Museum in New York City; called “Night School”, the program is commissioned from artist Anton Vidokle by the New Museum and the core offering to the public is four days of seminars at the end of every month which are run and moderated by more than a dozen artists, writers and contemporary thinkers. Much more than just a program of public seminars, the New Museum’s literature relates and expands on the format of a “temporary school” where museums, organizing contributors, twenty-five hand selected core students and the interested public facilitate extended critical engagement in contemporary art, institutions and the role of the artist ("Night School").
The yearlong “Night School” falls under and alongside the auspices of other new programs that coincide with the opening of the New Museum’s brand new building. The “Night School” organizers are counted as ‘fellows’ of a new program called Museum as Hub which will partner four international art organizations with the New Museum’s. All will implement programming in their locale on the agreed topic of ‘neighborhood’, cross planning and hosting the other institutions literally and virtually on their websites, and in exhibition spaces and education centers. Museum as Hub is described as a “new model for curatorial practice and institutional collaboration…to enhance our understanding of contemporary art around the world” ("Night School"). This interconnected tangle of programs and exhibitions seems cleverly formulated to perhaps for the first time cut into the maze of bias, nepotism, leading experts and arbiters of taste to rediscover what discovering art is: a very real desire to ‘get it’.
In Vidokle’s transcribed opening remarks for “Night School” he frighteningly states “while it is still possible to produce critical art object, there seems to be no public out there to complete its transformative function, possibly rendering the very premise behind contemporary art practice effectively futile” (2). He describes the subtle and complex historic difference between the socially engaged public of the past and the one of the present that seems to be degenerating into an audience that does not seek a role beyond “being consumers of leisure and spectacle” ("Vidokle" 2). This is a clear observation that should give pause to thought for all, not just artists.
What seems to be fundamental to the understanding of “Night School” as a commissioned work of art is that it is a work that finally gets around to exploring what has always been crucial to appreciating art, the process of engagement. Far from blockbuster exhibitions that have brought a whole world of paintings to billboards and covered city buses in advertising ‘skins’, “Night School” is designed to “aggressively solicit audiences…through advertisement” of its “content” not it’s “objects” ("Vidokle" 3). Like the adage “a workman is only as good as his tools” this far-reaching program does not shy away from the part of the system that works, but seeks to uproot the insidious and pervasive apathy of thought that approaches the practice of art and trappings of culture as just another commodity to be pigeonholed or peddled to niche markets.
Vidokle describes the product of “Night School” as “framed by itself” and while assisted by the museum the program does not totally rely on the institution to “display it” ("Vidokle" 4). It is exactly because of inspired statements like this that I am simultaneously loathing and loving the internet at the moment for sending me the enchanted list-serve email that made me aware of this program happening in a city 350 miles away from me in the first place. Lauded for the accessibility of its national museums, that are admission free and open every day but Christmas, the institutions in Washington, DC have historically served as window for a national audience to look upon this countries objects of significance. The Smithsonian Institution and other national galleries have likewise existed as a “frame for itself” as the nation’s cabinet of wonders for spectacle and for acceptable interpretation. But from my perspective as a full-time colonial citizen of the United States capital city circa 2008 it seems that in DC, as in Vidokle’s description of his project for Manifesta 6 “the situation demands not commentary, but involvement and production”("Exhibition" 2). The desire to be a part of a dialogue and the anticipation of carrying away ideas, rather than note cards and coffee mugs, has already taken a strong hold on me. Unlike the ambivalence I feel for the entreaty of my peers that I ‘really must go to Miami one of these years’- I feel drawn to “Night School” in an almost supernatural way; not unlike Vidokle describes his reading of George Maciunas unrealized vision for the New Marlborough Centre for the Arts that that Vidokle says “is a proposal that hinges on the notion of ‘possibility’, saying far less about what needs to be done than about what can be done” ("Exhibition" 3). And on that note – there is something in this man Vidokle’s single-minded repetition that there must be a way found for art, lasting great art, that can be made available to the public independent of the institutions that the leading society is holding onto with a death grip. As individuals, we have become too comfortable with our insular tendencies. Unlike the spirit of revolution and manifesto driven by desires to break from totalitarianism and capitalism that are now reflected upon as the impetus for the ‘true’ art of the 20th century, the 21st century has yet to name its motivation. I vote for thoughtful collaboration, access to information and equitable education and what better place to start than art.
Works Cited
Night School. 2008. New Museum. New York. 5 Mar 2008. .
Vidokle, Anton. “Exhibition as School in a Divided City.” Reading Room,
unitednationsplaza. 12 Mar. 2008.
---. “Opening Remarks. Anton Vidokle. Night School, January 31,
2008.” 31 Jan 2008. 12 Mar. 2008.
Karen Joan Topping
Independent Writing Project I
P. Falzone
Washington, DC
3/14/08
~the relationship between art & school (relevent to Learnapalooza),
~I kind of take a stab at DC, which is kind of unlike me - but after a decade of not leaving the city very often I am becoming more and more convinced that we need a non-federal, relatively independant CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM in this city (which is relevent to maintaining and growing the arts and artists in the city)
~uses the New Museum's program "Night School" to introduce this facinating guy Anton Vidokle, I am most impressed that I have found THREE collections of essays that he has participated in published online as PDFs - and think in the future that even if we cannot pay to create 'catalogs' for whatever we do - we should definately consider using this online psoting of pdf books method - especially as we have some design people with some crazy skills that could make an online pdf look really hot and print really nice.
recess is over...Karen
Sleepless in DC because of “Night School”
Sleepless not because of the eleventh hour push to get assignments done or worrying about grades, but sleepless thinking about a program going on for the entire year of 2008 at the New Museum in New York City; called “Night School”, the program is commissioned from artist Anton Vidokle by the New Museum and the core offering to the public is four days of seminars at the end of every month which are run and moderated by more than a dozen artists, writers and contemporary thinkers. Much more than just a program of public seminars, the New Museum’s literature relates and expands on the format of a “temporary school” where museums, organizing contributors, twenty-five hand selected core students and the interested public facilitate extended critical engagement in contemporary art, institutions and the role of the artist ("Night School").
The yearlong “Night School” falls under and alongside the auspices of other new programs that coincide with the opening of the New Museum’s brand new building. The “Night School” organizers are counted as ‘fellows’ of a new program called Museum as Hub which will partner four international art organizations with the New Museum’s. All will implement programming in their locale on the agreed topic of ‘neighborhood’, cross planning and hosting the other institutions literally and virtually on their websites, and in exhibition spaces and education centers. Museum as Hub is described as a “new model for curatorial practice and institutional collaboration…to enhance our understanding of contemporary art around the world” ("Night School"). This interconnected tangle of programs and exhibitions seems cleverly formulated to perhaps for the first time cut into the maze of bias, nepotism, leading experts and arbiters of taste to rediscover what discovering art is: a very real desire to ‘get it’.
