upcoming events at hallwalls contemporary arts center, buffalo, ny;
other local listings; sundry filler material
Friday, December 28, 2007
Seize the day and put the least possible trust in tomorrow. — Horace
Try to do unto others as you would have them do to you, and do not be discouraged if they fail sometimes. It is much better that they should fail than you should. — Charles Dickens
There is a time for work, and a time for love. That leaves no other time. — Coco Chanel
Nothing is too wonderful to be true. — Michael Faraday
Wow, for the first time in a while, I wish I had cable..... It's got nothing to do with art—except perhaps in one's effort to discern the narrative and extract the meaning— and, in a big picture way, it could hardly be called surprising. Which doesn't mean it wasn't shocking. First woman to run a modern Muslin nation, Bhutto was twice elected prime minister and twice deposed, finally exiled under charges of corruption. Upon her return to Pakistan a few months ago, her motorcade was attacked by a suicide bomber and 150 people were killed. Bhutto repeatedly called on the government of Musharref-Magoo to investigate the assassination attempt, particularly by using independent/ international investigators, like Scotland Yard. That was never done. Her repeated requests for additional security during the election campaign were denied. Bhutto had publicly and emphatically stated her belief that elements within the government were colluding to kill her and went so far as to name names in a letter to President Musharref-Magoo.
Some witnesses to the event claimed that the gunman and bomber were the same individual. some witnesses suggested there was a sniper firing from a nearby rooftop. The story quickly reeks of conspiratorial aroma, but it's a complicated mess. Musharref-Magoo, hardly an inspirational or popular political figure, has himself survived several assassination attempts by Islamic extremists. So, it's possible that he's just the unlucky stumblebum joe in power while certain military elites makes moves to destabilize the country and firm up their own power—stacking the deck with fear cards, as it were.
The compelling aspects of the story are far too numerous to itemize within the effluvia of an art-blog, but one thing I found utterly striking was the statement by Afghan President Hamid Karzai. I couldn't find a longer clip, which shows him coming out to the podium and dramatically underscoring the gravitas of the moment. It doesn't quite come through in this clip, but it's the only one I could find.
Only slightly less shocking.... For the past few years, The Buffalo News has had a bit of an ADD-relationship with the visual art culture of our region. Seems there was just never enough space to squeeze in any art coverage between the restaurant reviews, dvd releases, and throwaway pieces on the worst Hollywood shitpic. But some kind of tide might be turning, thanks in part to the smart, engaged visual art coverage of Colin Dabkowski. Let's not plan the parade of put the champagne on ice just yet. We're not nearly up to the two-reviews-a-week coverage that the activity in our region merits. Today's Dabkowski piece is not a review per se, but rather a thoughtful piece on the situation of the Burchfield-Penney's first-ever members' exhibition, in which Dabkowski makes the salient observation:
In the popular consciousness, the “regional art” descriptor has always carried a slight tinge of the secondrate. But with shows like “Beyond/ In Western New York” and the BPAC’s much-touted expansion and ascendant profile, the term is starting to lose that connotation and draw new, young audiences to shows of talented local artists.
What's Happening In Kafka/Kurtz World? Artvoice Dorothea Braemer NEXT Hallwalls Exhibition Opening Kelly Richardson: The Edge of Everything Megan Greene: Rappaccini's Daughter Saturday, January 12, 8-11pm Artists Talks @ 8pm
Opening Elsewhere • Philip Hendrickson, Stephen Houseknecht, Amanda Wachob at Buffalo Arts Studio opening Sat, Jan 12, 7-10pm (thru Feb 22) • Jeff Sherven at Betty's opening Monday, Jan 7, 6-9pm (thru March 2) • Barbara Baird, Beth Munro, Leslie Zemsky at the Kenan Center, opening Sun, Jan 6, 2-5pm (thru Feb 3) • Jackie Felix at CG Jung Center (408 Franklin) opening Fri Jan 18/09, 7-9 pm
Big Orbit Members Exhibition Deadline: Jan 19/08 Big Orbit Gallery is seeking submissions for its annual Members' Exhibition to be held January 26 – March 1, 2008. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 26 from 8:00-11:00 PM.
We will take work between January 5 and January 19 during regular gallery hours Thursday-Sunday 12 - 5.
