"chub-ler", "Winston-bear" and "a blue hair dinner"

We spent the weekend focused around our new nephew, Winston. Brad and I didn't get more than 2 hours of sleep the night before heading out- so we crashed on the couch after a visit to Tony Luke's for cheesesteaks (love that sharp provolone!). We hit the beach the next day, which was beautiful- but very windy and cold. In every other photo taken at the beach- my hair is an amorphous mass....(it approximated Erin's couch felt clumps.) I took off a dirty much-loved sweatshirt for pictures- I would have not have been able to brave our stay without it. Before returning home, we were lucky enough to meet up with Donna, who Brad is currently riding 200 miles for in the MS Ride for the cure this weekend.

Fellow artist raves about "Material Studies"

A fellow artist, Jennifer Weigel, blogged about our show, read her comments here at Chaoticblacksheep's Rants and Raves. Thanks for taking the time to reflect on the show, Jennifer. Her second to last paragraph sums up some of allure of working within a fiber art methodology or framework- people are familiar with cloth. A gallery visitor, perhaps David(? the lawyer?)... commented that the show was very "accessible" during the opening. Since I carefully consider using materials that have associations that can be read on some level without an art history degree, I greatly appreciated his choice of words about the exhibition.

a little help from my friends...

Just a few people to note for making my night/day a bit better after the school violence tangent, plane delay, & sore throated evening...Heidi for the airport rescue,



Joe Turner for finally getting a web presence for sharing some artworks (and some mighty fine ones at that- see Baghead above), and Michele Bosak for being a marketing guru & Jane-of-all-trades martha stewart-esque installer taking advantage of Art Prize. Wonderful people who make me want to get down to business and make something with meaning.

The New Duck-and-Cover

On a more depressing note than the previous entry, I got a text message from the college about the Test broadcast for "simulated violent act by an armed intruder"while waiting for my flight home. Even knowing that the message was a test- I was sick to my stomach. After being on campus during the NIU tragedy (which I still haven't really processed), I don't know if I would have handled the simulation very well. I applaud the efforts of administrations across the country to try to make schools safe, but it seems like the spector of student or gunman violence on campus is encouraged by advertising it. It seems like the next paradigm to unite people in fear. Nuclear holocaust is still on the table, but more people are worried under the surface about an unstable person with a loaded gun in a public place. Sweeping statements (which are offensive to discriminating audiences) follow, I apologize in advance. I can not process the info, but I am trying to get a handle on it in broad sweeps. Is it a creative outlet for those who have no sense of community or identity? Considering the proliferation of such shows as "Ultimate warrior" and nearly any American depiction of hero violence, is this the contemporary way of getting notoriety without talent/wealth/hard work? Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point discussed the spread of teenage suicide in the South Pacific islands of Micronesia as being viral. Are we seeing the same thing occur here with school violence? ---I was conducting research on violence in my studio practice but I just couldn't detach myself or deal with the info after the shooting at NIU. I only got a few chapters in to Philip Zimbardo's The Lucifer Effect before I had to stop.



The experience did however bring me a fresh reason for dedicating my life to art--- the only thing that seemed to heal was artwork. Two things made me feel better during the numb weeks afterward: spending time in Ayomi Yoshida's Yedoensis installation (click on photo gallery at the top of the blog for some better views than my photo) at the NIU Art Museum and hearing former poet laureate Ted Kooser reading his Valentine poems on public radio. (Not only were the poems simple and precise, I heard him read during my residency at the KHN Center for the Arts). Those artworks made sense during a time when not much else did.

Bonfire and bon voyage

I'm happy I came early to the opening tonight and thank those who came out in support to check out the show. I feel really good about our move to St. Louis--- it's hard to beat interesting conversations, being part of an art show you can be proud of, and roasting a late late dinner over a bonfire. I've made more art in the past few months than the past few years. Teaching has felt rewarding. Off to see the new nephew... sorry no pictures of the new dress, I left my camera in the trunk. Plenty of cameras were around, so I'll link to those images as they arrive.

Random (in) progress...

While prepping a juried show proposal--- I came across a blast from the past folder- "In progress". Just thought I would share some of my random visual blurts from years past. The comment "it just looks like a crack house" seems completely obvious now. (Hint: The mauve nagahide is burned into the seat of the chair. You're on your own for the rest of the images.)

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Installing like the wind...

The show is nearly ready for the public. Luckily, my part is complete. I've got a doily creeping under Erin Cork's couch and will have better documentation of the work under the influence of audience participation. After two days of sliding around seed on the beautiful floors- with special thanks to the meticulous hands of surprise volunteer assistant Christine on Tuesday evening- I had enough time to purchase a new dress for the occasion. I found my black lace dress (plan A- the one I purchased to wear for Barbara Cole Peter's "Little Black Dress" vintage clothing show when directing) is torn and bagging up on the top. Not a great look--- so I brought along my trusty shopping lucky charm Heidi and found shoes AND a dress (fitting the vague requirements I was sorta kinda hoping for) for a price of a "maybe" dress. I am looking forward to the opening 6-10.

Here's some install action shots from Tuesday... (Erin fluffing the couch, and the slow growth of the doily).