In Vidokle’s transcribed opening remarks for “Night School” he frighteningly states “while it is still possible to produce critical art object, there seems to be no public out there to complete its transformative function, possibly rendering the very premise behind contemporary art practice effectively futile” (2). He describes the subtle and complex historic difference between the socially engaged public of the past and the one of the present that seems to be degenerating into an audience that does not seek a role beyond “being consumers of leisure and spectacle” ("Vidokle" 2). This is a clear observation that should give pause to thought for all, not just artists.
What seems to be fundamental to the understanding of “Night School” as a commissioned work of art is that it is a work that finally gets around to exploring what has always been crucial to appreciating art, the process of engagement. Far from blockbuster exhibitions that have brought a whole world of paintings to billboards and covered city buses in advertising ‘skins’, “Night School” is designed to “aggressively solicit audiences…through advertisement” of its “content” not it’s “objects” ("Vidokle" 3). Like the adage “a workman is only as good as his tools” this far-reaching program does not shy away from the part of the system that works, but seeks to uproot the insidious and pervasive apathy of thought that approaches the practice of art and trappings of culture as just another commodity to be pigeonholed or peddled to niche markets.
Vidokle describes the product of “Night School” as “framed by itself” and while assisted by the museum the program does not totally rely on the institution to “display it” ("Vidokle" 4). It is exactly because of inspired statements like this that I am simultaneously loathing and loving the internet at the moment for sending me the enchanted list-serve email that made me aware of this program happening in a city 350 miles away from me in the first place. Lauded for the accessibility of its national museums, that are admission free and open every day but Christmas, the institutions in Washington, DC have historically served as window for a national audience to look upon this countries objects of significance. The Smithsonian Institution and other national galleries have likewise existed as a “frame for itself” as the nation’s cabinet of wonders for spectacle and for acceptable interpretation. But from my perspective as a full-time colonial citizen of the United States capital city circa 2008 it seems that in DC, as in Vidokle’s description of his project for Manifesta 6 “the situation demands not commentary, but involvement and production”("Exhibition" 2). The desire to be a part of a dialogue and the anticipation of carrying away ideas, rather than note cards and coffee mugs, has already taken a strong hold on me. Unlike the ambivalence I feel for the entreaty of my peers that I ‘really must go to Miami one of these years’- I feel drawn to “Night School” in an almost supernatural way; not unlike Vidokle describes his reading of George Maciunas unrealized vision for the New Marlborough Centre for the Arts that that Vidokle says “is a proposal that hinges on the notion of ‘possibility’, saying far less about what needs to be done than about what can be done” ("Exhibition" 3). And on that note – there is something in this man Vidokle’s single-minded repetition that there must be a way found for art, lasting great art, that can be made available to the public independent of the institutions that the leading society is holding onto with a death grip. As individuals, we have become too comfortable with our insular tendencies. Unlike the spirit of revolution and manifesto driven by desires to break from totalitarianism and capitalism that are now reflected upon as the impetus for the ‘true’ art of the 20th century, the 21st century has yet to name its motivation. I vote for thoughtful collaboration, access to information and equitable education and what better place to start than art.
Works Cited
Night School. 2008. New Museum. New York. 5 Mar 2008.
Vidokle, Anton. “Exhibition as School in a Divided City.” Reading Room,
unitednationsplaza. 12 Mar. 2008.
---. “Opening Remarks. Anton Vidokle. Night School, January 31,
2008.” 31 Jan 2008. 12 Mar. 2008
Karen Joan Topping
Independent Writing Project I
P. Falzone
Washington, DC
3/14/08
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
SPARKPLUG 3/10/08 minutes
SPARKPLUG 3/10/08 minutes (taken by Karen) There were 9 people in attendance : Jenny, Kathryn, Mike, Mark, Lisa, Deborah, Peter, Lea Ann & Karen
Agenda items were covered as follows:
1-presentations
Everyone that came to the meeting managed to get a number of images loaded into the flickr group – We let it run as a slide show on projection as we discussed the similarities; focusing largely on Lea Ann’s observation of a commonality of “subtle entropy” in the theme, execution or process of all of the work, regardless of the style. This is the crux of how the curatorial aspect for this particular curated slide set all inclusions will come from this recently posted group of work. Lea is going to work on a “slide list” indicating which photos she is selecting and will try to have that to each of us by the beginning of next week.
Hopefully by the time she makes the decisions known to us, we will have communicated with Linda Griggs at E32 to check what technical requirements there are for the jpgs. In short though we should all plan to bring CD’s of the photos Lea selects-we will download all of them at next meeting to one computer then work on getting the presentation in whatever format it needs to be sent to E32 in. Downloading the photos at the meeting will also serve as the MASTER file for any other opportunity we may have to present this work.
2-Slides “The Show”
An unexpected opportunity to use the gallery for a Sparkplug Exhibition has arisen in May. It would only be for a two week slot, but there seemed to be a general consensus that in developing and preparing for the E32 submission we could also test out the developing theme in the gallery.
We will be hashing out the logistical and curatorial details over the coming weeks, but the critical details will not change.
Drop off work and hang the show Tues./Wed., April 29 & 30
Opening Event - Fri., May 2
Learn-a-Palooza Sat., May 10
Take down show remove work from gallery Sun., May 11 (After 7 PM)
Mon., May 12 (until 5 PM)
3-Learn-a-Palooza
Here is the link to last years Learn-A-Palooza.
http://www.learnapaloozadc.com/
I (Karen) talked more about my experience last year and the different approaches we could take to participating. Given that this event would occur during the period that we would have our work in the gallery we could schedule gallery talks or talk about Sparkplug; we could get on the schedule and look for other instructors to do art related classes and just serve as hosts, individually we can work on developing classes.
Peter’s suggestion of showing “how to stretch a canvas” was a great idea. I’ve already elaborated in an earlier email about “painting show & tell”. In my experience last year – do not underestimate your potential to teach something small or simple.
Here is last year’s organizer that will give more info on how to think about being a teacher
http://wiki.learnapaloozadc.com/index.php?title=FAQ
Last years rules of participation were as below and I am guessing they will be very similar this year:
• classes are on April 28, between 10AM and 6PM
• classes must start on the hour or half-hour
• they must be 25 or 55 min long
• they must be free and open to the public
As about 1/3 to ½ of us were engaged in other activities between now & April 1 - we will try to have a mini-brainstorming meeting just on Learn-a-Palooza for those who are interested or available to help sometime in the last week of March or first week of April – more details later.