All current, new, and renewing members of Big Orbit are invited to participate. All members’ may submit up to 2 artworks for inclusion. All work should be ready to hang, meaning matted and/or framed. All work should be labeled with artist’s name, title, process, date, and sales price. Video and Film work is acceptable, but please contact the Gallery prior to submitting to make arrangements Select work will be exhibited on Big Orbit’s website – www.bigorbitgallery.org Best in Show winner receives a SOLO EXHIBITION in the 2008/2009 exhibition season! Past winners have had major solo exhibitions that have propelled their careers. Past winners include: Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, Andrew Hershey, Michael Bosworth, Barbara Rowe, Robert Hirsch, Jena Cumbo, Lara Odell, Andrew Johnson, Joshua Marks, Nancy Parisi, Reed Anderson, Martin Kruck, Al Volo, Kurt Von Voetsch, Patrick Robideau.
We are very proud of our Best in Show winners. Their resulting exhibitions have been of the highest quality and perfectly reflect the strength of the Western New York arts community
CEPA Members Exhibition Deadline: Jan 28/08 CEPA Gallery is seeking submissions for its annual Members’ Exhibition to be held February 2 to March 15, 2008. An opening reception will be held at CEPA Gallery in the Market Arcade Complex, 617 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, on Saturday, February 9 from 7:00-10:00 pm. We are proud to announce that this year’s juror is Holly Hughes, Associate Curator, Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
All work can be dropped off at CEPA (M-F 10-5 and Saturday 12-4) or mailed to CEPA between January 7 and January 28, 2008. For Artists who wish to have their work sent back to them, returns will only be made via US Postal Service or FedEx. Please provide postage, FedEx account number or a check to cover the amount for the return.
• All current, new, and renewing members of CEPA are invited to participate. • All members may submit only 1 piece of photo-related art for inclusion. • All work should be ready to hang, meaning matted and/or framed with appropriate hanging hardware. All work should be labeled with artist’s name, title, process, date, and sales price. • Video and Film work is acceptable, but please contact the CEPA prior to submitting to make arrangements. • Select work will be exhibited on CEPA’s website – www.cepagallery.org • Visit CEPA’s website or call 716-856-2717 for membership information and exhibition guidelines. • Exhibition Dates: February 2 – March 15, 2008. Submission deadline at CEPA is Monday, January 28, 2008.
This year CEPA will continue its new tradition of awarding 2 EXHIBITION AWARDS. EXHIBITION AWARDS recognize those artists who demonstrate an elevated level of artistic maturity and skill in their work. The winner will receive a solo exhibit of their work in the 2008/09 exhibition year. To be considered for an EXHIBITION AWARD artists must submit 10 slides or images on CD, a slide script, an artist statement, and an artist resume with their Members’ Show artwork submission. This facet of the Members’ Exhibition is open to all artists. It is an option and does not affect regular submissions to the exhibit. Other awards including “Best In Show” will also be awarded.
Continuing Elsewhere (winding down/see em now) • Shelly Niro at Ub Art Gallery thru Jan 27 • Monica Angleat Nichols School Gallery thru Jan 18 • Buffalo Arts Studio Annual Artists Exhibit & Sale thru Dec 29 • The Panza Collection at the Albright thru Feb 24 • Maxi Boyd, Craig Centrie, Terresa Ford, Kenneth Locke, Eric McIntire, Salagram Sila, Holly Szfranski, Jack Walsh, Tammy Wetzel at El Museo thru Jan 5 • Mary Begley at College Street Gallery thru Jan 6 • Thomas Annear at Olean Public Library thru Dec 29 • Sharon Kalstek at Buffalo Big Print thru Dec 31 • AJ Fries, Jay Carrier, Kurt Von Voetsch at the Castellani thru Feb 17 • Moses and Pals at Cosmopolitan Gallery thru Jan 5 • Art Dialogue Annual Artful Gifts thru Dec 29 • Impact Gallery Artful Gifts thru Jan 9 • Sherwin Greenberg and Charles Burchfield at the BPAC thru Jan 6 • Alida Fish, Jeannie Pierce, Start Rome at Nina Freudenheim thru Jan 15 • Art Dialogue Annual Artful Gifts thru Dec 29 • Starlight Studio Small Works and Gift Sale thru Jan 4 • Sherwin Greenberg at the Burchfield thru Jan 6 • Julian Montague's Stray Shopping Carts at The Light Factory, North Carolina thru Feb 22 • Dorothy Fitzgerald at the Castellani thru Jan 13 • Val Dunne at Betty's thru Jan 6 • Diane Baker at The Mansion on Delaware (indefinitely)
Don't Bogart That Egg Nog... NY Times Roberta Smith I usually quite like Roberta Smith but this piece from Dec 23 makes me think that she had a bit too much nog or snog or grog at the Times xmas party, went back to her desk and decided to tear a strip off the use of the word "practice" when referring to what contemporary artists do. The result is a weirdly "inside the Beltway" perception of that word, its usage, and its meaning. She draws three distinct implications about the word and I think each of the three is incorrect. Freakishly so.
