Week Fifty Two

I've moved.

2008-10-18T22:21:00.002-05:00

I've upgraded.

Find me at weekfiftytwo.com, which should redirect you to my new wordpress blog, which translates to www.weekfiftytwo.wordpress.com.

The site allows me to use the blog as not just an outlet for writing but a professional Web site where I can post more than just random thoughts.

Please update your links! I will be taking down the blogger site soon.

Thanks for reading, subscribing and commenting.

Impressive stuff from the Lincoln Arts Council

2008-10-16T15:08:00.002-05:00

I wrote a column in the Reader two weeks ago about how a bunch of local artists, galleries and museums are embracing the podcast. Now, the Lincoln Arts Council is doing a pretty impressive job of embracing the whole "Web 2.0" thing and I thought I'd share their good work.

Check out the LAC Facebook page and become a fan. You'll get event notifications and help spread the word about all the good stuff the LAC does. If you're Twittering (something I've tried and that has, thus far, failed to keep my interest - but that's another blog post) you can now follow the LAC's tweets at www.twitter.com/artscene. The LAC has a Flickr photostream where the group uploads images of their most recent projects.

If you want it all (and a few more things, like email archives and the ability to submit events online) get it all here.

This Weekend...

2008-10-16T14:38:00.005-05:00

My artsy friend Rachel and I are going to check out some art tomorrow night. Artist Allyson Gibbs is opening a show of new work at Benson's very cool PULP Gallery, and we'll be there. (After that its drinks at Jake's, my new favorite midtown bar.) On Saturday night, one of my favorite artists, Renee Ledesma Hoover, opens her annual fall show, this year at Rob Gilmer's RNG Gallery. I'll be reviewing it for the Reader in the coming weeks. Her sculptures are some of my favorites and what makes her art even better is her warm, engaging personality. I look forward to this show every year.

Also, here's something interesting to look at. My sister Lindsey sent me a link and wrote me a note that came with it: "Isn't it weird how this is basically just like the Kaneko?" she typed. Yes, it is. And it makes me think that Omaha is very lucky to have such an innovative art space budding in its downtown.

In other news, I'm enjoying the fall and have been crazy busy with my day job and my editor duties at the Reader. I wish I had more time to devote to writing, drinking wine at La Buvette and going on vintage shopping expeditions. Those are three of my favorite fall activities. I have enjoyed digging out all my forgotten fall clothing and, on the chilly evenings, spending time at home indulging in some of the trashiest and most addictive Bravo reality television. (I DIE for Rachel Zoe and her mind boggling collection of vintage. Sigh.)

And in some final news, I'm super excited for a few upcoming concerts: Stephen Malkamus, Mason Jennings and Wolf Parade are all coming to Omaha.

Glorious fall: perfect for art, fashion and music.

Signing off.

Above photo courtesy RNG Gallery and Renee Ledesma Hoover.

Celaya

2008-10-08T10:37:00.002-05:00

Last night my significant and I went to a lecture sponsored by the University of Nebraska. Enrique Martinez Celaya, an NU visiting presidential professor, gave his first lecture in Omaha. NU President JB Milliken appointed Celaya to the position in 2007, and the three-year term began last year in Lincoln, where he gave three public lectures, had a show at the Sheldon Art Gallery, visited with classes and gave a UNL student an internship at his Los Angeles studio.

I don't go to as many lectures as I used to, but I have to say, this one was really worth the time. Celaya's talk was engaging, honest and thought-provoking. I especially loved his comments on the recent Damien Hirst auction that took place on the same day as a huge stock market dive. You can read about his thoughts at his blog.

I took a few notes at the lecture, and asked a question at the end. My question was "You seem to think art is ultimately not understandable. Where does that leave the viewer, the writer, the critic?" Celaya gave an answer that was better than I could have expected, delving into the differences between "good" and "bad" art and why he chooses not to waste his time on art that doesn't challenge, doesn't live up to his standards and isn't difficult.

Read about his philosophies on art, his recent work and his publishing house at his Web site.

He'll be back in Omaha this spring, and will give another lecture. I highly recommend attending. It'll make you think.

Food and Art.

