Friday, February 26, 2010

RVAAB asks some questions of... Valerie Molnar


There are a lot of great artists in Richmond! We first saw Valerie Molnar's work on VCU's MFA website several years ago, and since then, we've been keeping an eye on her intriguing combination of knitting, painting, and installation.




How did you learn to knit?

My mom’s mother taught me. She would watch my sister and I when my mom was at work and she would always teach us a craft or have an art project for us. These art and craft days with my Grandmother are not only where I learned to knit, but they definitely shaped my lifetime goals and interests.




Has knitting always been your natural mode of image-making, or was it something that drawing and painting led you to?

In my undergraduate studies as a painting major the pressure of filing a canvas was too much. To have a rectangle, to make a plan for the rectangle, execute the plan, and then edit until satisfied after leaving art history class and learning about and looking at all the great painters in history was too heavy a burden. I could not relax or work abstractly; I painted lots of representational figurative paintings, usually of wrinkly old women.

Knitting allowed me to use colors and keep productively working without being able to see what I was producing at the moment- so I could keep working without being overwhelmed with responsibility. I could work intuitively and spontaneously and experiment without editing. That’s how it started.

After I got more comfortable I eased into having taken more responsibility for the images- that’s where the painting came in. I could knit intuitively then pin it up on the wall and be able to formally visually react to it in a calculating, responsive and responsible way.




Could you talk about the evolution of your work- what it was like five years ago versus now, and where do you think your work might be headed in the future? Also, some of your works seem to reference events- like explosions or dripping. Do you work from visual source material (e.g. images of waterfalls or clouds), or do you knit and react to what is happening in the piece as it evolves?

I think I am a very slow evolver. I was finally able to be prolific with knitting, but my motivations and inspirations seem to change at a snail’s pace.

At first it was a color and material study- I would grab whatever struck me, without thinking how the next patch would interact with the last patch. I made a lot of 3-d forms, used a lot of textures and different stitches.

Then I read Greenberg’s Modernism and I was a changed woman. I realized how important the image was. I am still infatuated with him, that article, and his formula. I made connections to his instructions on how to make a pure painting to my own instructions on how to distill knitting- so it could be that same kind of universal language. I got rid of crazy textured yarn- I only use one kind now, so that the textures do not become a focus. No more three dimensions, and definitely took all functionality out. With those things gone, the pieces can more easily flux between image and object.

After that revelation I was able to concentrate on color interactions within the pieces. Then I was crazy about rainbows and finding ultimate color combinations. Then I started thinking about Joseph Albers and color mixing.

Recently and right now I am interested in making installations that interact with the architecture of a room. At the same time I have been inspired by my houseplants- usually the exploding or falling has something to do with some part of a plant’s growing process.




How do you decide to knit part of a piece and/or paint part of it on the wall? How do you think about the relationship between knitting and painting?

When I started, the painting on the wall was a way to reconnect with the image I made while knitting. When I would cast off and pin the knitting on the wall, it was so uncomfortably foreign to me- since I would have been working on it for so long, only able to see it balled up in my lap. I was always surprised by the outcome. It was a way to identify my sensibilities with the abstract images and a way to be responsible for an end product.

More recently I use photoshop to preplan my ideas. I am now finally able to trust my ideas and execute them. However I don’t use the sketches while I’m making the knitting or installing or painting – I just use it to flesh out my ideas in the beginning.




What kind of role do titles play for your work? I noticed that several of the 2009 pieces on your website have food-related names; how did this come about?

When I am working on the knitting part of the work I watch a lot of series or movies, which is where I extract all of my titles. The majority of the titles come from the book or movie The Princess Bride, the food titles come from the TV reality show Hell’s Kitchen, and one comes from Lord of The Rings.

Although I watch a lot of different things, I only take titles from few. I take from the ones that have some value I want to instill in my work or myself. The Princess Bride is my goldmine. I am most excited about creating a distinct balance of irony and sincerity, which PB captures beautifully. When that balance is acquired the thing becomes neither ironic nor sincere; it transforms into something new. I feel it becomes something that is unable to be questioned, like a hypothesis that has not yet been tested. No one is arguing that it does work, they just believe and have faith and hope that it will work, even if it is the silliest idea on earth. Like the idea that you should coat your miracle pill in chocolate so it can more easily be digested and bring a dead person back to life so he can win his true love and help avenge the death of his friend’s father. Or the idea that you should try to reference nothing by painting large areas of flat color so that it can become a universal visual language for everyone to connect with. That excited unquestioned faith is what I am ultimately after.