The impetus behind practice may be to demystify the stereotype of the visionary or emotion-driven artist, and indeed it does. It turns the artist into an utterly conventional authority figure.First off, there’s the implication that artists, like lawyers, doctors and dentists, need a license to practice. There is no implication that one needs a "license" aka MFA to practice art. However, the acquisition of a so-called license might indicate a level of seriousness and dedication that someone who didn't pursue a higher degree might not share. Which certainly doesn't prevent anyone from being a crazy, unschooled genius.
Second is the implication that an artist, like a doctor, lawyer or dentist, is trained to fix some external problem. I don't know what the hell she's talking about. IF ONLY artists could fix our external problems, they could rule this two-bit world.
Finally, practice sanitizes a very messy process. It suggests that art making is a kind of white-collar activity whose practitioners don’t get their hands dirty, either physically or emotionally. ?!? Please see previous "what the hell..." remark. I have never in twenty years presumed ANY of these things when thinking of an artistic practice. Crazy me, I always presumed "practice" referred to: 1) something you had committed to in an ongoing, serious and persistent fashion...as opposed to say the painter-as-enthused-hobbyist, and 2) something you, uh, practiced—that is, applied your talents to with some rigor over an extended duration—because this is the only way to get better at the thing, be the thing artmaking, dentistry, kama sutra, animal husbandry, woodworking....
Something I listened to this week... I wasn't even intending to listen to it, I just started playing it, then sat right through to the end. Among the bands I have enjoyed the most over the past five years. Always a splendid blend of swirling guitars, top flight drumming, and terrific vocals. They can swing quickly from a kind of luscious despair to a genuinely uplifting aura—which they do often. When they veer off into a jam-band tangent—which they also do often—they never lose the melody at the heart of the song. If you think The Flaming Lips are the feelgood band of our current decade, Built To Spill gives them a good run for their money. Highly satisfying. Even better on repeated listenings.
If You Never Watch Embedded Videos...watch THIS...very cool...
There is no use trying, said Alice; one can't believe impossible things. I dare say you haven't had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. — Lewis Carroll
Friday, December 21, 2007
Why should we subsidize intellectual curiosity? — Ronald Reagan
God made Truth with many doors to welcome every believer who knocks on them. — Kahlil Gibran
You are the content of any extension of yourself, whether it be pin or pen, pencil or sword, be it palace or page, song or dance or speech...the meaning of all these is the experience of using these extensions of yourself. Meaning is not "content" but an active relationsip... — Marshall McLuhan
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
above: As I Recall It by Allen Topolski
Why You Need to Get Off Your Ass And Actually Go Stand In Front of Art, Confront the Thing, Deal With It, Allow Yourself To Be Seduced, Dammit! photo: A. Zambianchi/Simply.it There's no justice in this photograph. There's nothing wrong with it and it somewhat adequately describes the Dan Flavin piece depicted, from The Panza Collection, on view at the Albright thru February 24. But there's no way any document could properly do justice to the reality of the work, the ethereal ambience of it. Not to mention that it's the only work in this gallery—one of the boldest installations I've seen at the Albright. It more than aptly illustrates my prevailing notion that artwork NEVER fills space, it occupies space. Just like you and I. It needs elbow room and breathing room and it has a presence that insists on your attention. But don't take my word for it, go see. We live in a town small enough that if you wait a few minutes, the other visitors will file out and you can be left alone in the space, negotiating sensation and meaning with a mysterious, beautiful entity. Let's put it this way—if this were the ONLY work on view in the entire museum, I would walk away hugely satisfied.