2008-10-03T10:49:00.002-05:00

Two of my favorite things. That's why I had to blog about a facebook message I got from the Lincoln restaurant Bread and Cup. Sadly, I haven't made it to this Haymarket restaurant that uses market fresh ingredients to make what sounds like absolutely delicious food.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Bread and Cup is having a special event called "Chef and Artist Dinner." The restaurant is collaborating with local ceramic artists and will serve a four course meal on hand crafted dishes made by the team of artists. Diners can purchase the plate their food comes on; the purchase will be accompanied by a recipe for the meal the diner enjoyed. The event is by reservation only, and Bread and Cup will seat diners in groups of 4. The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. and is $50 per person.
Make yours at 402-438-2255 or learn more at www.breadandcup.com

Here's the menu, with accompanying wines:

Fruit & Cheese Plate
Figs, nuts, goat cheese with bread & olive oil
Wine: 2006 Champalou Vouvray

Tabouleh on Crisp Lettuce
A cracked wheat salad with olive oil, scallions, lemon, and mint
Wine: 2006 Martin Codax Albarino

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Apricots, Almonds, & Honey with Couscous
Or
Spiced Potato Tagine with Mediterranean Olives
Wine: 2004 Pont d’ Avignon Cote du Rhone

Kataifi with Candied Pumpkin
Wine: 2006 Nachtgold Eiswien

Two artists, two shows.

2008-09-30T11:54:00.004-05:00

Two Omaha "heavy hitters" -- Terry Rosenberg and Larry Ferguson -- are opening shows this fall.

Terry Rosenberg: Colors of War opens at the W. Dale Clark Main Library downtown tomorrow, Oct. 1. A free opening reception for the show is slated for Saturday , Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. Rosenberg will show 100 digital images (one is at left) that take conflicts throughout the world and present them in a new, thought provoking context. Emotionally charged couplets of words - like "Israelis/Palestinians" and "Democracy/Terrorism" appear in vividly colored arrangements on each piece, opening up an opportunity for debate, discussion and interpretation.

Viewers can also post their comments and engage in debates through the artist’s interactive blog www.terryrosenberg.blogspot.com, which features exhibition images and the essay Colors of War and the Colors of Words by Richard Shusterman, the Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar Chair in the Humanities at Florida Atlantic University. Following its run at Omaha’s Main Public Library Branch, Colors of War will travel to fine art venues and libraries in the US and abroad.

Larry Ferguson: Moved by the Spirits will open at Modern Arts Midwest Oct. 3 with a 7 p.m. reception. The show is a solo exhibition of black and white images of trees, a subject Ferguson has found inspiration from since childhood, when he watched his mother plant more than 600 olive trees to serve as a windbreak at his rural Nebraska home. (And in case you were wondering, yes, the trees are still there 40 years later.)

Close to 100 images make up the show, which includes the release of an accompanying, limited edition plate book with the same title as the show. City Weekly critic Mike Krainak and art writer Kim Carpenter contributed essays to the catalog.

above photos courtesy Terry Rosenberg and Larry Ferguson.

American Apparel

2008-09-18T09:45:00.016-05:00

One other thing...Omaha's outpost of American Apparel opened this week. Rejoice!

Check out our new Omaha store.

We're excited to be part of the neighborhood.
Stop in and say hello.

American Apparel Omaha
733 N 14th St.
Omaha, NE 68102
Tel. (402) 346-3000
Map & Directions

Store Hours:
Mon - Sat10am - 9pm
Sun11am - 6pm

Christo/Jeanne-Claude/Music/Titian

2008-09-18T09:45:00.011-05:00

I was one of the 700 people who packed the Kaneko on Tuesday night to see Christo and Jeanne-Claude make their return to Omaha. I have to say, Jeanne-Claude was just as, shall we say, gregarious in person as she was during the interview process I went through with her and Christo. Still, even with her jabs at the media that peppered the lecture, I enjoyed attending the talk: the work, as it were, is beautiful. I think the best moment of the night was when Christo flipped a slide to their 1997-98 project "Wrapped Trees," and the audience - quite literally - gasped.

Take a look. (And click on any of the photos below for a closer look.)