But also from PB I want the true love, conviction, friendship, triumph, and commitment. I want Chef Gordon Ramsay’s handsomeness, high standards, and willingness to help. And, Lord Of The Ring’s magic and perseverance.




What makes one of your pieces particularly “successful” for you?

The level of connection I feel with the image after it is finished.




What is your weekly studio practice like?

Right now, my studio is on my couch. I knit at home and when I need to make an installation I either have a physical place I was making it for, or I can create a room in Photoshop. After rearranging my apartment to make a blank wall I can take a photo of what I made, then cut and paste it into my new clean Photoshop room and make the ‘painting’ on that virtual wall.




Who are some artists you are currently interested in?

I love lots of artists- Some of them that inspire me the most are Jim Lambie, Mike Kelley, Polly Apfelbaum- particularly their use of the room- They take them over in a specific way with amazing colors and textures- but instead of transforming them into something they were not, they sublimate and embellish while retaining original integrity.

The critic Clement Greenberg is who shaped my work the most- his essay, ‘Modernism’ made a huge shift in the way I thought about and made my installations and their flatness; he brought me back to painting ideas.




What do you like about living in Richmond?

Richmond has a wonderful art community. There is always something exciting going on, and everyone seems to rally, be genuinely interested and supportive- even if they’re not directly connected with the artists’ community. It is easy to find good people to talk to, studios, shows, equipment, jobs, and a cheap quick JetBlue ticket makes for a lot of nice trips up to NY. Richmond is pretty great.




Where can we see your work in the near future (either in Richmond or elsewhere)?

Right now I am in a group show in Brooklyn at Homestead, I have a few small pieces at Frederieke Taylor Gallery in Chelsea, and so far for the near future in I’ll be in a show in Santa Monica, California, and Pullman, Washington.


Thanks to Valerie for taking the time to answer our questions- check out more of her awesome work on her website here.

Well...?






Thursday, February 25, 2010

Rally to save VA Arts Today!



PLEASE ATTEND IN A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR VA ARTS FUNDING

ARTS ADVOCACY RALLY
At the Virginia General Assembly and Capitol
FEBURUARY 25, 2010

WHY YOUR ATTENDANCE IS URGENTLY NEEDED AT THE ARTS RALLY
On February 21 the Appropriations Committee of the House of Delegates voted, 15-7, to cut state funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts by 50% in 2010-11 and to eliminate the agency completely as of July 1, 2011. The Senate Finance Committee has adopted the proposal in the budget bill submitted by Governor Kaine not to make further cuts in state funding for the Commission.

There will be votes on the House and Senate floors THURSDAY on the proposals from the two committees. The different versions of the 2010-12 budget bill approved by the two house of the General Assembly then go to a Budget Conference Committee to resolve the differences.

EMAIL VIRGINIANS FOR THE ARTS at VaForArts@aol.com to let us know you are attending.

WHAT TO DO THURSDAY AT THE RALLY

1. MEET WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS

WHEN? In the Morning, as early as possible

WHERE? At the General Assembly Building, 9th and Broad St., Richmond
A Leave-Behind informational piece is available here for your legislators:
http://bit.ly/9RC1Fn

Legislators begin arriving as early as 7:30 a.m. Make an appointment with your legislators, if possible. If this is not possible, make an appointment with an aide or drop by and leave our advocacy handout. Legislators attend committee meetings before the noon legislative session begins at the Capitol, and it's best to catch them in their offices as early in the day as possible.

2. PARTICIPATE IN SHOW OF SUPPORT AT IN THE GALLERY OF THE HOUSE FOR FLOOR DEBATE

WHEN? Line up outside the House of Delegates Gallery at 11:30 a.m.-admission on 1st come basis-Be there no later than 11:45 to be admitted and seated before the session begins. Stay as long as you can between noon and 2 pm and later, if available. Advocates will be recognized by a local legislator.