Julio César MoralesThe Year of the Diamond Dogs a Hallwalls Artist in Residence Project ENDS TOMORROW @ 4pm gallery hours: Tues to Fri 11am to 6pm, Sat 1 to 4pm
NEXT Hallwalls Exhibition Opening Kelly Richardson: The Edge of Everything Megan Greene: Rappaccini's Daughter Saturday, January 12, 8-11pm Artists Talks @ 8pm
Opening Elsewhere • Philip Hendrickson, Stephen Houseknecht, Amanda Wachob at Buffalo Arts Studio opening Sat, Jan 12, 7-10pm (thru Feb 22) • Barbara Baird, Beth Munro, Leslie Zemsky at the Kenan Center, opening Sun, Jan 6, 2-5pm (thru Feb 3) • Jackie Felix at CG Jung Center (408 Franklin) opening Fri Jan 18/09, 7-9 pm
Two Locations, One Big Sale Big Orbit Members Exhibition Deadline: Jan 19/08 Big Orbit Gallery is seeking submissions for its annual Members' Exhibition to be held January 26 – March 1, 2008. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 26 from 8:00-11:00 PM.
We will take work between January 5 and January 19 during regular gallery hours Thursday-Sunday 12 - 5.
All current, new, and renewing members of Big Orbit are invited to participate. All members’ may submit up to 2 artworks for inclusion. All work should be ready to hang, meaning matted and/or framed. All work should be labeled with artist’s name, title, process, date, and sales price. Video and Film work is acceptable, but please contact the Gallery prior to submitting to make arrangements Select work will be exhibited on Big Orbit’s website – www.bigorbitgallery.org Best in Show winner receives a SOLO EXHIBITION in the 2008/2009 exhibition season! Past winners have had major solo exhibitions that have propelled their careers. Past winners include: Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, Andrew Hershey, Michael Bosworth, Barbara Rowe, Robert Hirsch, Jena Cumbo, Lara Odell, Andrew Johnson, Joshua Marks, Nancy Parisi, Reed Anderson, Martin Kruck, Al Volo, Kurt Von Voetsch, Patrick Robideau.
We are very proud of our Best in Show winners. Their resulting exhibitions have been of the highest quality and perfectly reflect the strength of the Western New York arts community
CEPA Members Exhibition Deadline: Jan 28/08 CEPA Gallery is seeking submissions for its annual Members’ Exhibition to be held February 2 to March 15, 2008. An opening reception will be held at CEPA Gallery in the Market Arcade Complex, 617 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, on Saturday, February 9 from 7:00-10:00 pm. We are proud to announce that this year’s juror is Holly Hughes, Associate Curator, Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
All work can be dropped off at CEPA (M-F 10-5 and Saturday 12-4) or mailed to CEPA between January 7 and January 28, 2008. For Artists who wish to have their work sent back to them, returns will only be made via US Postal Service or FedEx. Please provide postage, FedEx account number or a check to cover the amount for the return.
• All current, new, and renewing members of CEPA are invited to participate. • All members may submit only 1 piece of photo-related art for inclusion. • All work should be ready to hang, meaning matted and/or framed with appropriate hanging hardware. All work should be labeled with artist’s name, title, process, date, and sales price. • Video and Film work is acceptable, but please contact the CEPA prior to submitting to make arrangements. • Select work will be exhibited on CEPA’s website – www.cepagallery.org • Visit CEPA’s website or call 716-856-2717 for membership information and exhibition guidelines. • Exhibition Dates: February 2 – March 15, 2008. Submission deadline at CEPA is Monday, January 28, 2008.
This year CEPA will continue its new tradition of awarding 2 EXHIBITION AWARDS. EXHIBITION AWARDS recognize those artists who demonstrate an elevated level of artistic maturity and skill in their work. The winner will receive a solo exhibit of their work in the 2008/09 exhibition year. To be considered for an EXHIBITION AWARD artists must submit 10 slides or images on CD, a slide script, an artist statement, and an artist resume with their Members’ Show artwork submission. This facet of the Members’ Exhibition is open to all artists. It is an option and does not affect regular submissions to the exhibit. Other awards including “Best In Show” will also be awarded.
