Alternative Galleries

This July is winding down and I had an interesting show for the month: I showed art in a tattoo parlor.  The 111 Arts Gallery and Tattoo Studio, to be exact.  I’m not a tattooed person myself, and I’m not too sure how well my style of art would translate into the tattoo world (although, if anyone ever does get a tattoo borrowing from one of my paintings, I’d like to know about it, that would be a fun kind of honor…Unless it’s somewhere covered by a bathing suit—Then I’m not sure I want to know).  I guess, in the end, this is an article about alternative art spaces.

Sam Koch and his sons, and Zack Starkey by the window

I had a good time showing at 111 Gallery on the First Thursday of July.  It had a nice atmosphere, I shared the space with two other artists: One that could do incredible things with wood working, Sam Koch, and another, Zack Starkey, who painted some nice pieces to fill frames built by Koch.  Koch brought his family

 

along for most of the evening, three small boys, and the littlest one enjoyed stuffing one of the cookies I had brought as refreshments into his mouth, running around, then handing half of the cookie to his daddy.  It really was cute.

 

Moreover, when you say “art gallery,” there are a few things you don’t really expect to encounter: Walls papered with tattoo art as a backdrop to the featured art, dudes discussing lotion applied to the front curb (so as to better grind a skateboard), and toddlers with cookie-mouthfuls.  In other words, I had a blast! 

Many people hear “art gallery” and think of people in the perfect black dress or a nice tailored suit, sipping wine or champagne from little fluted glasses, eating hors d'oeuvres that I can’t even spell (heck, I can’t even spell what they are—I had to google it).  Those people are making small talk about the stock market, stores I can’t afford to even enter, and…well…I don’t even know, I guess eventually the angst and existentialism of the art in front of them. Or something like that.

And frankly, I’ve never shown at such a place. Now, I’m not in New York, and I’m not even that high on the Indianapolis totem pole.  But it seems like I consistently show at “alternative galleries.”  My first show, ever, was at the Greenwood, Indiana, Public Library.  I’ve since shown at a café, a make-your-own-pottery place, an auditorium lobby and now a tattoo parlor. I currently have my art displayed at a high-end consignment shop, and have had it displayed at a hair salon.  My current home is a converted old bank!  In other words, if you can provide a wall and a crowd, I’ll show my art there.

Now, granted, I had to think about what work I would show where, and, luckily, my style really varies.  I was unfamiliar with the other artists at 111 Gallery, so I thought ahead and selected work that I hoped would go with the “vibe” of the place.  Next month, I’ll be showing at a Chik-Fil-A on Indianapolis’s southside, so I will definetly be picking pieces that have a family feel.  Clowe’s Hall, the auditorium, was massive, so I pretty much showed anything and everything, and then had to think of what would fit together.  The artists I shared space with at the café, I’m friends with, so I selected work I thought would fit well with theirs.  It’s just a matter of doing a bit of research, prior to hanging, asking the questions that need to be asked and putting some thought into it.  

Add to that, my art friend, Carmen Hurt, has now established a store on the Zazzle.com website. What's a Zazzle store? She can take her art imagery and have them applied to merchandise, such as mouse pads, coffee mugs, IPod covers and...shoes! Yeah really! I've been encouraged to explore the site as well, so who knows, before long, some kid can be rocking the Mee-Ba shoe collection. Now THAT'S an alternative showcase for art!

I also recommend this article on the IDADA website, for tips on showing in alternative galleries.  And since THIS article is getting long enough, you can go click and read it yourself!  

So for August, mark your calendars!  Joy Art at Chic-Fil-A on Southport and Emerson on Indy’s southside, and First Friday, August 5^th at the Art Bank! Gen Con will also be occurring downtown, so feel free to take an adventure! (And don’t be intimidated by Stormtroopers, the ones here are really quite harmless).

July's First Thursday

First Thursday was last night. It rocked. I have a few people interested in some of my paintings and one is particularly notable.

There's a lady that has come into Phoebe's often, and she's been blind since birth. Recently, I've painted the moon, using extra paint to make crater textures to give the moon a bit of realness. Currently, I have Lost Moon on show at Phoebe's and this lady came in "saw" the painting.