Read more about this project, and all their other work, at www.christojeanneclaude.net.

I'm in Lincoln for the next few days, staying with some future family members and going to see some shows as part of the Lincoln Calling music festival, which my friend Jeremy Buckley puts on each year. Last night we saw Manny Coon, Neva Dinova and Eagle Seagull at the Rococco Theater. After that show ended, a new band called the Knots played outdoors, on top of the old fashioned, theater marquee sign outside downtown Lincoln's State Theater. Buckley's creativity showed in this setup, and it was a sight to see a band rocking on top of a huge triangular sign and a big crowd lining the other side of the street to see the elevated stage. Tonight we're planning to see the Killigans and Forty Twenty play inside the state theater. I'm hoping to make a stop at the Sheldon this afternoon - in college, I spent many an afternoon in its sculpture garden and contemplating the wonderful collection of contemporary art.

Next weekend - Sept. 27 - is the Smithsonian Magazine's annual Museum Day, and three museums in Omaha are participating in the event: the Durham Museum, the Joslyn and the Strategic Air and Space Museum on exit 426 between Lincoln and Omaha. It's the perfect opportunity to check out Joslyn's newly restored work by Titian that just returned to the museum from the Getty Museum's conservation center in Los Angeles.

The 475-year old work by Venetian painter Titian has been gone for 11 months after being accepted to the J. Paul Getty Museum's Conservation Partnerships Program in Oct. 2007. The program allows conservation of important works of art owned by other museums to be undertaken at no cost, with the provision that they are displayed at the Getty for a period of time after treatment. Titian’s portrait of Giorgio Cornaro was on view at the Los Angeles-based Getty from March through August 2008.

The portrait has suffered considerably in the hundreds of years since it was painted. Over time bits of paint have flaked away, colors have changed, the canvas has deteriorated, and varnish, applied over a painting to protect it, discolored, clouding and obscuring the image. The best intentions of restorers and previous owners contributed to further damage. At the Getty’s painting conservation studio, Mark Leonard, chief conservator, performed straightforward but painstaking work on the portrait, transforming it. Before conservation the painting was considered a tired example of the work of a great artist: the merits of Titian’s genius were hidden primarily behind a muddy varnish. With Titian’s colors, his profound use of lights and shades, and his great sensitivity to the character of his sitter again revealed, Joslyn’s portrait of Giorgio Cornaro takes its place as one of the finest works of the Italian Renaissance in an American museum.

Here's the work before conservation, in the studio with another Titian work. The Joslyn's piece is on the left.

Here's two images of the piece during the conservation process. Amy Rummel, Joslyn's spokeswoman, told me the work was stripped of all prior touch ups, leaving only the work done by Titian's hand.

And the final result. Before the conservator did his work, he sealed Titian's original from the touch-ups. Now, the new work is in its own layer and could be washed off in the future without damaging the original piece.

Photos of "Wrapped Trees" courtesy Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Web site. Photos of Joslyn's restored Titian, courtesy Joslyn Art Museum.

Art goes on.

2008-09-15T18:20:00.005-05:00

Proof that people never tire of buying art, even when the stock market drops 44 percent in one day.

Hirst’s Art Auction Attracts Plenty of Bidders, Despite Financial Turmoil

Dixie Quicks

2008-09-07T15:45:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite Omaha restaurants has become immensely popular after being featured on the Food Network. Now I have to make a reservation before I eat brunch on Sundays.

Cool Snap

2008-09-02T17:05:00.008-05:00

It's September in Omaha. I have my windows open and my air conditioning off. It rained earlier this afternoon, quietly and gently. It's almost cool enough for me to wear my new leather jacket. Summer is - and I know this breaks some of your hearts - officially over. At least today it is.

Post college, thanks to the hard convincing of my friends, I've become a lover of summer. But I have to admit that I've always been more of a fall girl at heart. I don't like swimsuits and beaches all that much, and I slather on sunblock like nobodies business. True, I like a good BBQ and some time sitting by a pool now and again. But when the air begins to cool, the days get shorter and I can pull on a thick sweater, a knit hat and pair of slouchy, suede boots. Well. Color me happy.