Continuing Elsewhere (winding down/see em now) • Shelly Niro at Ub Art Gallery thru Jan 27 • Monica Angleat Nichols School Gallery thru Jan 18 • Buffalo Arts Studio Annual Artists Exhibit & Sale thru Dec 29 • The Panza Collection at the Albright thru Feb 24 • Maxi Boyd, Craig Centrie, Terresa Ford, Kenneth Locke, Eric McIntire, Salagram Sila, Holly Szfranski, Jack Walsh, Tammy Wetzel at El Museo thru Jan 5 • Peter Dyett at 176 Main thru Dec 21 • Mary Begley at College Street Gallery thru Jan 6 • Thomas Annear at Olean Public Library thru Dec 29 • Sharon Kalstek at Buffalo Big Print thru Dec 31 • AJ Fries, Jay Carrier, Kurt Von Voetsch at the Castellani thru Feb 17 • Moses and Pals at Cosmopolitan Gallery thru Jan 5 • Art Dialogue Annual Artful Gifts thru Dec 29 • Impact Gallery Artful Gifts thru Jan 9 • Sherwin Greenberg and Charles Burchfield at the BPAC thru Jan 6 • Alida Fish, Jeannie Pierce, Start Rome at Nina Freudenheim thru Jan 15 • Art Dialogue Annual Artful Gifts thru Dec 29 • Starlight Studio Small Works and Gift Sale thru Jan 4 • Sherwin Greenberg at the Burchfield thru Jan 6 • Tammy Renee Brackett, Hans Gindlesberger, Wilka Roig at CEPA thru Dec 21 • Julian Montague's Stray Shopping Carts at The Light Factory, North Carolina thru Feb 22 • Dorothy Fitzgerald at the Castellani thru Jan 13 • Val Dunne at Betty's thru Jan 6 • Diane Baker at The Mansion on Delaware (indefinitely)
For All You Raging Listoholics Out There Michelle Hines sent me this link to a whack of year-end lists, so take your pick....but just try and resist the Top 10 Cryptozoology Stories... Filmoculous
"In a country still reeling from the calculated murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Muslim radical just three years ago, the controversy hit not just the art community, but the political sphere, like a missile." artnet
"That art is now defined as marginal and transgressive only adds to the general ignorance of all Presidential candidates about what is, with music, the greatest contribution of Western, and every other, civilization, to the human spirit." artnet Charlie Finch
"Unlike many photographers with whom she overlapped, like Henri Cartier Bresson and Robert Frank, Arbus would often meet a subject and form a long relationship, the diaries and date books show. It could take 10 years for her to produce her best photographs of that subject." NY Times
Something I listened to this week... Been a loooong time since I bought a new cd, but I snatched this up as soon as I saw it. There are so many studio tracks where this young guy from Nebraska has knocked it out of the park that I had to hear how it translated live. Pretty damn fine. I bought it two days ago and have already listened to it five times. Official Website
Best Album of 2007 I noticed a few weeks ago that Ron Ehmke selected Paul Simon's Surprise as his best album of 2007. Never a bad choice to select a Brian Eno-produced album as your fave and I will concede that it's what Ron enjoyed most during 2007....but it was released in 2006. which got me to thinking, what album released in 2007 knocked me out the most in 2007? Where did I find unexpected satisfaction? What could I NOT stop listening to....? It was a good year for music, and not just because Radiohead threw the industry a big fat paradigm curveball and made In Rainbows available for free. Didn't hurt that it was a great album. Then again, Brooklyn's Tim Fite beat Radiohead to the punch by several months by offering upOver the Counter Culture—his scathing and funny indictment of consumer culture—for free as well. In Rainbows is no longer available as a download, but OTCC is, so click on homeboy's link, kids.
Mavis Staples' We'll Never Turn Backwas a ferocious, outstanding album by a 68 year old woman who has never sounded better. An ode to racial equality without sounding sentimental, treacly, or dated, backed by thick, bluesy grooves, it sounded so good at certain moments that it actually made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. But I can't tell you I listened to it more than a few times.
What about The White Stripes' Icky Thump?Well, it has all the marking of my favorite album of the year, except for surprise. The regularity of great material that Jack White is releasing makes the greatness of this album—and it IS great—weirdly perfunctory.
There's not nearly enough time to listen to all the music I want to, let alone keep on top of whatever is illest in the hip hop universe, but I thought two albums stuck out for sure as rock solid and rock steady groovetastic albums.Kanye West's Graduationwas slick, funny, self-mocking, with huge aural pleasure about it. On a considerably different tangent,El-P's I'll Sleep When You're Deadwas a dark fantastic rumination, solidly put together and compelling throughout.
There was alsoWe Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank by Modest Mouse, which is actually a pretty good candidate. Following all the hype and popular success of their previous record, this album proved far better (perhaps their best), without the cloying nuisance of a song that would end up (as Float On did) infiltrating the advertising arena and killing itself. Also, an undeniably great title, always a plus.