She sees by touching, she analzyed Lost Moon and loved the texture. It is spray-paint smooth on the background, then the roughness of the cratered moon, and then a lighter, smoother texture for the clouds that cover it. This is a woman that has never experienced the moon. We can only SEE the moon, unless you're one of the lucky few, you can't touch it, and you certainly can't taste it or hear it or smell it. The moon's existence is only presented to us earthly humans through sight. So, for the first time, this woman "saw" the moon.

Phoebe relayed this via Facebook: "She said to tell you that she talked to your painting and said it was like greeting a friend...she said, "hello, Moon" and she could feel it."

My mind has been blown.

From Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Art & Soul by Phoebe Gallery; "The War" hanging on the wall with other artists' work; "Lost Moon," hanging where it can be experienced; "El Día De Los Papeles," article and close-up pics next time; and Phoebe, taking a break, relieving a break-er, revelling in success, I hope. Thanks Phoebe!

Also, as promised, a bit about coffee shops, or, at least, one in particular: Country Morning Coffee Co., in Kewanee. It has recently opened, my mom told me about it, and we visited the shop during my trip home. They have wonderful fruit smoothies (coffee and I don't mix; I'm already a spazz).

The owner, Elizabeth Wolf, has been trying to bring the 'art vibe' to Kewanee. Why not? It has a great downtown, with all the old buildings pretty much preserved (not really due to much to any kind of activism, I think it was more that no one new what else to put there so why not leave them alone? Well, except for the always encroaching Good's Furniture of course.) The result is a bunch of old buildings, looking like they would have in the 20's or 30's with lots of lil shops and such that have moved into the ground floors. I assume that people live in the second and third floors, but I've never met anyone that does!

Elizabeth is already hosting art, using the coffee shop walls as gallery space, and Mrs. Lane, my former art subsitute teacher, runs a gallery two blocks away. The library is across from the coffee shop, they could sponsor some reading related events (poetry slam, anyone?). There are some fun restaurants nearby. This is the same area that comes alive during Hog Days (Labor Day weekend, to lay people). Imagine it pumping and bopping every...say Third Thursday...or whatever!

I would love Kewanee to have an event like this. I only wish I was closer, so that I could lend a hand in organizing. There isn't much else going on in K-town, its practically a blank slate with the infrastructure (businesses) in place. There are a few places around Indiana, small towns, that have embraced the artworld as their form of commerce and notariety, there's no good reason Kewanee can't do it. It's ripe for the picking, and we just need someone with the ambition (and proximity) to do it! We all know (especially through Facebook) who can do-play-perform-cook what. C'mon Boilers!

Next time: Cortex, Clowes, and what was that new painting with no explanation you just saw above??? Yeah.

First Thursday, New Works, and HIP SIPS!!!

Sorry I hadn't posted in a while.

Sometimes you feel like you want to paint. Sometimes, you have a really good idea in your head, and you're staring at the canvas, and you know exactly what you want to do, and it just doesn't want to happen. In that, you don't even want to pick up the brush. Kinda like wishing my eyes were some kind of laser printer and if I stared at it long enough, the image would just appear. Added to general business, that's how I've been feeling lately. I know what I WANT to paint, I'm just not feeling it.

I did finish two paintings and have a nice start on two more. I have two more canvases ready to go (little ones, to compliment one that's started), one I need to build and finish for a display at Hip Sips (more on that later) and two more blanks that are starting back at me.

Without further ado, here are the two finished:

The loose "theme" this month at Phoebe's is patriotic/political. I've been a bit pissed off, lately, about current events, so I decided to act on the political side of it. The first painting I've called "Lost Moon." It's the name of the original book Apollo 13 was based on. I love that movie. I'm sad we're not going back to the moon anytime soon, and it's a shame. This one is similar to that other moon painting I did, but with different colors and added clouds. It's spray paint and acrylic and reminds me of those nights when the moon is still rising and looks so large and golden colored in the sky.

The second one is tentatively called "The War." If I think of a name that fits better, I'll change it but for now, eh. It's VHS tape glued onto canvas, then spray painted, then little oil board stencil letters glued on. It says, "My generation had not seen war. You said we were soft. Happy now" I also just realized I forgot to put a question mark on the end...but there weren't any in the stencil package. I think I'll just paint one on in black. Anyway. It refers to alot of the talk nearly ten years ago, when we went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Elders" on the tee-vee political shows were always discussing how this was my generation's war/Vietnam/Desert Storm/conflict du jour. They always remarked how, while my parents generation was so scarred by Vietnam, they still had it to strengthen them up, or prove they were men, or grow up, or whatever, just like our grandparents had WWII and Korea. My generation, Gen X/Millennials, had gotten off easy; how could we ever stomach such a test? Please. Now these wars have dragged on, while the rest of the country just kind of chirps along, and now the War in Afghanistan has been the longest lasting war this country has ever fought. All on the backs of Gen X/Millennials. Are we strong enough now for you? Or are we still selfish little pansies? Do we now have an excuse to wage wars for the next 50 years based on Millennial politics, just as the last 40 have been constant rehashing of Vietnam policies/fears/politics like the Boomers always have an excuse to do? Yeah.

