Items tagged with 'art'
Center Square wallpaper
It's like a giant "Where's Waldo" game for Center Square.
Laura Glazer and Lori Hansen think Albany's Center Square residents are proud of their neighborhood. So when they were working on a 1st Friday project for the big windows at Capitol Wine, in the heart of the Washington Park/Center Square neighborhood, they wanted to find a way to express that pride.
The photographer and graphic artist considered a number of ideas before settling on the one thing that neither of them felt they were good at: drawing.
The result: some fun rolls of Center Square "wallpaper" that are fun, quirky and as it turns out, just a tiny bit AOA inspired.
Photos and a little more from Laura Glazer after the jump.
The big picture in Troy
Just a few more touches...
We were walking through downtown Troy today and stopped for a few minutes to watch artist Kevin Clark put a few last touches on the new mural on the side of 50 Second Street (adjacent to the bank parking lot).
The work depicts the inside of the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The project apparently sparked some discussion about how public art projects should be reviewed in Troy. [Troy Record]
It was interesting to watch Clark this afternoon as he applied a few highlights to the huge painting. He'd move around on the motorized lift and apply a few brush strokes here and there.
You've probably seen his work before. He's painted a bunch of murals around the Capital Region -- including the one on the side of Brown's Brewing.
The Arts Center of the Capital Region is holding an "unveiling" of the mural August 31 at 5 pm (we hear there will also be confetti and gelato -- hard to go wrong there).
A bunch of other pics after the jump. Including a (stitched together) big pic of the mural.
EMPAC Fall 2010
The schedule for the upcoming fall season at EMPAC is out. And, as we've come to expect, it includes a bunch of interesting/odd/challenging shows.
Here are a few that caught our eye while scanning the list...
PostSecret coming to UAlbany
An earlier Post Secret installation in Canada.
Here's something to look forward to: PostSecret, the post card confessional web series, is bringing one of its touring exhibits to UAlbany. The site's exhibit schedule reports it will be at UAlbany's performing arts center from January 19 to February 11.
PostSecret describes itself as "an ongoing community art project where people
mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard." The cards are often creatively decorated or illustrated. Among the recently posted secrets :
"I'm 25 and finally in a loving, committed relationship. It just happens to be with a married couple."
"I'm convinced that being a Mets fan has taken years off my life!"
"The romance of being with a pilot has worn off. I want my own adventure."
"We haven't been dating long, but I constantly daydream about our Star Wars theme wedding."
The site started in 2004 -- and quickly became very popular. Material from the site has since been turned into four books.
(Thanks, Jessica R!)
photo via International Arts & Artists
Contemporary Artists Center at Woodside
The Contemporary Artists Center moved from North Adams to the former Woodside Church in Troy last winter. The CAC is renovating the church for use as an artist residency program for national, international, and local artists, along with exhibition space.
In July, the org won a $20,000 grant for the renovation from the Chase Community Giving program. And in May it won a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh program.
Patrick Dodson and Timothy Maher are Machine Should Be.
Secret Selves
MASS MoCA has a new exhibit opening this weekend -- and you might recognize the artist: Leonard Nimoy. Yep, Spock.
From the MASS MoCA blurb for Secret Selves:
Inspired by Aristophanes' theory that humans were once double-sided creatures with two heads and multiple limbs before Zeus cleaved man in two and left him forever struggling to be whole again, Nimoy's photographs reveal his subjects' other half. Shooting in nearby Northampton, Massachusetts, Nimoy recruited volunteers from the local community with an open call for portrait models willing to be photographed posed and dressed as their true or imagined "secret selves." From the popular rock star and superman to the more unexpected dog lover and Pan, these various secret identities (off-line avatars as they might be described) offer an intimate, sometimes humorous, and often profound new look at the residents of Northampton and the inner yearnings and fantasies that we all share.
Nimoy apparently has been a serious photographer for decades. From a NYT article this week about the exhibit:
Photos from Heavy at St. Joseph's
"Mortui Vivos Docent" by Chris Harvey.