As one might expect,Wilco's Sky Blue Skywas typically wilco-great, but it hasn't yet me with the repeated listening virus.
Kickass feminist album of the year may have beenTori Amos' American Doll Posseand I'm still listening to it, but it's not my fave. Still, love hearing her with a band behind her and those great drums.
No, the album that just seared itself onto my soul this year wasHandsome Furs' Plague Park.I've become so intimately acquainted with this album it boggles my mind that I've only been listening to it since September, when Beyond/In Western New York exhibiting artist David Clayton gave me a copy, amid a pile of other great music. Husband and wife Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry, some guitars, a drum machine, and vocals that reside somewhere between melancholic, ironic, and redemptive. Any time I left my iPod on shuffle, barely paying attention to what was playing, I would invariably hear a song that would completely stop me in my tracks, check the player and, "Oh, another song by the Handsome Furs!" Dark, brooding, elegant. It's gonna sound trite, but this album just filled me up with joy, from the soles of my feet way up past my eyeballs and into the ether. One for the ages.
Coda—the first song I played off the album (because I couldn't resist the title) was Handsome Furs Hate This City which is, oddly enough, about my old stomping ground, Toronto. Here's a live version:
Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening. — Oliver Wendell Holmes
Friday, December 14, 2007
Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him. — Aldous Huxley
Trust a witness in all matters in which neither his self-interest, his passions, his prejudices, nor the love of the marvelous is strongly concerned. When they are involved, require corroborative evidence in exact proportion to the contravention of probability by the thing testified. — Thomas Henry Huxley
Tradition is a guide and not a jailer. — W. Somerset Maugham
In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these. — Paul Harvey
Julio César MoralesThe Year of the Diamond Dogs a Hallwalls Artist in Residence Project exhibition EXTENDED for your yuletide enjoyment thru December 22 gallery hours: Tues to Fri 11am to 6pm, Sat 1 to 4pm Here's a review by Colin Dabkowski in today's Buffalo News.
And here is a posting by Cynnie Gaasch of Buffalo Rising (pls note: the audio in this posting is not the audio from the exhibition)
Opening Elsewhere • Monica Angleat Nichols School Gallery opening reception Sat Dec 15 2-4pm, thru Jan 18 • Barbara Baird, Beth Munro, Leslie Zemsky at the Kenan Center, opening Sun, Jan 6, 2-5pm (thru Feb 3) • Jackie Felix at CG Jung Center (408 Franklin) opening Fri Jan 18/09, 7-9 pm
The Artists Among Us: The Burchfield's Penney's First-Ever Members Exhibition opening TONIGHT 6-9pm (thru March 2)
Peter Dyett on Main Street opening TONIGHT 6-11 pm
Two Locations, One Big Sale
Big Orbit Members Exhibition Deadline: Jan 19/08 Big Orbit Gallery is seeking submissions for its annual Members' Exhibition to be held January 26 – March 1, 2008. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 26 from 8:00-11:00 PM.
We will take work between January 5 and January 19 during regular gallery hours Thursday-Sunday 12 - 5.
All current, new, and renewing members of Big Orbit are invited to participate. All members’ may submit up to 2 artworks for inclusion. All work should be ready to hang, meaning matted and/or framed. All work should be labeled with artist’s name, title, process, date, and sales price. Video and Film work is acceptable, but please contact the Gallery prior to submitting to make arrangements Select work will be exhibited on Big Orbit’s website – www.bigorbitgallery.org Best in Show winner receives a SOLO EXHIBITION in the 2008/2009 exhibition season! Past winners have had major solo exhibitions that have propelled their careers. Past winners include: Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, Andrew Hershey, Michael Bosworth, Barbara Rowe, Robert Hirsch, Jena Cumbo, Lara Odell, Andrew Johnson, Joshua Marks, Nancy Parisi, Reed Anderson, Martin Kruck, Al Volo, Kurt Von Voetsch, Patrick Robideau.