WHERE? At the Capitol, in the House Gallery.

Getting there: The general public must enter the Capitol through the public entrance near 10th and Bank Street. Once in the Capitol Building, Virginians for the Arts will have volunteers present to help direct you to the House Gallery.

Public Parking: A limited number of metered public parking spaces (2 hours) are located on Bank Street, between Governor and 14th Streets, on the south side of Main Street, between 9th and 12th Streets and on 12th Street between Main and Bank Streets. Pay parking lots and decks are nearby on 8th and Grace Street and 7th and Marshall Streets.

More info here.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Arts are not Superfluous...




The best article in support of arts education I have ever read was written in 2007- the information still rings true, perhaps even more so, three years later. The expression "art for art's sake" is not just about art's ability to bring beauty and joy to our lives, nor are the arts' greatest value found in the way they enhance learning in the "core" content areas...

Here are a few excerpts from the Boston Globe article "Art for our sakes: School art classes matter more than ever- but not for the reasons you think" (read the article- by Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland- in its entirety here):

One justification for keeping the arts has now become almost a mantra for parents, arts teachers, and even politicians: arts make you smarter. The notion that arts classes improve children's scores on the SAT, the MCAS, and other tests is practically gospel among arts-advocacy groups...

There is, however, a very good reason to teach arts in schools, and it's not the one that arts supporters tend to fall back on. In a recent study of several art classes in Boston-area schools, we found that arts programs teach a specific set of thinking skills rarely addressed elsewhere in the curriculum - and that far from being irrelevant in a test-driven education system, arts education is becoming even more important as standardized tests like the MCAS exert a narrowing influence over what schools teach...

What we found in our analysis should worry parents and teachers facing cutbacks in school arts programs. While students in art classes learn techniques specific to art, such as how to draw, how to mix paint, or how to center a pot, they're also taught a remarkable array of mental habits not emphasized elsewhere in school.

Such skills include visual-spatial abilities, reflection, self-criticism, and the willingness to experiment and learn from mistakes. All are important to numerous careers, but are widely ignored by today's standardized tests...

By unveiling a powerful thinking culture in the art room, our study suggests ways that we can move beyond the debate over the value of arts, and start using the arts to restore balance and depth to an education system increasingly skewed toward readily testable skills and information...

We don't need the arts in our schools to raise mathematical and verbal skills - we already target these in math and language arts. We need the arts because in addition to introducing students to aesthetic appreciation, they teach other modes of thinking we value.

For students living in a rapidly changing world, the arts teach vital modes of seeing, imagining, inventing, and thinking. If our primary demand of students is that they recall established facts, the children we educate today will find themselves ill-equipped to deal with problems like global warming, terrorism, and pandemics.

Those who have learned the lessons of the arts, however - how to see new patterns, how to learn from mistakes, and how to envision solutions - are the ones likely to come up with the novel answers needed most for the future.


Still don't get why this arts funding cut is such a big deal?



Here is a list of Richmond arts organizations/venues that have received past funding:

(There are links to many of these in our list of "Richmond spaces" and "More Spaces" to the right of this column.)

1708 Gallery
Amaranth Contemporary Dance
ART 180
Art6
Arts Council of Richmond (now CultureWorks)
Artspace
Chamber Music Society of Central VA
Elegba Folklore Society
Firehouse Theater Project
Folk Art Society of America
HARPS Foundation
Henley Street Theatre
James River Writers
Jazz and Acoustic Music
K Dance
Richmond Ballet
Richmond Boys Choir
Richmond Jazz Society
Richmond Symphony
Richmond Triangle Players
SPARC
Theatre IV
Visual Arts Center of Richmond


And there are other places nearby that have also received funding:

Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (VA Beach)
Taubman Museum (Roanoke)
Artisans Center of Virginia (Waynesboro)
Second Street Gallery (Charlottesville)
Chrysler Museum of Art (Norfolk)
Sycamore Rouge (Petersburg)
American Shakespeare Center (Staunton)
Rawls Museum (Courtland)


It is possible- even likely that every single one of the above venues/organizations will be affected by the proposed budget cuts.

