HELP HELP HELP!

NEXT WEEK starting BRIGHT and early MONDAY morning, the next artist, Crystal Wagner, in the Wilson Gallery will start her site specific installation piece, Vestibule.

I am calling on anyone and everyone who would be interested in helping with a major installation to contact me (jeanette_tesmer@georgetowncollege.edu) ASAP. We need all hands on deck for this!

REASON WHY YOU SHOULD HELP:
meet the artist
have a great time
see what art on steriods is all about
dance
put assisting with a MAJOR installation on your resume
you love art
want to know how these things work
want to be one of the cool kids
_________________________ (come up with your own)

Whatever your reason this is going to be a crazy week of ART in the Wilson building. Even if you can't commit time stop by and check things out!

Artist Statement:
Vestibule is a conduit. A space somewhere between the plastic and artificial environment of our everyday experiences with man-made materials, consumerism, and technology and the exotic landscapes that occupy the surface of our earth. It explores ideas related to human beings and the increasingly severe divide between themselves and the natural world by growing, as if it were a life form, through the gallery. The exoticization of nature and all things, non-human, make forms that were once familiar, more foreign.  While this dissonance continues to escalate, making more and more of our natural world seem alien to us, there is a strange familiarity and attraction to the forms that people categorize as exotic and even in our attempt to keep the outside, out, plastic plants occupy small corners of peoples homes. I am interested in how these ideas relate to our everyday materials, the accessibility and excess in mass production, and how it affects peoples experience with the world that they live in.

Above are images from Crystal's installation Arboretum. You can see how detailed in intricate this massive structure is. For more images please check out her website.

Opportunities: LVAA and CAC

1) LVAA: Art Squared

Dear Artist,
Did you participate in the wildly successful 8x8 Sale last year? It's back again as
Art [squared] and we want YOU to be part of it! If you want to confirm your participation, CLICK HERE. We request your confirmation by January 31, 2014.

 Art [squared] is an anonymous art sale that will showcase the work of 200 local artists, in order to supply scholarships and the cost of providing free art lessons for 960 children each year for LVAA's Children's Fine Art Classes (CFAC) program. All works will be exhibited anonymously (signed on the backside, only) and sold on a first-come, first-served basis at PUBLIC, LVAA's gallery at 131 West Main, for $100/ea on March 15, 2014 from 10am-1pm. The anonymity encourages the viewer to respond to each piece on its merits alone. Artwork will be on view for one week leading up to the sale.

Here's how it works:
Each artist may submit up to two 8" x 8" canvases (while supplies last. Canvases provided FREE thanks to Preston Arts Center). Pick up locations and times listed below. Canvases may be picked up immediately.

Fill out the form on the back of the canvas. DO NOT sign your name on the front of the piece, remember it's anonymous! Completed works are due February 28 and can be dropped off at any of the five locations listed below.
Participating artists as well as the public are invited to join us for a festive Art [Squared] reception on Friday, March 7.

As each piece is sold on March 15, the buyer learns the identity of the artist, and a placard with the selling artist's name will replace the artwork. Imagine the powerful sight of 200 works of art and artists' names hung in support of scholarship for 900+ young artists!
Canvas pick-up & return locations (Please note hours of operation):

Canvases available for pick up immediately, due by February 28 to any location listed below
PUBLIC 131 West Main St., Wednesday-Saturday, 11:30am-4:30pm
LVAA Downtown Office 609 West Main St., Second Floor, Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm
Mudpies Studio & Gallery 12902 Shelbyville Rd., Monday­-Friday, 9:30am-12:30pm; Tuesdays 6-9pm
Preston Arts Center 3048 Bardstown Rd., Monday-Saturday, 9am-7pm; Sundays, Noon-5pm
Revelry Boutique Gallery 980 Barret Ave., Monday - Saturday, Noon-7pm; Sundays, Noon-5pm

2) CAC: Artists Stand Against Poverty, art auction

Dear Georgetown students and faculty,

We’re writing to let you know about a great opportunity to gain valuable exposure and make money for your art, all while helping the community. Community Action Council is hosting its annual charity art auction on May 17, 2014 called, Artists Stand Against Poverty. The event will take place at LexArts’ ArtsPlace gallery in Lexington, KY.