We are very proud of our Best in Show winners. Their resulting exhibitions have been of the highest quality and perfectly reflect the strength of the Western New York arts community
CEPA Members Exhibition Deadline: Jan 28/08 CEPA Gallery is seeking submissions for its annual Members’ Exhibition to be held February 2 to March 15, 2008. An opening reception will be held at CEPA Gallery in the Market Arcade Complex, 617 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, on Saturday, February 2 from 7:00-10:00 pm. We are proud to announce that this year’s juror is Holly Hughes, Associate Curator, Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
All work can be dropped off at CEPA (M-F 10-5 and Saturday 12-4) or mailed to CEPA between January 7 and January 28, 2008. For Artists who wish to have their work sent back to them, returns will only be made via US Postal Service or FedEx. Please provide postage, FedEx account number or a check to cover the amount for the return.
• All current, new, and renewing members of CEPA are invited to participate. • All members may submit only 1 piece of photo-related art for inclusion. • All work should be ready to hang, meaning matted and/or framed with appropriate hanging hardware. All work should be labeled with artist’s name, title, process, date, and sales price. • Video and Film work is acceptable, but please contact the CEPA prior to submitting to make arrangements. • Select work will be exhibited on CEPA’s website – www.cepagallery.org • Visit CEPA’s website or call 716-856-2717 for membership information and exhibition guidelines. • Exhibition Dates: February 2 – March 15, 2008. Submission deadline at CEPA is Monday, January 28, 2008.
This year CEPA will continue its new tradition of awarding 2 EXHIBITION AWARDS. EXHIBITION AWARDS recognize those artists who demonstrate an elevated level of artistic maturity and skill in their work. The winner will receive a solo exhibit of their work in the 2008/09 exhibition year. To be considered for an EXHIBITION AWARD artists must submit 10 slides or images on CD, a slide script, an artist statement, and an artist resume with their Members’ Show artwork submission. This facet of the Members’ Exhibition is open to all artists. It is an option and does not affect regular submissions to the exhibit. Other awards including “Best In Show” will also be awarded.
Continuing Elsewhere (winding down/see em now) • Shelly Niro at Ub Art Gallery thru Jan 27 Buff News review by Cynnie Gaasch • Buffalo Arts Studio Annual Artists Exhibit & Sale thru Dec 29 • The Panza Collection at the Albright thru Feb 24 • Maxi Boyd, Craig Centrie, Terresa Ford, Kenneth Locke, Eric McIntire, Salagram Sila, Holly Szfranski, Jack Walsh, Tammy Wetzel at El Museo thru Jan 5 • Peter Dyett at 176 Main thru Dec 21 • Mary Begley at College Street Gallery thru Jan 6 • Thomas Annear at Olean Public Library thru Dec 29 • Sharon Kalstek at Buffalo Big Print thru Dec 31 • AJ Fries, Jay Carrier, Kurt Von Voetsch at the Castellani thru Feb 17 • Moses and Pals at Cosmopolitan Gallery thru Jan 5 • Art Dialogue Annual Artful Gifts thru Dec 29 • Impact Gallery Artful Gifts thru Jan 9 • Curtis Erlinger at Villa Maria College thru Dec 14 • NCCC Visual Arts Students at NCCC thru Dec 17 • Sherwin Greenberg and Charles Burchfield at the BPAC thru Jan 6 • Alida Fish, Jeannie Pierce, Start Rome at Nina Freudenheim thru Jan 15 • Art Dialogue Annual Artful Gifts thru Dec 29 • Starlight Studio Small Works and Gift Sale thru Jan 4 • Sherwin Greenberg at the Burchfield thru Jan 6 • Tammy Renee Brackett, Hans Gindlesberger, Wilka Roig at CEPA thru Dec 21 • Julian Montague's Stray Shopping Carts at The Light Factory, North Carolina thru Feb 22 • Dorothy Fitzgerald at the Castellani thru Jan 13 • Val Dunne at Betty's thru Jan 6 • Diane Baker at The Mansion on Delaware (indefinitely)
If Kurt Von Voetsch ever goes postal, let none of us claim we didn't see the warning signs... I was up at the Castellani last weekend, having another look at the longest-running Beyond/In Western New York exhibition featuring Jay Carrier, AJ Fries, and Kurt Von Voetsch. To say that KVV has a facile skill at drawing would be to grotesquely understate his ability. I was standing there luxuriating in his particular brand of muscular sensitivity when I started paying closer attention to the lower portion of the installation. The whole piece is referred to as his Mess Bag Series and, over time, the ground in front of his drawings has become strewn with a universe of toys, clutter, and photocopied images of celebrities. It's insane enough to be both a critique and a weird adoration of celebrity culture. Paris Hilton is there a lot, as are Jessica Simpson and Nicolas Cage.