3-goals for goals
none come to mind that are not related to the above two items
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
none come to mind that are not related to the above two items
Except for fact there was a lot of interesting things said relative, tangentially and in support of Lea’s bringing up tension, place and entropy as a theme. I don’t have time to put them down but think this would be a completely appropriate topic to try and capture what many of you said by going on the blog and posting about the other things we brought up when discussing the slide project.
4~ACTION!
Lea presents us with a preliminary slide list so we can all get out highest resolution images ready to bring to the meeting on CD’s or thumb drives.
Plan a mini-meet-up to see if it is of interest to develop anything for Learn-A-Palooza
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is planned for Sunday, April 13 at 7:00 PM
at the DCAC gallery
~bring photo files for download
~go over curatorial statement and set schedule for any extra PR that we want other than the DCAC weekly list serve news letter
~get specific commitments from people for the exhibition and Learn-a-Palooza
~Ideas about ideas
~Goals for goals
~ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda-AND ANYTHING I MAY HAVE FORGOT-I am too sleepy today!
Agenda items were covered as follows:
1-presentations
Everyone that came to the meeting managed to get a number of images loaded into the flickr group – We let it run as a slide show on projection as we discussed the similarities; focusing largely on Lea Ann’s observation of a commonality of “subtle entropy” in the theme, execution or process of all of the work, regardless of the style. This is the crux of how the curatorial aspect for this particular curated slide set all inclusions will come from this recently posted group of work. Lea is going to work on a “slide list” indicating which photos she is selecting and will try to have that to each of us by the beginning of next week.
Hopefully by the time she makes the decisions known to us, we will have communicated with Linda Griggs at E32 to check what technical requirements there are for the jpgs. In short though we should all plan to bring CD’s of the photos Lea selects-we will download all of them at next meeting to one computer then work on getting the presentation in whatever format it needs to be sent to E32 in. Downloading the photos at the meeting will also serve as the MASTER file for any other opportunity we may have to present this work.
2-Slides “The Show”
An unexpected opportunity to use the gallery for a Sparkplug Exhibition has arisen in May. It would only be for a two week slot, but there seemed to be a general consensus that in developing and preparing for the E32 submission we could also test out the developing theme in the gallery.
We will be hashing out the logistical and curatorial details over the coming weeks, but the critical details will not change.
Drop off work and hang the show Tues./Wed., April 29 & 30
Opening Event - Fri., May 2
Learn-a-Palooza Sat., May 10
Take down show remove work from gallery Sun., May 11 (After 7 PM)
Mon., May 12 (until 5 PM)
3-Learn-a-Palooza
Here is the link to last years Learn-A-Palooza.
http://www.learnapaloozadc.com/
I (Karen) talked more about my experience last year and the different approaches we could take to participating. Given that this event would occur during the period that we would have our work in the gallery we could schedule gallery talks or talk about Sparkplug; we could get on the schedule and look for other instructors to do art related classes and just serve as hosts, individually we can work on developing classes.
Peter’s suggestion of showing “how to stretch a canvas” was a great idea. I’ve already elaborated in an earlier email about “painting show & tell”. In my experience last year – do not underestimate your potential to teach something small or simple.
Here is last year’s organizer that will give more info on how to think about being a teacher
http://wiki.learnapaloozadc.com/index.php?title=FAQ
Last years rules of participation were as below and I am guessing they will be very similar this year:
• classes are on April 28, between 10AM and 6PM
• classes must start on the hour or half-hour
• they must be 25 or 55 min long
• they must be free and open to the public
As about 1/3 to ½ of us were engaged in other activities between now & April 1 - we will try to have a mini-brainstorming meeting just on Learn-a-Palooza for those who are interested or available to help sometime in the last week of March or first week of April – more details later.
3-goals for goals
none come to mind that are not related to the above two items
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
none come to mind that are not related to the above two items
Except for fact there was a lot of interesting things said relative, tangentially and in support of Lea’s bringing up tension, place and entropy as a theme. I don’t have time to put them down but think this would be a completely appropriate topic to try and capture what many of you said by going on the blog and posting about the other things we brought up when discussing the slide project.
4~ACTION!
Lea presents us with a preliminary slide list so we can all get out highest resolution images ready to bring to the meeting on CD’s or thumb drives.
Plan a mini-meet-up to see if it is of interest to develop anything for Learn-A-Palooza
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is planned for Sunday, April 13 at 7:00 PM
at the DCAC gallery
~bring photo files for download
~go over curatorial statement and set schedule for any extra PR that we want other than the DCAC weekly list serve news letter
~get specific commitments from people for the exhibition and Learn-a-Palooza
~Ideas about ideas
~Goals for goals
~ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda-AND ANYTHING I MAY HAVE FORGOT-I am too sleepy today!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Check out this page at NewMuseum.org:
http://www.newmuseum.org/events/139
Night School is an artist's project by Anton Vidokle in the form of a temporary school. A yearlong program of monthly seminars and workshops, Night School draws upon a group of local and international artists, writers, and theorists to conceptualize and conduct the program.
I look at this program at the New Museum and I am in awe. My love of the NewMuseum in NYC and my experience in Philly at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art)which I am also in heart with are showing me that part of DC's problem when it comes to Art is that there is no reasonably sized privately funded art venue. The Katzen could become it- but it's not quite that yet.
The depth with which the TNM & ICA plumb their communities for shows and ideas and enrichment is staggering. The federal museums are trying, but so long as local art shown at these venues are spread out it seems like exceptional local art will always seem like "tokenism" to any outsider.
The big money person that realized they could come into DC and start building a private or NGP/NFP venue like the institutions I mentioned in Philly & NYC may have an uphill battle - but so did the New Museum and the ICA when they first opened if anyone that reads this has kept track. Something to think about and proselytize for.
http://www.newmuseum.org/events/139
Night School is an artist's project by Anton Vidokle in the form of a temporary school. A yearlong program of monthly seminars and workshops, Night School draws upon a group of local and international artists, writers, and theorists to conceptualize and conduct the program.
I look at this program at the New Museum and I am in awe. My love of the NewMuseum in NYC and my experience in Philly at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art)which I am also in heart with are showing me that part of DC's problem when it comes to Art is that there is no reasonably sized privately funded art venue. The Katzen could become it- but it's not quite that yet.
The depth with which the TNM & ICA plumb their communities for shows and ideas and enrichment is staggering. The federal museums are trying, but so long as local art shown at these venues are spread out it seems like exceptional local art will always seem like "tokenism" to any outsider.