Sebastien sent along a photoset from Heavy, the art event at St. Joseph's this past weekend. He noted on his site: "There is something about that unusual space that can really highlight large scale and street installations."
Heavy has been extended for another two days -- this Friday from 5-11 pm and Saturday from 2-11 pm.
Update: Matthew has a short recap, as well, with high praise for the event.
Also: Sebastien's collection of urban decay photos is now available as a photo book, The Unnoticed.
photo: Sebastien B
"I Love New York" by CAPow!
When we look at this, we get the urge to pronounce the county names they way they're depicted.
We really like this New York State print by local artist CAPow!. We came across it in this interview she did with Jess Lyons.
The "I Love New York" print is available in CAPow!'s Etsy store -- an 8x10 is $25. She's also selling 16x20s for $50.
She also has prints in the same style for: Albany, Troy, Manhattan and Massachusetts.
Earlier on AOA: RagamuffinDesign by Jess Lyons
image: CAPow!
"Snapshot" paintings by Scott Hotaling
Three of Scott's "snapshot" paintings.
Scott Hotaling is an artist, but he also describes himself as a part-time genealogist. The 30-year-old Selkirk native has spent hours visiting family members to make a detailed family record, which he uses to identify subjects in the paintings he creates using old family photographs.
Scott's impressive body of work includes many small "snapshot" paintings, some of which are modeled after black and white Polaroids dating back to his Sicilian great-great-grandparents and a cast of other characters that fascinate him, despite the fact he's never met them. In addition to his family, Scott paints "found photos" -- ones he's been given, bought at estate sales or stumbled across on Flickr.
This August, Scott has two exhibits, one at the Romaine Brooks Gallery and another at the Albany Center Gallery, that showcase his snapshot paintings, in addition to some haunting local landscapes. He gave AOA a sneak peek at some of the artwork he'll be showing and talked with us about how he creates his snapshots and why Albany has no shortage of views to inspire artists.
Sculpture in the Streets 2010
The piece outside 30 South Pearl.
Sebastien has put together an excellent photoset, post and map of this year's Sculpture in the Streets exhibit in downtown Albany. He comments:
This body of work by Seward Johnson, an American artist known for his hyper-realistic imagery, is part of a collection of 250 cast bronze figures depicting people of all ages engaged in day-to-day activities. I invite you to take a nice, long walk downtown Albany and take a closer look at these intriguing sculptures. Bring metaphorical hiking shoes because you are about to embark on a trip down the Uncanny Valley.
Each sculpture is sponsored by a local business or organization (among, them We Want Trader Joe's in the Capital District). One of the sculptures, "Crossing Paths," was "community sponsored."
The series of sculptures will be in place until October.
Earlier on AOA:
+ Sculpture in the Streets 2009
+ Sculpture in the Streets 2008
photo: Sebastien B
River Street Festival sidewalk chalk 2010
Chalk it up!
One of our favorite summer events is the annual street chalking competition at the Troy River Street Festival. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it this year -- but Sebastien was there, and he's posted a photoset with a bunch of panels.
Bonus photoset: the modestly-attended rescheduled World Naked Bike Ride in Washington Park.
photos: Sebastien B
Art on Lark is coming up
The annual Art on Lark festival is this coming Saturday in Albany. Lark Street will be closed off for all the artistic happenings.
Among them is a new event: the Lark-ternative Hair Competition. From the Lark Street BID:
The competition will feature four of the most innovative and talented hair designers in the Capital Region. Each of the four contestants will have the opportunity to show five different avant-garde or alternative hairstyles as a complete head-to-toe look with make up, clothing and accessories. The stylists will also get the opportunity to explain the vision and inspiration behind their collections.
A panel of judges will pick a winner.
Art on Lark will will also include music on two stages. The lineups are after the jump.
Nao Bustamante moves on
Local performance artist -- and RPI associate professor -- Nao Bustamante made it through another episode of Bravo's Work of Art reality series last night.
This week's challenge was to create a sculpture from objects at an electronics recycling center. Bustamante piece (above) earned her a spot in the middle of the field, advancing her to the next ep. (Also, being in the middle meant less screen time.)