Amid the celebrifray are a lot of Western New York art world folk, an extension of the odd pastime KVV has had for a while of adhering WNY art faces to various bits of equipment and supplies. Tape measures, drills, just about everything in Kurt's workshop is festooned with a locally-recognizable face. A while ago, Kurt bequeathed to me a half-empty jar of Museum Wax with Louis Grachos' smiling face on it, which sits atop my computer monitor:
So, how do local faces fare in Kurt's Mess Bag installation? Well, enthusiastic art patron Gordon Ballard perhaps comes off best. Gordo gets his own headshot, in a frame no less, with eyes that are literally smiling, propped on a stand, with a slick pair of sunglasses attached.
Hallwalls Executive Director Ed Cardoni is treated festively and even gets his own velvet cowboy hat:
Ed's wife, artist Cheryl Jackson and Buffalo Spree editor Elizabeth Licata do all right. They also inhabit their own frame and it's so exclusive that Louis Grachos can be seen in the bottom left corner, screaming for attention:
But Louis also gets his own stylin' little display:
Burchfield-Penney Director Ted Pietrzak can be seen in only one lonely little inclusion:
Castellani curator Michael Beam gets a lot of play in Kurtworld. He also merits his own frame:
His own tv sculpture, with Beamo Vision:
AND his own bucket of beer bottle caps:
I know, you're wondering how I fared in this deranged and psychotic landscape. Well, first I saw this....
Okay, not too bad, I might be the only one who knows that's me on the left. Reasonably dignified. Then I saw this:
Same photo, different treatment, and a frame! Alright, I'm getting off easy! Then:
Hmm, jeans slung low and showing off more midriff than I'm prone to. Then, the money shot: Posed in front of The Mystery Machine, I like the implication that I spend my spare time driving around debunking supernatural mysteries (note Shaggy, stoned in the passenger seat) but alas, in reality, I am neither this svelte nor this fetching.
"It is always mordantly satisfying when a creative type at an ad agency steals an idea from an art star for some pedestrian television commercial." artnet Charlie Finch
"Lingering animus toward painting is so end-of-the-20th century. Painting hasn't been the black sheep of the art family for a couple of decades now, except in academic backwaters of provincial thought." LA Times Christopher Knight
"The exhibition also represents a small seismic tremor for the way postwar L.A. art history is finally coming to be understood." LA Times Christopher Knight
"Osama Bin Lowry has perfected the elements for the worst museum experience: a big name, a poor installation, inferior product, the MoMA brand in the backrooms of Chelsea, crowds of no-name losers, and the cutting-edge buzz of The Bee Movie." artnet Charlie Finch
Stockhausen—top row, fifth from the left, between Lenny Bruce and WC Fields:
“Tina and me, we had our fights, but we ain’t had no more fights than anybody else.” NY Times Official Website
Something I listened to this week... Pretty crappy, but then look at the two-bit album cover. If you're willing to release something with such lousy album art, how much can you care about the material? I've always had a guarded perspective on Bryan Ferry doing cover songs, ever since I heard his insipid rendition of the Platters' Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. You need a special kind of talent to fuck up a great song, but Ferry manages it with lounge lizard skill.
This album started off pretty great, with more than decent versions of Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (a brilliant choice for an opening track), Simple Twist of Fate, and the beautiful Make You Feel My Love. In three songs, he gives great emphasis to Dylan the songwriter while putting his own indelible stamp on them. After that, it's a series of incredibly poor song choices, given that there are literally HUNDREDS to choose from. Knockin' On Heaven's Door—a heartbreakingly beautiful song—is pedestrian here. The Times They Are A-Changin' sounds lazy. All Along the Watchtower, another poor choice, utterly forgettable. Worst of All, Positively 4th Street—one of the great contempt-fueled songs—is delivered with an unappealing pathos. When a song begins with the line, "You got a lot of nerve / To say you are my friend..." you have to sing it a little dark and hard. Ferry dilutes the song of any bite and entirely misses the point. Gates of Eden is an inspired song selection, so I give Bry credit for that, but his version can't even carry the coattails of the original.
I was so disappointed by this album, I had to give my head a good shake and listen to Never Mind the Bollocks again just to clear the musty cobwebs that Ferry had injected into my brain. And it worked! There is redemption after despair!
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. — Paul, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