The fall also gets me in the mood for some serious art, and in Omaha, its the time to be an art lover. It gets me revved up for the Bemis Auction - unarguably the premier art event in the city - and this year is its 10th anniversary. I can't wait to see what tricks the Bemis has up its sleeve. It makes me want to spend cool evening in the warm light of a gallery with a glass of red wine. This season find me at the usual haunts: Tugboat, Modern Arts Midwest, Project Room and the Sheldon in Lincoln. And in Omaha, the Bemis, the Bemis Underground and the Joslyn (Can't wait for Diego Rivera). The RNG Gallery, A Moving Gallery and PULP never let me down. Fall is an exciting time to be an art lover.

The season makes me want to seek out my favorite brewpubs and wine bars in Omaha and Lincoln and gather with friends. La Buvette is lovely on a fall afternoon. And my new found love for the Omaha outpost of Jake's is sure to continue through the season.

I'm starting off my fall art season this weekend with a press tour I've been working on since January. Eight journalists are coming to Nebraska to learn about our thriving arts and culture and hopefully write lots of stories about how great it is here. I'm nervous about it. Wish me luck, and if you see me this weekend, be sure to brag about how great our city is. You might even make it into the pages of a magazine.

photos: above left, "The Last Fire" by Eric Anderson, showing at Project Room in September. At right, "Candid Rear View" by Olivia Jeffries, showing at PULP beginning Sept. 12.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

2008-09-01T15:42:00.002-05:00

I interviewed the duo earlier today. I'll be writing a story for the Reader about their impending Omaha visit and might write about my experience with them, too. Meantime, here's a video of them from 2007 talking about, among other projects, the Gates.

edit: Sorry, readers. For some reason the below video refuses to play all the way to the end. I'll leave it up - it's good for about 10 minutes.

And in the time you would have spent watching the video, check this page out. It was my reading assignment - per Jeanne-Claude - before I did today's interview.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Common Errors

One more thing

2008-08-30T21:43:00.005-05:00

Remember I said I had my photo snapped while at the Edison Winter Estates while I was in Florida? Well, here's the result. That's me on the left and my friendly (and very tall) coworker Ann on the right. We're hanging out in front of a very cool early Model T.

Artsy Food

2008-08-30T20:54:00.003-05:00

My sister's friend and, by association my friend, Lainey (an awesome amateur outfit photographer as seen on my sister's blog Only Style Remains the Same) has a food blog.

The only thing I love more than art and fashion is eating.

Cheers!

http://foodeatenlifelived.blogspot.com/

Happy Friday

2008-08-29T09:37:00.007-05:00

Hello, everyone. I'm back from Florida. Never did see any art, but did spend a morning on a rather lovely beach before I left. Took a boat about 25 minutes from my resort to an island; the beach was chockablock with shells. I picked up a few and was reminded both of the power of the ocean - which never fails to scare me a little bit - and the beauty of what it spit out at my feet every few seconds. I guess you could call that art, huh?

Meantime. Here's some actual art news.

I got an email from Peter Burr this morning. He's a former Bemis resident who put on a great show when he was in town along with his band Hooliganship. Now he's coming back to town as part of a new project: the Cartune Xprez wagon, a travelng show of cartoons and video performances. Burr and his collaborators just finished a new movie called the 2008 Cartune Xprez DVD; its his second video compilation with this group. The traveling show will bring a group of cartoon performers around the country, including performances by Hooliganship and videos by Bruce Bickford, Takeshi Murata, Adrian Freeman, Blu, Martha Colburn, Paper Rad, Shana Moulton, Timo Katz, Emanuele Bortoluzi, Shayne Ehman, Seth Scriver, Eric Dyer, Ola Vasiljeva, Jeff Kricshun, Corey Lunn, E*Rock, Mumbleboy, Tars Hrabowsky, Lief Hall, Josh Mannis, Jim Trainor, Christopher Doulgeris and Burr himself. The animation party comes to Concordia University in Seward on Sept. 10 and to the Bemis Center in Omaha on Sept. 11.

