SP Minutes 4/14/09

Attendance: Peter, Kathryn, Karen, Lea-Ann, Blair, Jenny, Deborah, Mike

Lea ruled the day with a smashing agenda and new list of dates

1) “Sparkplug: New Work” is the title that Lea & Blair have chosen for the AAC show – rather than Decay & Development or some riff on that. They still have every intention of addressing that idea and our place relative to Cudlin’s show in the main gallery “Paradox Now” in their message for the show.

2) WED., APRIL 22nd – DCAC newsletter ‘press’ date :( this pertains to the curators and KAREN, MARK, DEBORAH and PETER). Lea’s idea was to create another simple composite image featuring the 4 artists that were not on the April 2008 show card for DCAC- which means that KAREN, MARK, DEBORAH and PETER need to get high-resolution images to Blair -ideally before the 22nd of April so she can try to work a tiny box for us into the DCAC newsletter.

3) MONDAY, MAY 4th - AAC press release info: High-resolution images from EVERYONE of the piece we are putting in the show – including full description title, size, year and material and any other description that is requested.

4) Marketing/Dissemination of Information: Lea started some discussion about a ‘brochure’ instead of a postcard-more specifically a “Broadsheet” – we talked a lot about this – but didn’t come to any hard and fast resolutions. Jenny is going to see if she knows a designer that wants to design it pro-bono or if she can get a printing deal. Kathryn and Mike both seemed to have some interest in doing the design on a brochure once we all submit our info on May 4th. I feel like the general consensus is that we all want to pursue making sure we document this show with something even though we will have to fund doing a brochure for the AAC show on our individual dollars (my past discussions with B lending themselves to DCAC supporting the marketing of shows we have @ DCAC – not necessarily shows we have at other locations). Doing as much work on it as we can ourselves is probably best.

As the show creeps up on us I’d say to anyone that is fielding information or donations of time or design or services report back to us all as you get your info. So that we can get a decision on how we should proceed as soon as possible.

5) AAC Storeroom – we suggested the evening of Thursday - April 30 (even though if you saw my other email - I want to recall my saying that day was OK with me - I want to see Martha Rosler) or Sunday afternoon, May 3rd. Anyway – curators will give us the day that Jeffry decides on to go see the space and see what fixtures the AAC has available. Lea would like as many of us that can make it to try to attend this – even if you think you don’t need fixtures.

6) AAC hosted Sparkplug Panel: there was no dissention to trying to set up a panel sometime in July at the AAC about Sparkplug. Lea will try to set a date ASAP (by the DCAC press date) so the date of the panel can be in the newsletter.

******While there was no dissention – keep in mind that the PLAN is for ALL of US to be on the panel – if you are going to go to Egypt or something for the whole month of July we need to know NOW*****

Lea & Blair are trying to tap Kathryn Cornelius (http://kathryncornelius.com/) to moderate – but other suggestions would be welcome ASAP.

Some great ideas were throw-around for doing panels in conjunction with the Fall show at DCAC by hosting panels or other reach out events to media, design, music, street art, political art that are very different from us – but identify with the word COLLECTIVE – like DECCA, BeeHive, Code Pink and Kathryn said E32 would be a great resource to tap for NYC collectives

7) Please make sure your membership is update at the Sparkplug level!!!!
8) Take a look at the Flickr group we spent until 10 PM looking at the 2009 Proto AAC show images and tongue-wagging about how cool the show is going to be (for a little show)

ACTION THIS WEEK

****DON’T forget LISA’s opening at AAC this Friday the 17th

****Peter’s open studio this Sunday the 19th at 3 PM – directions under a separate email

IMPORTANT DATES:

Deadline for DCAC press ready artist materials from Peter, Karen, Mark & Deborah-April 22.

AAC Storeroom meeting: TBD (last week of April)

Deadline for AAC press ready artist materials-May 4.

Sparkplug Meeting, Tuesday, May 12 starts between 7 & 730 PM, at DCAC

DCAC GALA: Friday, May 29th

Updates for Sparkplug Binder (resume & general artist statements) to Peter: TBD

Installation at the AAC: Begins Wednesday, June 10 and runs through Thursday, June 18. Your availability on the weekend of June 13 & 14 will be the most critical. Show opening is Friday June 19. Show ends Saturday, August 22.

Sparkplug Panel Discussion at DCAC: date TBD (tentatively July)
Installation at DCAC: Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14 (Expect EVENING hours, just like our 2008 installation). Opening is Friday, October 16. Show ends on Sunday, November 15. De-installation is the evening of Sunday, November 15 and all day and evening Monday, November 16, which is also critical.

Lea will email us the AAC’s loan forms, there are 2. One that everyone fills out and one regarding exceptions. They have insurance that covers the exhibit of artist work, with some EXCEPTIONS, like works on paper that are not framed. We will each get this document sometime in the future which spells out the specifics of what is not covered.

Please feel free to add anything I forgot –phew that was a lot.

As much as possible given the time and space allotted. from Galerie Leonard & Bina Ellen on Vimeo.

OK - I seriously do not know what to think about this...as someone who has worked behind the scenes in museums, (like about 1/3 of us in Sparkplug) I have seen 'the stacks' and know the beautiful collisions that can happen on those racks where items are put together solely based on available space-like a little Daumier painting ending up next to a big Bonnard, where proximity creates affinity. Dollars to donuts that's the kind of thing you'd have to travel through space and time to actually see hung up in a museum - unlikely matches happen, but rarely.

It also struck me that this show looks a lot like the proverbial mid-century SOHO painters loft (Alice Neel's is infamously described in my circle of education) where finished paintings line every available space not needed for walking or working. This kind of chaos is often where us 'art professionals' work - why not drive that point home to the pedestrian public?

Well frankly, because when I see it on 'tv' I realize how freaking insane it looks - how does clearness of message arise out of this horror vacui?

Well brother - it just does. Contemplate that.

For those of you that saw "Vincent" at DCAC recently - more talk about artists and their drive for something more from Elizabeth Gilbert. Plus check out Ted.com where there is lots of other progressive stuff.