Last week we wondered if she was being cast as the "villain" or "oddball" (or oddball villain). It looks like she has some competition. This week Miles, her partner last episode, slept on his sculpture -- a giant screen-printed pillow situated between two large concrete anuses -- and then was seemingly compelled by some irresistible urge to slam a fellow competitor during the critique.
Also: We're waiting for the moment when the judges on this show suddenly break character and say, "Just kidding! We don't really believe (or understand) what we just said, either!" (Unless the judges are actually the contestants...)
Earlier on AOA: RPI's Nao Bustamante on Bravo's "Work of Art"
photo: Bravo TV
Could Nao Bustamante be the "villain" on Work of Art?
At one point, she tells a judge: "I'm not responsible for your experience of my work."
RPI professor -- and performance artist -- Nao Bustamante made it through the first episode of Work of Art, Bravo's "next great artist" reality show (like Project Runway or Top Chef).
Said Bustamante in her introductory clip on the show: "I feel like I've already won... and so I feel like I could be really generous with my criticism." The interspersed video then shows her "ehh-ing" other competitors' work. And a little later, after she offers a luke-warm critique of another competitor's piece, the competitor says: "Nao's really rude." Oh, the reality show drama (there's always someone edited to be the "villain" or "oddball").
When we talked with Bustamante last week about her appearance on the show, she said it was "more intense than I expected."
You can watch the full episode here. The first elimination challenge was to create a portrait of a fellow contestant. Her partner didn't seem to cooperate -- and it's probably fair to say that Bustamante went abstract.
Earlier on AOA: RPI's Nao Bustamante on Bravo's "Work of Art"
screengrab: Bravo TV
The often-imitated Jess Fink
From left to right: Jess Fink's original design, the Forever 21 t-shirt design, the Goldman work
If imitation truly is flattery, Troy artist Jess Fink should be getting a lot of compliments.
Somehow we're guessing that's not the way it feels.
Fink tweeted last night that she's come across yet another piece inspired-by/ripped-off-from her work. This time she says it's Todd Goldman, an artist with a huge merchandising operation. She posted a screenshot of a Goldman work that bears a strong resemblance to her "Cookie loves Milk" design.
Upcoming classes at the Arts Center
We were skimming through the catalog of classes at the Arts Center of the Capital Region today and a few caught our eye:
Road Trip: North Adams & MASS MoCA
The trip to MASS MoCA is part of the art
One of the good things about living in the Capital Region is that there are a wealth of cool places within a short distance.
Such as MASS MoCA and North Adams.
After the jump -- the virtual road trip.
Schenectady Art Attack
This first Schenectady Art Attack is this weekend in (where else) downtown Schenectady. What's an "art attack?" From the brochure:
The Schenectady Art Attack is an attempt to bring hundreds of creative people together for a weekend to display their visions of what the world is and could be. We have invited painters, poets, musicians, wood workers, film makers, writers, photographers and others to attack the city with their collective artistic power to invigorate the city and its inhabitants.
We hear from the organizers that there will be live music, photos from 20 photographers, films by local directors such as Mike Feurstein and Román Jáquez. And... chainsaw carving.
The event runs Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 11-5. It's free. You can pick up a brochure with maps and info at Schenectady City Hall.
Dancing on the Ceiling at EMPAC
As we understand it, there will be no Lionel Ritchie.
EMPAC has a group exhibition coming up that looks like it'll be worth exploring. From the blurb for Dancing on the Ceiling:
Dancing on the Ceiling will bring together artworks that use the metaphor of floating or weightlessness as an expression of the relationship of the individual to social, political or personal contexts. In addition, several of the pieces relate to lightness as akin to an agility of mind, freed of entrenched perspectives.
...
The artworks in the exhibition deploy helium, parabolic flight, rigging, and digital effects. They feature floating performers, an upside-down kitchen, an isolation tank and skateboarders freed from physical laws. They evoke the golden age of space exploration and the dreams of the counter-culture. Dancing on the Ceiling is a provocative convergence of time-based photography, sculpture, installation, and video.