Artists may submit up to five pieces for consideration by midnight on April 16. Artists will receive 35% of the sale price of their art, and the remainder will benefit Community Action Council’s programs and services. Artists accepted into the show will also receive a free ticket. For more information about the Council and our mission to combat poverty and create livable communities in Central Kentucky, please visit our website.

Entries must be submitted through our online form to be considered. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Lindsay Ponta at Lindsay.ponta@commaction.org or at 859-233-4600 x 1408.

Art news: Rembrandt print

Long considered a copy of a Rembrandt, this red ink portrait from the National Gallery of Scotland has been verified as a Rembrandt. Depicting Jan Cornelis Sylvius, a preacher from the artist's town of Amsterdam, the work is considered by the hand of Rembrandt because it was pulled from an etching plate that was created by the Old Master himself. Even though it was printed posthumously, the print is still considered a Rembrandt and, thus, holds particular merit in the printmaking world and in art history. It was likely inked in the 18th century, when red prints were all the rage. 

The following print, from the Art Institute of Chicago, is similar in character to the red one above. But, its granular differences, tonal distinction, and overall grainy appearance detract from the clarity and quality of the work. Thus, this apparent copy of the original 1633 plate, too, is classified as "a Rembrandt" even though it is derivative and, presumably, made after the original plate had been created. 

Finally, consider the print below, from the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Made in 1646, it borrows in subject and composition from the earlier two works above. The Cleveland piece is considered reproductive and illustrative, and yet, it, too, is a Rembrandt.  

Seeing is believing: it's a wonder that it took the National Gallery in Scotland so long to realize that their print was pulled from the very plate that Rembrandt had etched. We tend to think that works created by Old Masters have an aura. And, yet, clearly, we can't always see what we should really believe. 

What is "real"

We all know that so many images we see in the media, magazines, movies, and TV have been altered, filtered, retouched and tweaked. But usually we don't see it being done. It saddens me quite a bit to be living in a culture that sees the need to "perfect" the "flaws" out of people. It is so damaging to our children, our perspective, and our identity (among every other thing you can think of). Just seeing something like the video below boggles my mind that people have made a career out of changing people and some models and actors have made a career out of being something they are not.

Before digital photography there were camera and darkroom tricks but for most of the time photographs were seen as proof of the real. With the availability and influx of technology and software I wonder if there is such a medium to document the real or if it can only exist outside of documentation. Which honestly I think can be a real good thing. What do you think?



Via Jeantte Tesmer via gizomodo via designboom via the soup

#museumselfie day

So, apparently, yesterday was #museumselfie day and I'm actually kind of sad we missed out. This day was organized by Mar Dixon, a museum social media guru and Culture Themes to raise awareness of all the AMAZING collections both large and small all over the world. Check out some of these images and let us know if we should participate next year... or MAKE OUR OWN!

Jay-Z got into his best Warhol

And my own...

Checkout more of galleries here.

Luminosity, Public Art Installation

The Lexington Art League is hosting a major art installation at Triangle Park in downtown Lexington. Construction of the work is nearing completion. There will be a public unveiling February 21, which I plan to attend! The following is content from LAL's website about the event.

Triangle  Park:  FEb. 21 - Mar.31
Loudoun  House:  Feb. 28 - apr.6,   evening  Gallery  hours  through  8pm, Tues - Sun

LUMINOSITY, an exhibition of interactive, light-based art, that will brighten the dark winter nights with sculpture, installation, film, and photography by leading regional, national, and international artists working with the medium of light. 

LUMINOSITY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Art Ball, Jan. 25
Kick off the New Year with an exclusive preview of LUMINOSITY's signature sculpture at Art Ball on Jan. 25. Fabricated by Calgary, Canada, artists in residence c and w, the dazzling, interactive sculpture of light will be installed in Triangle Park. Dance the night away in your evening gown or tux, enjoy hors d'oeuvres and drinks, dancing and music, valet parking, and mingle with artists and art ball revelers beneath a glittering sculpture of light.