Not only will Virginia culture take a huge hit if this new budget is passed, but many individuals' professional lives will be affected. We are not talking about Sunday painters, folks. We are talking about people whose livelihoods depend on the arts- these are educators, curators, conservators, preparators, administrators, event planners, marketers, artists, and MORE- all individuals whose ability to contribute to progress within a floundering economy may be decreased if this new budget is passed.

Get more information about venues and organization near you that may be affected by arts budget cuts here.

Read more about what you can do to help here and here.

More on Thursday's Art Advocacy Rally



WHY YOUR ATTENDANCE IS URGENTLY NEEDED AT THE ARTS RALLY

On February 21 the Appropriations Committee of the House of Delegates voted, 15-7, to cut state funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts by 50% in 2010-11 and to eliminate the agency completely as of July 1, 2011. The Senate Finance Committee has adopted the proposal in the budget bill submitted by Governor Kaine not to make further cuts in state funding for the Commission.

There will be votes on the House and Senate floors THURSDAY on the proposals from the two committees. The different versions of the 2010-12 budget bill approved by the two house of the General Assembly then go to a Budget Conference Committee to resolve the differences.

EMAIL VIRGINIANS FOR THE ARTS at VaForArts@aol.com to let us know you are attending.


WHAT TO DO THURSDAY AT THE RALLY

1. MEET WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS

WHEN? In the Morning, as early as possible

WHERE? At the General Assembly Building, 9th and Broad St., Richmond

Legislators begin arriving as early as 7:30 a.m. Make an appointment with your legislators, if possible. If this is not possible, make an appointment with an aide or drop by and leave our advocacy handout. Legislators attend committee meetings before the noon legislative session begins at the Capitol, and it’s best to catch them in their offices as early in the day as possible.

Check here for contact information for your legislators: (Virginia General Assembly website)http://legis.virginia.gov/1_cit_guide/contacting_my.htm

2. PARTICIPATE IN SHOW OF SUPPORT AT IN THE GALLERY OF THE HOUSE FOR FLOOR DEBATE

WHEN? Line up outside the House of Delegates Gallery at 11:30 a.m.—admission on 1st come basis—Be there no later than 11:45 to be admitted and seated before the session begins. Stay as long as you can between noon and 2 pm and later, if available. Advocates will be recognized by a local legislator.

WHERE: At the Capitol, in the House Gallery.

Getting there: The general public must enter the Capitol through the public entrance near 10th and Bank Street. Once in the Capitol Building, Virginians for the Arts will have volunteers present to help direct you to the House Gallery.

Public Parking: A limited number of metered public parking spaces (2 hours) are located on Bank Street, between Governor and 14th Streets, on the south side of Main Street, between 9th and 12th Streets and on 12th Street between Main and Bank Streets. Pay parking lots and decks are nearby on 8th and Grace Street and 7th and Marshall Streets.

More information may be found at Virginians for the Arts website- including a map of the Capitol area.

Art 180's Message About VA Arts Funding Cuts



Dear Friends and Followers of ART 180:

You may have heard about the proposed massive cuts to state arts funding. That's because the arts advocates in our community have been doing a fine job of spreading the word. But if you haven't heard--or simply haven't yet taken action--please make time in in the next two days to contact your legislator or participate in Thursday's activities to prevent the potentially devastating cuts from going through.

This affects not only ART 180, but every arts organization in the state, artists and schools with artists-in-residence, and every nonprofit in the state that does any arts-related programming and gets a piece of the VCA pie. And ultimately, it affects our entire Commonwealth. Just imagine: NO more state funding for the arts in two years. NONE!

Read on for more details. We know that our educational system and all areas of our state economy are suffering, but please do what you are able to prevent this loss, and THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. Read on...

YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED TO AVOID THE ELIMINATION OF STATE ARTS FUNDING

The greatest threat to public support for arts and cultural institutions in Virginia in the past two decades is pending before the House of Delegates and will be voted on this Thursday, February 25.

On Sunday, the House Appropriations Committee recommended elimination of the Virginia Commission for Arts and all arts grants funding as part of the House's proposed 2011-2012 budget. The full House will vote on this budget on Thursday. We believe that legislative supporters of the arts will mount an effort to delete this provision from the House budget package and thus to restore funding for the Commission and its grants to arts and cultural institutions across Virginia, large and small.