I'm sure most of you have heard that artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude are coming to Omaha for a Sept. 16 lecture at the Kaneko on their two new projects. I'm interviewing them on Monday for a story in The Reader the week before the lecture, which I am looking forward to hearing. I'll be posting a sort of Q&A style rundown of the interview in the blog, and hopefully will be able to include more than I can in the newspaper.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Florida

2008-08-26T07:50:00.003-05:00

So I apologize for the lack of posting recently. I've been traveling again - currently, I'm in Bonita Springs, Florida, for a conference for my day job. I haven't seen much art here - honestly, all I've seen is bad resort hotel art. But I did get to visit a cool place the night before last: the Edison Ford Winter Estate. Both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford lived in Edison's compound here in South Florida, and now it's a historic landmark. I have to say the coolest part was seeing Edison's untouched lab where he spent years trying to invent an alternative to rubber. It was truly amazing. Sadly, I left my camera in Omaha, so I don't have any of my own images. (The official photographer for the conference I'm attending did take my photo in front of an old Model T, so when he emails it to me, I might post it. If I look presentable, that is.)

I get home tomorrow and hopefully will have another post for you to read this weekend. Until then, happy Tuesday.

A post that doesn't have much to do with art. (but kind of does.)

2008-08-15T13:35:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite features in the New York Times each week is "On The Street," where iconic times photographer Bill Cunningham takes photos of street style in the city. There's a ton of street style sites on the internet these days, but Cunningham is truly the original. His narration is lively and fun and his photographs capture the real vibe of NY city's streets.

A recent "On The Street" was about scarves. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an absolute fascination with scarves. I wear them in all seasons, all weather, all prints, all the time. The first time I wore one in the summer was about two seasons ago - I had on a white tank top and a lime green pashmina around my neck. I remember a boy I knew looked at me, with a puzzled stare, and asked "Why in hell are you wearing a scarf in the summer?" It's all about style, my boy. Style.

During my travels, I often come home with a bag of brochures from museums and either wearing or toting a new scarf. Case in point: three vintage Vera scarves came home from Chicago with me. In Pittsburgh, I got a striped cashmere wrap on ultra sale. In Las Vegas, it was a green and white plaid cotton scarf with accents of yellow. Someday, I hope to own a classic silk Hermes scarf, along with the book it comes with on, what else? The art of scarf knotting.

On The Street: Muffled

Some openings

2008-08-13T18:01:00.006-05:00

Opera Omaha continues its recent tradition of working with artists in its latest collaboration. The Opera commissioned artist Waite White to create images for the world premiere performance of The Blizzard Voices by composer Paul Moravec. The show is based on the poetry of former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and is a retelling of the dramatic story of the blizzard of 1888. White illustrated characters and scenes from the poetry that will be projected on large screens during the performances. At left is one of his drawings, called "The Search Party."

White has an accompanying show on display at the Nebraska Arts Council's Fred Simon Gallery, where he's showing a new series of work, titled PULP, as well as bold, vibrant oil paintings inspired by everyday life. In a statement, White said he explores the relationship between the subject, its surroundings and how it relates to art in his work. He draws inspiration from impressionism, realism and contemporary culture.

The Blizzard Voices runs Sept. 12 at the Holland Performing Arts Center and Sept. 13 at the Arts Center at Iowa Western Community College. For more information on tickets, visit www.operaomaha.org. The NAC Fred Simon show continues through Sept. 12.

If you've ever wondered about the origins of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben (and honestly, I have) a new show at the Durham Museum will answer some of your questions. Dawn in Quivira: The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, 1895-1900 chronicles the beginning of the group, which went on to become one of the most influential organizations in the region. The show tells the story of the foundation of the Knights, the ascent of the monarchy and the group's eventual contributions to Omaha and the state of Nebraska. Several prominent businessmen banded together in the late 1800s with the mission of attracting people to Omaha, and eventually assimilated the Spanish myth of Quivira, a legendary kingdom containing seven cities of gold. From this mythology came the royal house of Ak-Sar-Ben with its ceremony, coronation and pageantry. The organization also spearheaded the creation of the Nebraska State Fairs. The show is the first in a series of Ak-Sar-Ben Hall of Fame Exhibitions that will be at Durham; this one is on display through Nov. 9.