LUMINOSITY@Triangle Park, Feb. 21-Mar. 31
Brown and Garrett's sculpture of light, constructed with thousands of light bulbs donated by Central Kentucky citizens and businesses in a community-wide light bulb drive, will be unveiled to the public in a city-wide unveiling ceremony on Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X. Walker will share remarks celebrating the sculpture's cultural relevance to the region. The sculpture will remain in Triangle Park through March 31.

LUMINOSITY@Loudoun House, Feb.28-Apr.6 (Tues.-Fri. 10a-8p; Sat.&Sun. 1p-8p)
The light continues to shine throughout Lexington during LUMINOSITY, with the Loudoun House featuring light-based artwork by regional, national, and international artists. Make music with dance-like interactions with Colorado-based artist Jen Lewin's light harp, become captivated by the haunting winter landscapes of Norwegian light-installation photography Rune Gunerisson, hold a ghostly video in the palm of your hand with Kentucky artist Valerie Fuchs' cutting-edge interactive films, or create an illuminated path of sound with Brown and Garrett's large-scale light and sound installation. Celebrate LUMINOSITY's Loudoun House exhibition at the opening reception on Feb. 28, 6-9 p.m.

LUMINOSITY Family Tours: Night Light!, Mar. 18, 10a
Children ages 2-4 and their families will enjoy a free interactive tour of Luminosity’s Loudoun House Galleries. Children will engage in movement, musical and art making activities.

LUMINOSITY Family Tours: Night Light!,  Mar.22, 5p
Children ages 5 and up and their families will enjoy a free interactive tour of Luminosity’s Loudoun House Galleries. Children will engage in movement, musical and art making activities.

LUMINOSITY Artist Conversations, Art & Technology, Apr. 4, 5:30p
Select LUMINOSITY artists and a panel of local artists will discuss the evolution of technology in visual art. Participants will address the incorporation of interactive components to visual art, including light-based technologies.

Louisville Art Scene

The three-day weekend was a great opportunity to take in the Louisville art scene. I was able to view five shows: one closing, two opening, and two remaining on view. Hopefully you'll find time to take in one of these. If nothing else, make a trip to the KMAC to pick up the exh catalogue for this show—it's fashioned after an old-school airline ticket envelope to hold boarding passes—something familiar to travellers in the days before e-ticketing.

Created by Design Research, this folder is a stunning reminder of innovation and
expanding the boundaries—of graphic design - that serves as a fitting tribute to
Saarinen's quest for timeless principles that used innovation through technology. 

process behind process

This semester I am teaching a new course called Puppets and Tattoos. In this course we are making a form a of traditional japanese puppetry called karakuri. For this there are specific carving tools required. Often times when special tools are needed the craftsman themselves make them. This semester I will be making a pair of tools for each seat in the class so that is a total of 36. I thought I would let you guys in behind the scenes a bit on this process. It starts with raw tool steel stock seen below.

Tool steel

Tool steel is a lot harder than normal steel and takes some special care in its workings. It is harder so it holds a sharper edge when it is in use. Standard steel will dull very fast. So the first step is to cut the steel into its basic shape. This has to be done by hand. If the steel gets to hot it will weaken in its molecular composition and become brittle. In the professional industry they use a water jet or CNC machine to do the job so that it stays cool while being cut.

Hand cut to basic shape

After the basic shapes are cut out they will then be ground down to have their primary or major bevel placed on them. In the sharpening and honing process there is a 30 degree micro bevel added to the edge. Oddly enough this steel also creates a rather odd smell when it is cut. (For a specific description please see Dr Decker and some of the seniors who were out in the hall while I was cutting it.)

Main bevel added.