The opening reception is this Thursday from 6-10 pm, when the building will open so people can check out all the exhibits. It's free.
Bonus: There will be a screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey on EMPAC's 56-foot screen that night at 7 pm. Douglas Trumbull, the special effects director for 2001 and many other films, will be giving a talk beforehand.
image: Dennis Darzacq
Tang looking for local pieces
Updated Wednesday morning
The Tang Museum at Skidmore has an exhibition called "For You" coming up in June that will feature local works by artists who have passed away. And they're looking for your help. From the site blurb (emphasis added):
This summer, the Tang will present a unique open call exhibition of artwork created by artists who have passed away, but whose work and memory continue to impact individuals in the greater Capital Region. Entitled For You, the exhibition is inspired by Troy resident Bruce Ottmer, who sat on the corner of Lark Street in Albany holding a painting by his late wife, Claire Durani Nack. Determined to bring her painting to a larger audience, but unable to find a venue to exhibit it, Ottmer decided to sit on the street and share the painting with passersby. Motivated by Ottmer's dedication, the Tang is organizing For You to give locals like Ottmer a venue to exhibit work made by loved ones, while simultaneously celebrating the lives and talents of the artists.
The submission process starts next Monday. There are details on the Tang site.
(Thanks, StickFigureMan! And Summer!)
Rewriting the bible in Columbia County
Phillip Patterson beneath the willows. (photo by Laura Glazer)
Phillip Patterson is hand-writing the Bible.
Yes, the entire bible. The 1611 King James bible, to precise. The Columbia County resident hopes to complete it by next year, the book's 500th birthday.
Intrigued?
Laura Glazer was. Yes, that Laura Glazer. The host of Hello Pretty City.
What's all this about?
A mix of things, really.
"What are you doing now?"
There's an app for that?
That piece above is by artist Dan Burkholder. He made it using an iPhone. Really.
It's part of an exhibition that opens tomorrow night at the Martinez Gallery in Troy as part of Troy Night Out.
The exhibition's title takes a cue from sites such as Twitter and Facebook: "What are you Doing Now?" It features 18 local artists providing an example of their most current work, using a range of media -- including the iPhone.
The Martinez Gallery is at 3 Broadway in Troy (that's the Cannon Building). In addition to TNO, it's open Wednesday through Saturday 2-5pm.
Marketplace Gallery re-opening
Art from The Market Gallery's "Recovery" show, just about a year ago
The Marketplace Gallery , located in a loft down by the Port of Albany, held several awesome art shows last spring and summer. The expansive space, run by Samson Contompasis and his brothers Alex and Max, was a great addition to the Albany arts scene, until an electrical fire back in August shut it down.
Now, after months of rebuilding, the Contompasis brothers are re-opening their gallery and they've got some promising plans for the place.
Electrical Forest
Over at PBS' art:21 blog, artist Noah Fischer writes about Electrical Forest, his installation at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy:
During my initial research missions to Troy, New York I met a colorful bunch of historians, painters, potters, professors and arborists, and was struck by the miniature grandeur of the city. There was a need to respond to its historical aura; going to Troy was stepping into another world. This was interesting to me because it's not a gentrified international destination; it's more or less a graveyard of American industry, a city of the Rust Belt. Working with The Arts Center of the Capital Region and independent curator, Lauren Wolk, who invited me to Troy for the project, I crafted the outlines of Electrical Forest: Made in Troy. It was to be a project that depended on the community of Troy to harness the aura of their city. Electrical Forest: Made in Troy would tell the story of a small American city set deep in the landscape of progress.
Fischer got people to come in and work on an "assembly line" manufacturing leaves for the projects (video embedded above).
Electrical Forest will be on display at the Arts Center until December 24.
At the mall, with Andy
Pop Egg.
We noticed this Warhol-esque installation at Crossgates last night. It's at the top of the escalators by the new Dick's store.
It seemed a little groovy for the mall. In a good way.
... said LB about For sale: one purple bookmobile