Please call your legislators immediately and ask them to take action to eliminate this provision from the House budget. If you can, attend the debate this Thursday at 1pm and/or try to visit with your legislator Thursday morning. Information regarding how to determine who is your legislator and how to contact him or her click on the link at the bottom.

If this devastating proposal is to be reversed, we need nothing less than an unprecedented outpouring of public outcry over this action. Only you can make that happen. Please don't assume that "somebody else" will make these calls. We need every supporter of the arts to stand up and be counted in the next two days.

What exactly are we asking for? We ask the House to delete, from the proposed House amendments to the Budget Bill (House Bill 30), the elimination of all funding for arts grants through the Virginia Commission for the Arts. The proposal to eliminate this funding is part of Item 0.9 #2h, paragraph L., reductions to Items 233 and 234.

Go here for legislator's contact information

More on Art 180 and their upcoming events here

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

VA Arts Won't Go Down Without a RALLY- This Thursday!



The situation for Virginia arts funding is precarious. Besides calling and faxing your legislator, there will be a rally for VA arts funds this Thursday morning at the Virginia General Assembly and Capitol- get more information about the rally at the Virginia Alliance for Local Arts Agencies blog.

And read this great post at Richmond.com about potential cuts for Virginia arts funds and the importance of the VA Commission for the Arts. Here's an excerpt:

Every dollar the state invests in the arts through the Virginia Commission for the Arts returns $7 in investment by corporations, in ticket and event sales, and in local government funding. The state investment also leverages federal matching funds - $1 million last year from the National Endowment for the Arts. $1 million more that will not be available to many organizations that need it if this cut is approved.

Arts in a community promote the grown of the "creative class" in the community. Talented young professionals are attracted to communities with a lively arts and cultural scene. The growth of arts and cultural districts and of public art programs across Virginia demonstrates that local officials understand the connection of the arts with economic development and community revitalizations.


Please contact your legislators today!

Bad News for VA Arts- Contact Your Legislator Before This Thursday





The House budget plan released by the House Appropriations Committee on Sunday calls for reducing arts grants through the Virginia Commission for the Arts by 50 percent during Fiscal Year 2011 and eliminating the Commission altogether at the end of Fiscal Year 2012.

...

It is critical that arts advocates contact House members and ask them to oppose this recommendation on the floor of the House in the budget debate, which will be held on Thursday, February 25.

Faxes and phone calls are recommended before email. Find contact information for your legislator here.

Talking points are available here on the VFTA website.

Alan D. Albert
Legislative Counsel
Virginians for the Arts



Friday, February 19, 2010

First Fridays Redux Tonight


Get more info about what to see over at Curated Culture Commentary.



Debbie Quick is showing work in the Vault at Quirk


The NEA wants to help Richmond!


On January 21st, 2010, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman spoke before the United States Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. He spoke about the NEA's goal of building "complete communities using the arts as a fulcrum." Below are some important excerpts from his talk, especially relevant given all of Richmond's recent arts and culture district buzz (our previous post here and Style's recent report here)...

NEA's new logo


Artists are entrepreneurs, small business owners all, great placemakers and community builders. Bring artists into the center of town and that town changes profoundly. We know now that people do not migrate to businesses, it is the other way around. Businesses look for a skilled, motivated, educated workforce, and will move to where that is. And what does that workforce look for? In survey after survey, the answer is education and culture.

People follow other people. To turn upside down one of my favorite lines, from the movie Field of Dreams, "If you come, they will build it."

When artists do come and form clusters and build cultural institutions, what happens? Everything good. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the work of Richard Florida about the importance of the "Creative Class" in our fast-changing economy.

For now, my reference point is recent work by Mark Stern, Susan Seifert, and Jeremy Nowak based on a ten-year study at the University of Pennsylvania of the catalytic role of the arts in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Three general conclusions stand out:

  1. The arts are a force for social cohesion and civic engagement. In communities with a strong cultural presence, people are much more likely to engage in civic activities beyond the arts. Community participation increases measurably and the result is more stable neighborhoods.