Quilts as art (and other musings)

2008-08-07T16:13:00.010-05:00

Today I'll get my second lesson in quilting. My significant's aunt is a fantastic quilter and has agreed, while she's in town for a few weeks this summer, to give me a quilting tutorial, which she promises I'll be successful at. (She teaches kindergartners how to quilt; so I had best not be a failure.) I've already amassed two yards each of seven coordinating fabrics, most of which are reproduction prints of styles first made in the 1870s, 1930s and 1940s. Today, in preparation for slicing them, I've washed, pressed and starched each piece of cloth. I'll post my first block when I finish making it (and yes, I know this isn't a craft blog. But there's some art to the world of handicrafts, trust me.)

I've long been a lover of "crafts," and though I've not always excelled at my crafty girl efforts, I find much solace in the idea of making something with my hands: I sure as hell can't make a painting, but you want a hand knit wool hat? I'm your girl.

I taught myself to knit a few years ago, and I mostly stick to scarves (I love a hand knit scarf more than many things) though I've made mittens, hats and other wooly goods, too. Quilting has also always appealed to me, but I've never taken the plunge. I think the opening of the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln earlier this year pushed me toward finally taking more interest in the idea of making a quilt by hand. The heirloom, vintage quality of a hand stitched, beautifully matched series of patterned fabrics appeals to my love of all things old, to my admitted vintage sensibility. Quilts as art used to seem an odd pairing to me; now, those two words together make more sense. Quilts, like most art, are best appreciated in person, but I think you'll see a little bit of what I mean when you take a gander at the photos below. I don't aim to create anything this grand, especially in my first attempt, but hey. A girl can dream.

(These are all log cabin quilts. It's the style I plan to make.)

above: Log cabin quilt made of wool suiting and gabardine, around 1930-1940

above: Pennsylvania quilt, dating from 1870-1890, made of suiting, serge and wool gabardine

above: Pennsylvania quilt from 1865-1895, made of wool. All images courtesy UNL's International Quilt Study Center.

I'm back...

2008-08-05T10:24:00.006-05:00

So I've been away for a week or so, I know. My day job, freelance work and travel have made it hard for me to post, but I'll make up for it with some images, a few stories and some notable openings in today's post. If you're curious as to where I've been, well, I've been doing a lot of back and forth between my home office in Omaha and my real office in Lincoln for my day job. When I get home, I'm beat. This weekend, I was in Chicago for Lollapalooza and some relaxing fun - the trip was a Christmas present to my significant. So there you are. On to some art.

First, two openings I'm excited about and two events I plan to attend. Both, coincidetally, capture images -- though vastly different ones -- of Nebraska.

Artist Keith Jacobshagen is showing Journals of the Days at Lauritzen Gardens, and the show includes 20 of his sketches and journal entries from field notebooks. I love Jacobshagen’s beautiful Nebraska landscape paintings; so for me, this is a can’t miss show. He’ll give a lecture on Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. about his journaling process, which lead to his final works of art. The lecture is $10 for the general public and free for art students with ID. Reservations are required; make them by calling 346.4002, extension 201. (I'm making a note to be sure and attend this one.)

Another artist whose work I quite like has a show opening in Lincoln’s Great Plains Art Museum. Michael Farrell’s Hinterlands runs at the gallery, 1155 Q St., through October. The show of gelatin prints includes images from Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado from the remote locations Farrell most favors: low population, stark landscape, inaccessibility and a void of tourists are the types of places he photographs. "These are parts of Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado where you can spend an entire day on back country roads or trails and not see another person,” he said. “These places, even though they appear rugged or harsh, are also fragile environments that may not survive, as we experience them now, too far into the future." The show will open officially on Lincoln’s September 5 First Friday, from 5-7 p.m. At left is one of his images of Nebraska. Starkly beautiful, no?

Blogging, though a somewhat time consuming pursuit, can also lead to some unexpected connections. Since I revived Week Fifty Two, I've been in touch with a pair of editors working on a new volume of essays exploring the work of one of my favorite artists, Chris Ware. I've also received an email from friend and Omaha artist Kenneth Adkins, who told me that not only has he relocated to Rhode Island, he's also opening a show this month at Gallery 070 in Vashon Island, Washington. I'm hoping to post a question and answer session with the Ware editors and a ful update on Adkins and his new work on the blog in the coming month. And because I couldn't wait to show a new piece of Adkins, here's the image from the postcard he sent me in the mail. Enjoy.