The big money person that realized they could come into DC and start building a private or NGP/NFP venue like the institutions I mentioned in Philly & NYC may have an uphill battle - but so did the New Museum and the ICA when they first opened if anyone that reads this has kept track. Something to think about and proselytize for.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
THANK YOU KATHRYN & SPENCE
was what the google group post was supposed to say....Thank you to Kathryn and her husband Spence for opening up their home and giving us the resources to have a longer more natural discussion in light of starting to work on this first project. Thank you for coming and bringing good stuff to eat and drink. Thank you for being interesting and engaged and giving a damn.
To get the ball rolling on a ‘slide show’ to submit to E32. To get the ball rolling fairly quickly we have two ACTION items for the next meeting.
1-a private flickr group was created for everyone to load 10 to 20 slides on before the next meeting on March 10. I sent you all an invite emails, but if you want to go and set up an account with another email the url is: http://www.flickr.com/groups/dcacsparkplug/
The work you put on flickr should be your best foot forward, best slides you have and remember final submission needs to be projected at 40” x 60” so make sure you have a high quality image available for all the images in case it is chosen-(the whole product here is of the reproduced images.)
Here is a link on how to post photos to the groups photo “pool” (I am a first time flickr user so those with more experience feel free to give some pointers)
http://www.flickr.com/help/groups/#57
2- think of themes that might interesting for this slide show to talk about at the meeting
After discussion of themes at the next meeting, Lea Ann has agreed to help with crafting the short curatorial statement and picking work from the slides loaded on flickr and Lisa has agreed to work on finding the 3 minute musical accompaniment.
Other stuff we talked about 'in group' ...
In putting together the raw material for E32 there was then interest in putting the presentation into a power point or other similar software and setting up a similar slide program at a local venue, like The Diner or projecting along (or on) a band or at other event in DC to promote Sparkplug and DCAC. There are probably other venues outside of DC that project artists works that we can seek out locally and far afield so keep your eyes peeled for similar opportunities.
some other stuff I thought of ....
I think we may have 1-2 more simple questions for Linda Griggs (who runs E32) like can they accept video snips, how much can she let us know about any local group she might match us with and how much notice we will have about when the work might be presented. I will work on that with Kathryn. let me know if you think of anything else we need to ask.
Also we started trying to figure out about how long each slide was projected (which seems like about 6 seconds) Figuring out in advance how many images v. description slides fit into a 3 minute presentation may be helpful if someone has the time to look at the archived presentations on the E32 website and do the math.
To get the ball rolling on a ‘slide show’ to submit to E32. To get the ball rolling fairly quickly we have two ACTION items for the next meeting.
1-a private flickr group was created for everyone to load 10 to 20 slides on before the next meeting on March 10. I sent you all an invite emails, but if you want to go and set up an account with another email the url is: http://www.flickr.com/groups/dcacsparkplug/
The work you put on flickr should be your best foot forward, best slides you have and remember final submission needs to be projected at 40” x 60” so make sure you have a high quality image available for all the images in case it is chosen-(the whole product here is of the reproduced images.)
Here is a link on how to post photos to the groups photo “pool” (I am a first time flickr user so those with more experience feel free to give some pointers)
http://www.flickr.com/help/groups/#57
2- think of themes that might interesting for this slide show to talk about at the meeting
After discussion of themes at the next meeting, Lea Ann has agreed to help with crafting the short curatorial statement and picking work from the slides loaded on flickr and Lisa has agreed to work on finding the 3 minute musical accompaniment.
Other stuff we talked about 'in group' ...
In putting together the raw material for E32 there was then interest in putting the presentation into a power point or other similar software and setting up a similar slide program at a local venue, like The Diner or projecting along (or on) a band or at other event in DC to promote Sparkplug and DCAC. There are probably other venues outside of DC that project artists works that we can seek out locally and far afield so keep your eyes peeled for similar opportunities.
some other stuff I thought of ....
I think we may have 1-2 more simple questions for Linda Griggs (who runs E32) like can they accept video snips, how much can she let us know about any local group she might match us with and how much notice we will have about when the work might be presented. I will work on that with Kathryn. let me know if you think of anything else we need to ask.
Also we started trying to figure out about how long each slide was projected (which seems like about 6 seconds) Figuring out in advance how many images v. description slides fit into a 3 minute presentation may be helpful if someone has the time to look at the archived presentations on the E32 website and do the math.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Call for Entry
PAPER AIRPLANE: Call for Entries
Paperwork Gallery in Baltimore, MD presents a juried
show of works on paper, including drawings, paintings,
prints, mixed media, and photography.
Jurors: Amy Eva Raehse, Director of Goya Contemporary
Gallery and Jackie Milad, Director of the Union
Gallery at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Exhibition dates: June 15 - August 30. Applications
must be postmarked by April 1. Applications should
Include three jpegs, a title sheet, a one page resume,
and a $15 application fee made out to Paperwork
Gallery. Send applications to: Paperwork Gallery. 107
E. Preston Street. Baltimore, MD. 21202.
Please email us at paperworkgallery@gmail.com or visit
us at http://paperworkgallery.blogspot.com for more information.
Paperwork Gallery in Baltimore, MD presents a juried
show of works on paper, including drawings, paintings,
prints, mixed media, and photography.
Jurors: Amy Eva Raehse, Director of Goya Contemporary
Gallery and Jackie Milad, Director of the Union
Gallery at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Exhibition dates: June 15 - August 30. Applications
must be postmarked by April 1. Applications should
Include three jpegs, a title sheet, a one page resume,
and a $15 application fee made out to Paperwork
Gallery. Send applications to: Paperwork Gallery. 107
E. Preston Street. Baltimore, MD. 21202.
Please email us at paperworkgallery@gmail.com or visit
us at http://paperworkgallery.blogspot.com for more information.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Kathryn just sent me this V-day post from the E32 people - lovely little slide show that is far from 'sugary' - it actually had a friend of mine in it (frosted police car, mmmmm).
Thinking about what we would send - I think something themed is strong-it gives you a reason to keep wanting to see more....not all of us may have work to submit if we narrow the theme, but it may make more of an impact, just a thought....
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
2/10/08 Meeting Minutes
SPARKPLUG 2/10/08 minutes (taken by Karen) There were 7 people in attendance :
Jenny, Kathryn, Philip, Mike, Deborah, Peter & Karen
Agenda items were covered as follows:
1-presentations
Mike Matason & Peter Gordon presented their work. (Disclaimer: I am going to sum it up in just 1-3 sentences - (if anyone thinks I have severely misrepresented email me at karenjoan@gmail with what you want fixed or what you thought.)