  2. The arts make a major difference in child welfare. To quote, "Low income block groups with high cultural participation were more than twice as likely to have very low truancy and delinquency rates."

  3. Art is a poverty fighter. In the cycle I have already described, artists form clusters, cultural institutions are built, people gravitate to them, and the businesses follow. The businesses hire and the virtuous cycle continues. And arts jobs leverage other jobs. Buy a ticket and see a play. You see the actors on a stage. But behind those actors are administrators, designers, ushers, stagehands, costume makers, and just outside the building are parking lot attendants, cooks, and waiters.

...

First, the direct funding. This is the 25th anniversary of the NEA Mayors' Institute on City Design, and we are marking that anniversary with a new initiative: MICD 25.

As you all hopefully know, MICD is the NEA's partnership with the US Conference of Mayors and the American Architectural Foundation (thank you, Ron Bogle).

Since 1986, MICD has helped transform communities through smart, innovative design by preparing mayors to be the chief designers of their cities. MICD organizes sessions where mayors engage leading design experts to find solutions to the most critical urban design challenges facing their cities.

Building on this quarter century of momentum, through MICD 25, we will make up to 15 grants ranging from $25,000 to a quarter of a million dollars in recognition of the role that smart design, arts, artists, and arts organizations can play in building dynamic places where people want to live and work.

These grants will be available to any city that has had a mayor go through MICD over the past 25 years - some 600 cities - whether that specific mayor is still in office or not.

And we will be looking for cities that have partnerships among arts organizations and artists, design professionals and design centers, developers, business owners, community organizations, and private foundations.

We are looking to fund planning projects, including the planning of arts districts, the mapping of cultural assets along with their development potential, and the creation of innovative plans to maximize the creative sector.

...


Our intention is ambitious, but simple. We will start in a few selected communities where we can make a real difference, and find ways that federal agencies, in conjunction with significant private sector commitment, can build complete communities using the arts as a fulcrum.

Some examples: Affordable artists housing might involve HUD. A city that wants to expand a limited tourist streetcar line into a real mode of public transportation connecting the arts district to the rest of the city might get a hearing at the Department of Transportation. The Department of Education might encourage arts charter schools that can transform a neighborhood. The Small Business Administration might support the entrepreneurs known as artists. And so on.

We need to hear from you and hear the needs of your cities. And the agencies will make determinations within their own guidelines and policies. It is my firm conviction that there is a current or incipient arts resource in every federal agency and that a focused, collaborative effort can produce meaningful results.

...


Read the complete speech here, and check out guidelines for the grant program and application here. Thanks to B'more Art for drawing our attention to the information.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Today: Gallery Talk and Coffee with Kathleen Markowitz at Page Bond



Richmond artist Kathleen Markowitz will discuss her current show "Night Light" today at 11 AM. More information is on Page Bond's facebook page.

Gerald Donato Will Be Missed



Richmond artist Gerald Donato passed away over the weekend. There is a wonderful post about him and his wife, artist Joan Gaustad by The Hat at Richmond magazine, and F. T. Rea of Slantblog just (re?)posted his favorite memory of Donato, too.

In addition, VCU's Blackbird archive has information about Donato that was compiled in conjunction with "Reinventing the Game," his 40-some-year retrospective show at Anderson Gallery in 2007 (be sure to click on "Contributor's Notes: Gerald Donato" to read more biographical information).

Donato will be missed by many- he was a prolific artist, a darn good painter, and an opinionated professor. I had a painting class with him cerca 2000, and he let me know gently and with a considerable amount of humor time and again that my work was bad. To my chagrin, it took years for me to realize just how right he was- he was REALLY right.

One of my favorite things about Donato is that he picked Richmond over New York. Maybe he could see some of the things that many of us see about this city: there is a lot of good stuff already here, and there is a lot of good stuff we can be part of making happen.

The Hat notes that "A public 'Celebration of Donato' is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 21st at 3pm, at the Plant Zero Arts Center."