These two are very obviously works in progress. They both have to do with the Arizona "Papers Please" law and all the insanity roped around that issue. I've also discovered I desperately need to buy more of that rich blue color of paint before I can finish the one on the left, or the two little ones that will accompany it. I gotta get on that. I have two weeks to finish them...but first...

HIP SIPS!!

Next Saturday, June 12, come on out to Modoc, Indiana, and see my booth! I've been graciously lent a tent by my coworker and friend, Gary Gallinger, and he helped glue some PVC pipes so that I could make some panels to hang my work from ('walls' for the tent). The whole event is at Wilson Winery, in Modoc, which is just south of Muncie, or just north of New Castle, if you prefer to drive out on I-70. There will be Jazz, Wine, and, of course, ART. So yeah, come get drunk, listen to some music, and buy my stuffs. :)

I've been hard at work preparing for the event. I have some stuff ready to go, work already done from the Eiteljorg event, but this one is outdoor, so there will be a whole other set of set-ups to accomplish. And I have to keep in mind that I'll be transporting the entire set up, work and all in a Toyota Yaris. It's a hatchback, and that sucker can haul, but I'm limited by a five foot packing height for everything. This will take some cleverness. I have a three day weekend leading up to the event, so I have much to do next 'weekend.' I'm excited and antsy and can't wait. All paintings that I have finished will be for sale at Wilson Winery, including any new ones that are 'meant' for Phoebe's. And *crossing fingers* I'll be able to accept credit cards! I've applied and have been accepted through this company that runs an app off my IPod, so as long as it actually works, and doesn't freeze up or something unforseen, Visa and Mastercards will be accepted. And checks. AND CASH. So yeah! Bring a friend!

Lastly, I wish I could post some pics from this month's First Thursday, but...I didn't make it. I got to the edge of the Indianapolis area, and felt like I was going to pass out while driving! I had to pull off to a parking lot and chill for a few minutes, and then turned around and went back home. I was really mad at 'myself' for not being able to see the gallery with my spraypaint art displayed, but I know when I'm beat. It wouldn't really do for me to be all scraggly looking and sickly and then try to sell art and stuff. I'm gonna try my hardest to make it up to Muncie before take downs so that I can see, but we'll see, with all the Hip Sips preps.

Ok this post is ungodly long. There will be more later this week about the Hip Sips preps, and those 'in process' works when they're finished!

First Thursday!

Ok, so today is First Thursday!

In alot of cities, they do a special art/open-gallery walk on a certain day of the month. In Indianapolis, its First Friday (by the way, that's tomorrow). In Carmel, Indiana, they do Second Saturdays. In Muncie, Indiana, they have First Thursday.

I'm currently showing several pieces of art each month at a new gallery in Muncie called Art & Soul by Phoebe. It's a cool little place that fills up quick. Their motto is "Artists first." They often have a feature artist, or little contests (this month also hosts a scholarship contest for local high school artists) and sometimes a fun theme. I guess some people would have something against a theme, like their art is supposed to be as it is...or something like that. But you know what? I like the themes. They're not written in concrete, but it is a fun way to get you thinking. My art style bounces around so much that I look at a theme as a challenge. April was a spring theme, ok, easy enough: Flowers! But May? May is retro month. 1950's, 1960's--I heard they even got a restored vintage car to park out front just for kicks. Phoebe is going to put her prom dress on display and all the artwork in the front of the gallery will most likely fit the theme.
It got my creative juices running and here's what I came up with:

hmmmmm....Oooook. The host is is a bit wonky with the pics. I'll try to add them here later, I have to get going to Muncie! If you're here via Facebook, look in my "Acrylics" photo album for "Rewind 1, 2, 3, and 4" and one called "Licked By Rembrandt." Those were my five Art & Soul paintings for this month, I'll explain those titles in a post when I get back!

-Joy