Mike Matason works in the medium that he describes as “visual light painting photography” using a black and white film camera he investigates how film is capable of arresting how sensory perception makes the intangibility of light tangible. Capturing bursts of light in abstract patterns and “painting” in the features of his portrait sitters with a focused beam of light by using the ‘bulb’ shutter setting, Mike is also finding that he catches many intangible qualities of time and motion and the personalities.
Peter Gordon is painter that does very heavily textured oil paintings inspired by the varied micro and macrocosmic visual shape and masses found by looking at landscapes. In the process of translating a seemingly horizon less landscape the process of laying down the media of paint or drawing materials strongly reflects his viewpoint that circumstance of both art and life are driven by uncontrollable interruptions and respect for what cannot be controlled.
2-The Party
We talked about the impending inaugural Sparkplug party on Saturday, 2/23/08. Details on the party were posted to the list and the blog on Feb. 3 Feel free to ask me questions, coordinate rides or potluck thru me and please RSVP to karenjoan@gmail.com by 2/18/08 so I know we will have enough soda & pretzels.
3-Shelfari
I have set up a book group for SPARKPLUG on Shelfari. http://www.shelfari.com/
The group is called SPARKPLUG. You will need to create a personal login to use the website. You can search for SPARKPLUG in a field in the top margin of the home page (but make sure to switch the search parameter from books to groups.)
http://www.shelfari.com/clubsearch.aspx?keywords=sparkplug
We can use the group to write responses specific to the discussions we are having in meetings. I encourage you to set up and account and write down your responses regarding the books that you have read and recommended at the last meeting or add books you have thought of since then.
3-goals for goals
Possible project to think about…In planning the party Kathryn & I began talking about a good possible fist project of putting together a ‘curated’ slide show in earnest for a call for projects found here : http://e32.hitart.com/
Pre-screening the web site and thinking about how to approach this project is something we hope getting informally discussed at the party in addition to more people getting to know each other better as we start thinking about working collectively on something.
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
~Philip has suggested doing critiques of how we might present our work as individuals if we were sending images to a jury panel. We had an extensive discussion about how these panels resemble“cattle call” type actor’s auditions – if 100 people send 20 slides - each that is 2000 (!) slides that need to be viewed in one sitting. With that many slides to view, artworks (and the artists that paid $20 to be reviewed) are quickly cut out of the jury process for reasons such as:
*unfocused slides
*slides of 2-d work where the work is photographed crooked
*using jpgs that were watermarked for use on the web
*not sending a ‘slide list’ with your jpgs or pdfs listing the medium, size, title of the works
*sending slides of work that show too many different ideas
*sending useless details that don’t show any more content then the picture of the whole work
*not sending details when you really need to – esp. for installation & sculpture
The first 4 items apply to everyone. The last 3 items need to be handled differently by everyone. There are many subtle things that you may not think about because you are so intimate with your own work. A jury that has never seen it does not take anything for granted. Re-doing our slide presentations and running a jury panel on OURSELVES is the suggestion that is on the table. Think about how much time you need to prepare and if this is something of interest, we can pick a deadline for SUBMISSION to our ‘fake’ jury.
~Jenny has started working for International Arts & Artists and can get you information about getting group insurance coverage from them.
~Lisa McCarthy (who many of you have already met at Sparkplug meetings) is having an opening of a solo show called Astral Bodies at …..Tada……DCAC! The opening on Friday, 2/22/08. Please come out and support her and see her paintings in the ‘flesh’.
Info: http://dcartscenter.org/event.htm#Gallery
(Aside: In general it would be great to see more Sparkplug people at each & every DCAC opening, not just those of Sparkplug members. It’s a convenient ‘extra’ collective building time. I am at almost all of them and it would be great to dialogue about what people think about the shows that are being put on at DCAC and meet more of the DCAC staff & board.)
4~ACTION!
~COME TO LISA’s OPENING (2/22/08) & THE PARTY AT KATHRYN’S (2/23/08)
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is tentatively planned for Monday March 10 at 7:30 PM at the DCAC gallery
~talk about the party, Astral Bodies and curated slide show idea
~set possible deadline for ‘fake’ jury panel
~Ideas about ideas
~Goals for goals
keep forging ahead towards "Meatier Discussion"
(ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda)
Jenny, Kathryn, Philip, Mike, Deborah, Peter & Karen
Agenda items were covered as follows:
1-presentations
Mike Matason & Peter Gordon presented their work. (Disclaimer: I am going to sum it up in just 1-3 sentences - (if anyone thinks I have severely misrepresented email me at karenjoan@gmail with what you want fixed or what you thought.)
Mike Matason works in the medium that he describes as “visual light painting photography” using a black and white film camera he investigates how film is capable of arresting how sensory perception makes the intangibility of light tangible. Capturing bursts of light in abstract patterns and “painting” in the features of his portrait sitters with a focused beam of light by using the ‘bulb’ shutter setting, Mike is also finding that he catches many intangible qualities of time and motion and the personalities.
Peter Gordon is painter that does very heavily textured oil paintings inspired by the varied micro and macrocosmic visual shape and masses found by looking at landscapes. In the process of translating a seemingly horizon less landscape the process of laying down the media of paint or drawing materials strongly reflects his viewpoint that circumstance of both art and life are driven by uncontrollable interruptions and respect for what cannot be controlled.
2-The Party
We talked about the impending inaugural Sparkplug party on Saturday, 2/23/08. Details on the party were posted to the list and the blog on Feb. 3 Feel free to ask me questions, coordinate rides or potluck thru me and please RSVP to karenjoan@gmail.com by 2/18/08 so I know we will have enough soda & pretzels.
3-Shelfari
I have set up a book group for SPARKPLUG on Shelfari. http://www.shelfari.com/
The group is called SPARKPLUG. You will need to create a personal login to use the website. You can search for SPARKPLUG in a field in the top margin of the home page (but make sure to switch the search parameter from books to groups.)
http://www.shelfari.com/clubsearch.aspx?keywords=sparkplug
We can use the group to write responses specific to the discussions we are having in meetings. I encourage you to set up and account and write down your responses regarding the books that you have read and recommended at the last meeting or add books you have thought of since then.
3-goals for goals
Possible project to think about…In planning the party Kathryn & I began talking about a good possible fist project of putting together a ‘curated’ slide show in earnest for a call for projects found here : http://e32.hitart.com/
Pre-screening the web site and thinking about how to approach this project is something we hope getting informally discussed at the party in addition to more people getting to know each other better as we start thinking about working collectively on something.