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

"First Friday Redux" This Friday


Dana Sperry's and Chad Erpelding's "Forest for the Trees" opens this Friday at 1708 at 6:30 PM


Get the latest on which galleries are having their First Friday openings this Friday, Feb. 19th at Curated Culture Commentary and @firstfridaysrva on Twitter.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Stuff Happening Today and in the Near Future


"Variations in Red: Recent Paintings" opens at the VMFA Studio School Friday, Feb. 12th at 5 PM
(painting by Margaret O'Brien)


VCA's workshop for grant application assistance is being held today at Richmond Triangle Players from 10 AM- 12 PM. More information about this may be found at VALAA's blog here.


Sally Bowring is giving a 12 PM talk at VMFA Studio School, answering the question, "How... do you curate?" in reference to the Studio School's current show "Variations in Red: Recent Paintings," which will open this evening at 5 PM. More info about this can be found on VMFA's facebook page.


Quite a few rescheduled First Friday openings are happening tonight- we posted about some of those before. In addition to that list, add Frame Nation's opening of their first show, Chad Andrews' "A Quick Visit to Anytowne, U.S.A." with a reception from 5-9 PM.


On Saturday, Barbara Campbell Thomas will give a talk at 1708 at 1 PM about her show "Painting in Part and in Pieces." (Our past post about that show is here.) Get more info at 1708's blog here.


AND "What is Your Heart Made of?" (VCU Crafts'/Quirk's team effort to benefit Haiti) continues until 4 pm this Saturday. (Our previous post about this is here and below this post.)


Opening receptions for Gallery 5's "Sleight of Hand" and "Let Go" will be held Saturday, Feb. 13th from 7 PM to 11 PM- read more here.


What else?

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Pics From Quirk/VCU Crafts' "What is Your Heart Made of?" Jewelry Sale to Benefit Haiti


Lots of lovely jewelry work by VCU Crafts students is now on sale at Quirk- proceeds will go to benefit relief efforts in Haiti. These are just a few images of some of the pieces in the sale...




















Kudos to these talented students and to Quirk for their generous gesture!
The sale continues until this Saturday at 4 pm.

Check out more information at the event's facebook page,
and on Quirk's blog.

Today: VCU and Quirk Team Up To Benefit Haiti




What Is Your Heart Made Of?


In the aftermath of the destruction in Haiti, the world is coming together to help Haiti rebuild. Advanced level jewelry/metal students from the VCU Craft/Material Studies department want to contribute in this effort by organizing a jewelry sale and donating the proceeds to the Red Cross.


Quirk will host the sale February 11th-13th. All jewelry pieces are affordably priced and made from a variety of materials that are both precious and mundane, yet all treated with the utmost care and love. Join the opening reception for What is Your Heart Made of? 6-8pm on February 11th here at Quirk. This will be a really fun and thoughtful way contribute in the complex effort of rebuilding Haiti.


Sale dates and times:


Feb. 11, 12-8pm

Feb. 12, 10-5pm

Feb. 13, 11-4pm


(All info from Quirk's website.)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

1708/C3 Talk20 Canceled


ARGH! Really disappointed that Talk20 has been canceled (to be rescheduled in March, so be on the lookout), but...




this will just give everyone even more time to get excited about the event's speakers (info from C3's website):


Tiffany Glass Ferreira, artist and founder of the Real Small Art League
www.realsmallart.com

Peter Fraser, Fraser Design Associates, pushing creative thought in articulating Vision, Identity, Brand and Environment
http://www.fraserdesignassociates.com/

Brian Korte, LEGO artist, founder of Brickworkz LLC and fan of creativity everywhere
http://www.brickworkz.com

Rosemary Jesionowski, visual artist
www.rosemarykate.com/

Scott Putman, Artistic Director for Amaranth Contemporary Dance
www.amarantharts.com

Susan Singer, painting every naked woman in Richmond, one at a time
www.SusanSinger.com; www.susansingerart.blogspot.com

Gordon Stettinius, photographer and bon vivant
www.eyecaramba.com

Tamara Van Meter, of Baskervill, blending the worlds of physical environment, branding and culture into one collective vision
www.baskervill.com


The event will feature a hybrid of educators and professionals working in some branch of the creative field – such as art, architecture or design. talk20 is based on a series of short presentations of 20 slides each. Each presenter has 20 seconds per slide to express his or her very own artistic voice. The event has the broader goal of encouraging an exchange between those in the creative industry and a wider audience.


Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Richmond Artists Showing at Contemporary Art Center of Virginia



Jenn Figg's solo show "Forest Thrall" will be on view until May 23rd. Check out her website- her work is awesome.


Also...


"New Waves 2010" features:
(quite a few RVA artists/artists with RVA ties in this list)

Angela Allen
John Henry Blatter
Shane Butler
Warren Craghead III
Mary Elkins
Ana Esteve Llorens
Ryan Gothrup
Christi Harris
Akiko Jackson
Paul Jeffreys
Andre Kozlowski
Aurora Lutty
Aaron McIntosh
Sara Mizer
Sonya Paclob
Nikki Painter
Pamela Pecchio
Tate Pray
Kristen Rego
Matthew Damian Ritchie
Susan Tolbert
Keith Varadi


CACV's also exhibiting the work of Maurice Sendak in "Where The Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak In His Own Words and Pictures."

If you're in the VA Beach area, check it out- CACV regularly shows lots of good stuff- get more information about them here.


Monday, February 8, 2010

Who Dat Link Monday


Jonathan Weston is showing work at The Belvidere


VMFA blogs about fiber art

Talk20 at 1708 this Wednesday

Nancy Smith showing at Ellwood Coffee

Jonathan Weston showing at The Belvidere

3 x 3's call for illustrators

Midlothian artist Robert L. Caldwell has been very busy

Eric Schindler Satellite to open March 5th

First Fridays and music

Quirk/VCU jewelry sale to benefit Haiti: Feb. 11th - 13th

Art 6 to perform renovations and reopen

Just missed: "Burst III" at Locker 50B

Now on view at the Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen- RTD reports

VA Independent Film Fest Schedule from RVA Mag

Gallery 5's call for artwork for "We Are 5"

Pauley Center photography show

RTD reports on Pam Reynolds and RVA art

VCA Grant Workshop this Friday



Lots of openings have been rescheduled for this Friday, Feb. 12th- double-check venues' websites if you are going out for openings this week.

Here are Feb. 12th openings we've heard about:


Reference- "Scouting Foul" 7 -11 pm

VMFA studio school- "Variations in Red: Recent Paintings" 5 -7 pm

Glave Kocen- "Click" 6 -9 pm

Richmond Public Library- "Pictural Colloquy" (and others) 7- 9 pm

Page Bond- "Cold Press," "Love Text," and "Night Light" 7- 9 pm

The Whitley Gallery- "Doing Time" 6- 9 pm


There may be more... check out First Fridays and Curated Culture Commentary to stay up-to-date.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Reel Pride: RVA's First Annual LGBT Film Festival


Still on for tonight and tomorrow at the Firehouse Theatre:




Check out the Reel Pride website here for film schedules, images, etc.

February's First Friday Closures and Upcoming Events


Check out the list of First Friday venues over at Curated Culture Commentary to see who will be open this evening.

One show in particular we have been looking forward to is Tin Salamunic's "Pictural Colloquy," which will open at the Richmond Public Library Feb. 12th. Check out Salamunic's blog (with lots of images of his work) here.




Other upcoming events (which may or may not be rescheduled): Talk20 at 1708, currently set to happen Wed. Feb. 10th at 6 PM. More info/free registration here.

Also, the Virginia Commission for the Arts Grant Assistance workshop scheduled to take place in Richmond is coming up Fri. Feb. 12th, 10 AM -12 PM, at Richmond Triangle Players- more info can be found on VCA's facebook and on their website. Just read the "Funding Guideline Changes for 2010-2011"- major bummer.


Hey, on a sidenote, is there any kind of workshop for artists (happening in Richmond) about record-keeping for taxes, or about tax information for artists in general? Something like this, but in RVA?

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Pics from "Cold Press" at Page Bond- Also "Love Text" and "Night Light" opening this Friday


"Cold Press" will be on view until Feb. 27th. In addition, "Love Text" and "Nightlight" will open this Friday from 7-9 PM with a reception for the artists.

*Opening has been moved to Fri. Feb. 12th, due to inclement weather.











































More show information and images at Page Bond's website and on their facebook page.