Here is a shot of the small blade with the primary bevel added, the sides have also been chamfered for comfort while in use. It doesnt look like much but creating one of these blades from start to finish takes about two hours. A big chunk of that time is in the sharpening and honing process which I will share in a future post. Once all the blades are done it will be time to make 36 handles. Hope you all enjoyed a little peak behind the curtain. For more shots of tool restoration and creation you can check out some recent posts HERE.

Gallery Assistant Meeting

Happy Thursday!

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great holiday break and ready to get back at it.

IF you are looking for a work study job this semester, I will be having an info. meeting

TOMORROW in the Jacobs Gallery at 4pm!

Please bring your school schedule and your GCard number. We will discuss possible projects and what to expect this coming semester.

Hope to see you there!
-Jeanette

Internships at A Bryan Photo (photography/graphic design/business)

I've known Bryan a long time, all the way back to when he first started making photographs in college with a Holga. Since then he's become one of the best photographers in the southeast. I'm hoping to get him in a Skype chat with our ART 370 analog/film photography course. Film is Bryan's forté and method of choice for making the most exquisite portraits and wedding/event/fashion photographs. Check out his site for yourself HERE, or check out the opportunity to be an intern at his studio in Birmingham. See details below…

We are pleased to announce again the A Bryan Photo Internships for this fall & early next year!
The program allows us to teach the intricacies of our craft, while imparting the principles needed to run a successful small business. We think you will enjoy working with your hands while learning the analog medium.

We practice a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) which promotes a more relaxing, enjoyable, and strangely more productive atmosphere. You won’t be asked to fill a certain amount of hours or perform mindless tasks. Your role will be integral to our daily workflow and will help us in the presentation and styling of our imagery.

The A Bryan Photo Internship has proven to be mutually beneficial for both parties and we are honored to consider you for the position.

Details:
Fall Submission Deadline : August 26th
Fall Internship Duration : September 9th – December 20th
Spring Submission Deadline : January 18th
Spring Internship Duration : February 3rd – May 16th
Summer Submission Deadline : May 23rd
Summer Internship Duration : June 2nd – August 22nd

Read the PDF attached below and contact us at info@abryanphoto.com if interested.
Click to view or right click to save the Informational PDF.

Please Keep in Mind:
This is not specifically a photography internship. One may learn about our craft through working with our team but should not expect to be taught or practice photography.

Original posting/content found HERE.

Three Opportunities: Volunteer fair in Frankfort & position in Frankfort & sculpture call

The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) will host an informational fair Jan. 16 for people who want to know more about KHS volunteer opportunities. The event will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History at 100 W. Broadway in Frankfort.

Current volunteers and KHS staff will be on hand to answer questions about the volunteer experience and current needs. Opportunities exist in a wide range of areas, from data entry and collection processing to leading tours and working with schoolchildren. Anyone age 14 and older can apply to volunteer.

The event is a prelude to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 20. More information is available at history.ky.gov/volunteer

Learning in London, part 2

My "Great Exhibitions" course took 6 GC students and our 10 new friends from schools in Kentucky and Tennessee throughout London and southern England, including Wiltshire, Somerset, and Dover. We were abroad from Dec. 26 through January 8 and were able to experience a variety of exhibitions, collections, and museums. Final projects are due later this semester.

Thanks to everyone who supported us in getting abroad and learning experientially! Special thanks to the folks at CCSA, who provide opportunities for faculty to teach abroad. Maggie, Robin, and everyone else — thank you!

Here's a few additional photos from our excursions. For earlier photos, click here.

Arrival in London—greeted by our mini-van drivers for
transport to the Courthouse Hotel.
Students: what's the address of the Courthouse? Refer to Quiz 1!

Learning in London

The "Great Exhibitions" course has been exploring what constitutes a museum, an exhibition, and a collection. Today (New Year's Day) we travelled to the Imperial War Museum, which will close on January 6 for 6 months in order to prepare for the Centenary exhibits. Tomorrow, we're headed to John Soane's Museum.  More soon...for now: a few pictures!

Students gathered outside the Tower Bridge—
before we encountered the onslaught of tourists at the White Tower.