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
~Philip has suggested doing critiques of how we might present our work as individuals if we were sending images to a jury panel. We had an extensive discussion about how these panels resemble“cattle call” type actor’s auditions – if 100 people send 20 slides - each that is 2000 (!) slides that need to be viewed in one sitting. With that many slides to view, artworks (and the artists that paid $20 to be reviewed) are quickly cut out of the jury process for reasons such as:
*unfocused slides
*slides of 2-d work where the work is photographed crooked
*using jpgs that were watermarked for use on the web
*not sending a ‘slide list’ with your jpgs or pdfs listing the medium, size, title of the works
*sending slides of work that show too many different ideas
*sending useless details that don’t show any more content then the picture of the whole work
*not sending details when you really need to – esp. for installation & sculpture
The first 4 items apply to everyone. The last 3 items need to be handled differently by everyone. There are many subtle things that you may not think about because you are so intimate with your own work. A jury that has never seen it does not take anything for granted. Re-doing our slide presentations and running a jury panel on OURSELVES is the suggestion that is on the table. Think about how much time you need to prepare and if this is something of interest, we can pick a deadline for SUBMISSION to our ‘fake’ jury.
~Jenny has started working for International Arts & Artists and can get you information about getting group insurance coverage from them.
~Lisa McCarthy (who many of you have already met at Sparkplug meetings) is having an opening of a solo show called Astral Bodies at …..Tada……DCAC! The opening on Friday, 2/22/08. Please come out and support her and see her paintings in the ‘flesh’.
Info: http://dcartscenter.org/event.htm#Gallery
(Aside: In general it would be great to see more Sparkplug people at each & every DCAC opening, not just those of Sparkplug members. It’s a convenient ‘extra’ collective building time. I am at almost all of them and it would be great to dialogue about what people think about the shows that are being put on at DCAC and meet more of the DCAC staff & board.)
4~ACTION!
~COME TO LISA’s OPENING (2/22/08) & THE PARTY AT KATHRYN’S (2/23/08)
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is tentatively planned for Monday March 10 at 7:30 PM at the DCAC gallery
~talk about the party, Astral Bodies and curated slide show idea
~set possible deadline for ‘fake’ jury panel
~Ideas about ideas
~Goals for goals
keep forging ahead towards "Meatier Discussion"
(ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda)
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Sparkplug: Beyond Networking
"the party"
Please RSVP for you and a friend or two, to Karen at karenjoan@gmail.com by February 18.
Where: 2825 49th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
How: Hosted by Sparkplug member Kathryn McDonnell at her home. (This location is not near a metro station, and while the house is on the D6 bus route, the closest stop is over half a mile walk. Driving or arranging a ride with someone in the group is highly encouraged.)
What: BYOB/potluck social event in a more relaxed, domestic setting designed to revisit where we started and push the question "What's next for Sparkplug?"
Why: As we approach our six month mark, a consistently committed core of artists and curators is beginning to take shape. Where do we go now? Come to this evening and be a part of the continued efforts to raise the level of dialogue and commitment to the collective Sparkplug community to the next level.
Chips, dips & non-alcohol stuff will be provided, but like our Sparkplug meetings so far, potluck and responsible BYOB is highly encouraged.
New introduction of excellent, under-represented artistic and curatorial talent from our collective spheres of influence is also highly encouraged.
There will be a short presentation by Karen and Kathryn at 9:30 PM.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
artadvice.com
For discusions sake, regarding the 'practicalities' of our chosen career path (which we all seem to like to talk about), this is an good list serve to join: artadvice.com. Not rocket science, or spam (she only posts once every 3 months or so) just usually practical, dorky reminder, self-help type stuff, like this article: 5 facts artists need to face. The article can be found online at: http://www.artadvice.com/advice/article30.php
--
--
Friday, January 18, 2008
SAVE THE DATE !
February 23rd for a Sparkplug party-
If anyone feel like being fun, forum is open for ideas on a theme or name
for the innaugural event.
More details soon about time and place-
If anyone feel like being fun, forum is open for ideas on a theme or name
for the innaugural event.
More details soon about time and place-
Monday, January 14, 2008
Dorkbot-anyone?
I have been lurking on this list - "dorkbot" and wonder if anyone has ever checked them out? I certainly recognize some of the members names, but I don't know anyone very well. As my work gets more technical and technological, it seems like a great way to pump up your own DIY skills.
I am not going to be able to make this meeting, but I'll put it out there that if there is anyone else interested in going to one of their meetings or MAKE sessions in future I am totally up for it.
Karen
WHAT: Inaugural DorkbotDC + Make:DC Workshop
WHEN: 16 January 2008 (Wednesday), 7 - 9pm
WHERE: Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences
6th & E Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 334-1201 (for directions)
Click here for a map
URLs: http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/
http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotdc/
ALWAYS FREE! (Except for materials, see below.)
Feel free to forward this notice to other interested parties.
Join us for the first-ever joint meeting of Dorkbot DC with the first-ever meeting of Make:DC!
During this meeting, we will be building LED cubes as seen on the Make blog:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we.html
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we_1.html
But we're going to improve on it by using an open-source Arduino microcontroller instead of an ATtiny2313V.
The chosen project will provide an opportunity for participants to learn:
Structural and electrical soldering
Programming and usage of microcontrollers
Simple programming
About the economical but versatile Arduino microcontroller that participants can use as a basis for future projects
there is more technical stuff, but I am cutting it off here - I think you get teh flavor of the thing...k
I am not going to be able to make this meeting, but I'll put it out there that if there is anyone else interested in going to one of their meetings or MAKE sessions in future I am totally up for it.
Karen
WHAT: Inaugural DorkbotDC + Make:DC Workshop
WHEN: 16 January 2008 (Wednesday), 7 - 9pm
WHERE: Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences
6th & E Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 334-1201 (for directions)
Click here for a map
URLs: http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/
http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotdc/
ALWAYS FREE! (Except for materials, see below.)
Feel free to forward this notice to other interested parties.
Join us for the first-ever joint meeting of Dorkbot DC with the first-ever meeting of Make:DC!
During this meeting, we will be building LED cubes as seen on the Make blog:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we.html
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we_1.html
But we're going to improve on it by using an open-source Arduino microcontroller instead of an ATtiny2313V.
The chosen project will provide an opportunity for participants to learn:
Structural and electrical soldering
Programming and usage of microcontrollers
Simple programming
About the economical but versatile Arduino microcontroller that participants can use as a basis for future projects
there is more technical stuff, but I am cutting it off here - I think you get teh flavor of the thing...k
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Goooooooooooo Sean!
Yay Sean - thanks for all the enthusiasm and useful stuff that you are sending to the Google group - YOU ROCK!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
1/7/08 Meeting Minutes
SPARKPLUG 1/7/08 minutes (taken by Karen)
There were 6 people in attendance
Sean, Jenny, Kathryn, Mark, Lea & Karen
Agenda items were covered as follows:
1-presentations
Sean Hennessy presented jpgs of his work. (Disclaimer: I am going to sum it up in just 1-3 sentences – (if anyone thinks I have severely misrepresented email me at karenjoan@gmail with what you want fixed or what you thought.)
Sean Hennessy does mixed media constructions using materials like plaster, concrete (raw and pigmented) and glass casting of items like toys, light bulbs, tools and hardware. Inspired by mythology, industry, religion, energy, and archeology he frequently engages in the retelling of classic stories with common contemporary objects, instilling in them a “Narrative of Relics” as a way of contextualizing their cultural content, meaning and identity.
2-surveys
Six individuals have responded to the survey, which gleaned in 4 pages of results, expertly compiled by Jenny. Two mentionable items are the varied skills and resources that were listed by us and the overwhelming interest in being connected to an engaging community of artists that is interested in “cultivat[ing] new ideas” and discussing art on a professional level. These surveys so far seem to justify the conversational discussion format that is continuing to develop as this community becomes more “collective”.
[While it was not discussed at the meeting I do have copies of the results if you would like one, please ask me for it at a meeting. While I presently do not foresee results being compiled again until some yet unknown milestone, having individual record of peoples interests will be helpful to have on file in the future. If you have not filled one out you can get a blank survey in the file section of the dcacsparkplug Googlegroup. When complete, bring it to a meeting email it to Jenny Walton (Jenny.Walton@gmail.com) or myself (karenjoan@gmail.com).
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
~HAVE A PARTY! try to bring together the Monday people and the Sunday people and some new people in a more relaxed venue-like someone’s home. Stay tuned, more on this very, very soon
~Sean offered to post information regarding an upcoming film series about sculptors (films
on Richard Serra may be some of the first to be scheduled), be on the lookout.
~We started talking about the WACK! Exhibit, but it seems that of the six people in attendance only Kathryn & I went and we saw each other at NWMA so we had already talked about it. (WACK! will be at NYMOMA at the PS space, you should still try to see it)
~after Kathryn & I gave our synopsis of WACK! the discussion turned into a sort of – “one that got away” reminiscence by everyone else that was there – (you know, the exhibitions that you really meant to go to, know would be important to your development, but still missed going to see.)
~as some of us filled each other in on what others had missed at certain shows like Richard Serra in MOMANY this summer, Julie Taymor at NMWA, Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting at MAD, NY the two following ideas came up
~ Lea had suggested a reading list as well as maybe trying to pick one book that none of us had read and all try to read it – the suggestion is NOT for a book club, (I don’t think any of us has time for that) but for one book that we can all try to get into and draw discussions out of.
Suggestions so far are
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Art & Fear
The Shape of Content (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures)
Ross King The Judgment Of Paris (the Revolutionary Decade That Gave The World Impressionism
What Painting Is
Pictures and Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings
Regarding the Pain of Others
Night Studio: A Memoir of Philip Guston
Taking the Leap: Building a Career As a Visual Artist - (Not for discussion purposes, but recommended by Sean & myself as a very practical book to have about doing your own PR, taxes, exemptions, budgeting and all kinds of stuff)
Certainly check out these books and try to think of others and post them to the group – I am suggesting now that at the February meeting we try to narrow it down to 5 books and then pick one that we can all try to read this YEAR – just one book –
~In discussing setting up a book list it was suggested that a tag/bookmark lists for books & websites would be good – in hindsight I have thought of linking to exhibitions past present & future that come up in meetings given that there are permalinks on many websites not – it would be a great resource to have)
Sean has already suggested a bookmark site and set up a flickr group for us. We could also set up a book list on amazon.com, shelfari.com or goodreads.com or explore using http://ma.gnolia.com or http://del.icio.us/
(don’t want to get too many web things going here – everyone take a look at these sites, Mike checked in with me and he’s exploring ways for setting up better blog discussion threads, I have given him a heads up about trying to incorporate these other lists to the blog as well so stay tuned)
4- goals for goals
~HAVE A PARTY !
~consider hosting practical artist workshops on taxes/business sides. Sean mentioned a workshop he attended in the past run by Lenny Campello / Frasier gallery a few years ago that was very, very good. The names Sarah Stout and David Furchgott of International Art & Artists were mentioned as people that might be familiar with Lenny’s workshop and be able to come up with something similar.
4~ACTION!
~Recommended openings this Saturday (on January 12th) on 14th Street
Phil Nesmith at Irvine: http://irvinecontemporary.com/index.php
and
15 ways of looking at Philip Barlow at Curators Office: http://www.curatorsoffice.com
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is tentatively planned for Sunday February 10 at 7 PM place TBD (tho’ probably will be in the DCAC gallery
~Mike, and maybe Pat present their work
~Ideas about ideas
~Goals for goals
~talk about the 14th Street openings, discussion ideas and headway on virtual tools to assist with our development of ideas
~keep forging ahead towards “Meatier Discussion”
There were 6 people in attendance
Sean, Jenny, Kathryn, Mark, Lea & Karen
Agenda items were covered as follows:
1-presentations
Sean Hennessy presented jpgs of his work. (Disclaimer: I am going to sum it up in just 1-3 sentences – (if anyone thinks I have severely misrepresented email me at karenjoan@gmail with what you want fixed or what you thought.)
Sean Hennessy does mixed media constructions using materials like plaster, concrete (raw and pigmented) and glass casting of items like toys, light bulbs, tools and hardware. Inspired by mythology, industry, religion, energy, and archeology he frequently engages in the retelling of classic stories with common contemporary objects, instilling in them a “Narrative of Relics” as a way of contextualizing their cultural content, meaning and identity.
2-surveys
Six individuals have responded to the survey, which gleaned in 4 pages of results, expertly compiled by Jenny. Two mentionable items are the varied skills and resources that were listed by us and the overwhelming interest in being connected to an engaging community of artists that is interested in “cultivat[ing] new ideas” and discussing art on a professional level. These surveys so far seem to justify the conversational discussion format that is continuing to develop as this community becomes more “collective”.
[While it was not discussed at the meeting I do have copies of the results if you would like one, please ask me for it at a meeting. While I presently do not foresee results being compiled again until some yet unknown milestone, having individual record of peoples interests will be helpful to have on file in the future. If you have not filled one out you can get a blank survey in the file section of the dcacsparkplug Googlegroup. When complete, bring it to a meeting email it to Jenny Walton (Jenny.Walton@gmail.com) or myself (karenjoan@gmail.com).
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
~HAVE A PARTY! try to bring together the Monday people and the Sunday people and some new people in a more relaxed venue-like someone’s home. Stay tuned, more on this very, very soon
~Sean offered to post information regarding an upcoming film series about sculptors (films
on Richard Serra may be some of the first to be scheduled), be on the lookout.
~We started talking about the WACK! Exhibit, but it seems that of the six people in attendance only Kathryn & I went and we saw each other at NWMA so we had already talked about it. (WACK! will be at NYMOMA at the PS space, you should still try to see it)
~after Kathryn & I gave our synopsis of WACK! the discussion turned into a sort of – “one that got away” reminiscence by everyone else that was there – (you know, the exhibitions that you really meant to go to, know would be important to your development, but still missed going to see.)
~as some of us filled each other in on what others had missed at certain shows like Richard Serra in MOMANY this summer, Julie Taymor at NMWA, Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting at MAD, NY the two following ideas came up
~ Lea had suggested a reading list as well as maybe trying to pick one book that none of us had read and all try to read it – the suggestion is NOT for a book club, (I don’t think any of us has time for that) but for one book that we can all try to get into and draw discussions out of.
Suggestions so far are
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Art & Fear
The Shape of Content (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures)
Ross King The Judgment Of Paris (the Revolutionary Decade That Gave The World Impressionism
What Painting Is
Pictures and Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings
Regarding the Pain of Others
Night Studio: A Memoir of Philip Guston
Taking the Leap: Building a Career As a Visual Artist - (Not for discussion purposes, but recommended by Sean & myself as a very practical book to have about doing your own PR, taxes, exemptions, budgeting and all kinds of stuff)
Certainly check out these books and try to think of others and post them to the group – I am suggesting now that at the February meeting we try to narrow it down to 5 books and then pick one that we can all try to read this YEAR – just one book –
~In discussing setting up a book list it was suggested that a tag/bookmark lists for books & websites would be good – in hindsight I have thought of linking to exhibitions past present & future that come up in meetings given that there are permalinks on many websites not – it would be a great resource to have)
Sean has already suggested a bookmark site and set up a flickr group for us. We could also set up a book list on amazon.com, shelfari.com or goodreads.com or explore using http://ma.gnolia.com or http://del.icio.us/
(don’t want to get too many web things going here – everyone take a look at these sites, Mike checked in with me and he’s exploring ways for setting up better blog discussion threads, I have given him a heads up about trying to incorporate these other lists to the blog as well so stay tuned)
4- goals for goals
~HAVE A PARTY !
~consider hosting practical artist workshops on taxes/business sides. Sean mentioned a workshop he attended in the past run by Lenny Campello / Frasier gallery a few years ago that was very, very good. The names Sarah Stout and David Furchgott of International Art & Artists were mentioned as people that might be familiar with Lenny’s workshop and be able to come up with something similar.
4~ACTION!
~Recommended openings this Saturday (on January 12th) on 14th Street
Phil Nesmith at Irvine: http://irvinecontemporary.com/index.php
and
15 ways of looking at Philip Barlow at Curators Office: http://www.curatorsoffice.com
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is tentatively planned for Sunday February 10 at 7 PM place TBD (tho’ probably will be in the DCAC gallery
~Mike, and maybe Pat present their work
~Ideas about ideas
~Goals for goals
~talk about the 14th Street openings, discussion ideas and headway on virtual tools to assist with our development of ideas
~keep forging ahead towards “Meatier Discussion”
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Great Meeting!
Just wanted to say what a great meeting we had tonight with awesome discussions and ideas happening! Thanks everyone!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Hello - let's go for it and have a January meeting, I could not get my studio ready for a visit in time so it will be in teh DCAC gallery again, Monday, January 7, at 7:30 PM.
Agenda for 1/7/08 SPARKPLUG meeting
(feel free to email me at karenjoan@gmail.com with other suggestions before Monday as this may be a 'lite' meeting if no one presents) This fact will give us more
time to talk about the NMWA and the Corcoran though.
items are as follows:
1-presentations
Not sure if anyone else is ready to show work - please speak up or
just show up with 1-5 jpgs or a short form of audio or video or what
ever it is you do and we will accommodate that first.
Tim, Mike, Sean or Lea Ann are natural candidates. Are any of you
ready or even able to make it on Monday?
Sorry I still haven't gotten to posting the power point with notes on
the Google group, I am going to try to get it done for this for this
month.
2-surveys
Still working on the statistical part of this one...so we will try for
the next meeting to see if it shows us anything different than what we
have been talking about in person.
If you still need to fill one out you can get a blank one in the file
section of the dcacsparkplug Googlegroup. Email it to Jenny Walton
(Jenny.Walton@gmail.com) when it is filled out.
3-ACTION!
Talk about WACK! Show at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and
a piece called "Venus" at the Corcoran.
Hopefully there were some takers for this action, we'll talk about it
and see what was good or what could have been better.
4-ideas about ideas-
Fresh & new brainstorming or habituating group think, you decide
4- goals for goals
Most of the goals from last meeting had to do with skills, games &
'meatier' discussions. We'll see if the Action! Assignment SPARKED (ha-first time that happened) anything meaty, and go from there.
Agenda for 1/7/08 SPARKPLUG meeting
(feel free to email me at karenjoan@gmail.com with other suggestions before Monday as this may be a 'lite' meeting if no one presents) This fact will give us more
time to talk about the NMWA and the Corcoran though.
items are as follows:
1-presentations
Not sure if anyone else is ready to show work - please speak up or
just show up with 1-5 jpgs or a short form of audio or video or what
ever it is you do and we will accommodate that first.
Tim, Mike, Sean or Lea Ann are natural candidates. Are any of you
ready or even able to make it on Monday?
Sorry I still haven't gotten to posting the power point with notes on
the Google group, I am going to try to get it done for this for this
month.
2-surveys
Still working on the statistical part of this one...so we will try for
the next meeting to see if it shows us anything different than what we
have been talking about in person.
If you still need to fill one out you can get a blank one in the file
section of the dcacsparkplug Googlegroup. Email it to Jenny Walton
(Jenny.Walton@gmail.com) when it is filled out.
3-ACTION!
Talk about WACK! Show at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and
a piece called "Venus" at the Corcoran.
Hopefully there were some takers for this action, we'll talk about it
and see what was good or what could have been better.
4-ideas about ideas-
Fresh & new brainstorming or habituating group think, you decide
4- goals for goals
Most of the goals from last meeting had to do with skills, games &
'meatier' discussions. We'll see if the Action! Assignment SPARKED (ha-first time that happened) anything meaty, and go from there.
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