Farrell image "Nebraska" courtesy of the Great Plains Art Center. Kenneth Adkins "Study for the Hamburger Lady, 2008, mixed media, 8x10" courtesy of Gallery 070.

Happy Friday...

2008-07-25T12:53:00.004-05:00

This photograph, by artist Rosemary Laing, was on the cover of my issue of Artkrush today. A nice way to begin the weekend. Read more about how Laing creates her work here.

I'm not sure what I'll be up to this weekend. I had a minor surgical procedure yesterday and am milking it for all its worth today: sitting in my boy's ugly brown recliner watching back to back sex and the city dvds. Yes, I'm feeling better.

So what are you up to? Let me know if you've got any artsy plans for the weekend. Leave me a comment.

also...

2008-07-21T15:12:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend, somewhere, I lost my new fountain pen! Because I'm now addicted to writing with these fine instruments, it needed immediate replacement. The replacement, by Lamy, has a much stronger clip, so when I attach it to my canvas bag, I think it'll stay put, unlike the Waterman, which I'm pretty sure slipped off somewhere Saturday or Sunday: I had it at a Friday meeting, and by Sunday, it was nowhere to be found.

Weekend in Review

2008-07-21T14:45:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone. So I hope you all had a good weekend and did something artsy. I did a few artsy things and a few non-artsy (but fun) things. First, the artsy.

David Matysiak's premiere of his Telephono Project at the Bemis Underground on Thursday nigh was a) packed and b) really cool. The overflow crowd drained all the red wine from the BU before we even got there - a first! - but we still managed to enjoy watching Jadon Ulrich create images for Matysiak's collaborative songs. After the show, I bought one of only 250 Telephono box sets, which include record albums of all the songs and a CD featuring all the tunes for your ipod or car stereo. Nice.

Saturday night's MUNNY Party, also at the Bemis Underground, was another packed event. The MUNNY dolls designed by local artist were very cool -- I especially liked Renee Hoover's bird MUNNY. A satellite Kidrobot store sold some groovy goods and my sister and I both popped for some keychains and zipper pulls. I got the cute coffee cup, part of the Yummy Breakfast Keychain series pictured at left. So appropo, right? What's fun about it is that you buy one sight unseen and don't know what you get until you open the box. Very Cracker Jack, grab-baggy, but I like the result of my purchase.

In non artsy news, I saw the new Batman movie this weekend. I'm a closeted comic lover and I always look forward to anything in the Batman franchise as he's definitely my favorite superhero. This latest incarnation of darker, grimmer Batman movies have been great, and Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is as notable as all the talk says it is. Even if you're not into blockbusters or comics, I'd recommend seeing it for Ledger's performance alone.

Yesterday, Alyssa Schukar (who donated her image for the site banner art) had a pool party/BBQ at her parents' house in Lincoln. She and her family were lovely hosts, and the steamy 90 degree weather was perfect for pool partying and grilling. I made two types of veggie burgers for the party, all of which were a real hit (if I do say so myself, they really were good.) So if you're wanting to try something new in the food department, I highly recommend either of these recipies, both courtesy of Martha Stewart. Enjoy.

Mediterranian veggie burgers with mint yogurt sauce

Veggie burgers with tahini mayonnaise

On e-newsletters

2008-07-17T11:22:00.004-05:00

I just finished going through some emails and read the latest issue of Artkrush, a bi-weekly arts email newsletter put out by the fine people at Flavorpill. If you like/love/practice art, you should subscribe to this well written, thought provoking, relevant web-magazine.

(If you're also a fashionista, I recommend subsrcibing to Flavorpill's JC Report, which is similiar to Artkrush but covers the fashion world. I subscribe to both and they're equally well done.)

Artkrush led me to this review from the New York Times, beautifully written by Holland Cotter, of the Louise Bourgeois retrospective at the Guggenheim. I blogged about the show already in the New York posts from when I was in the city earlier this month. This review made me wish I could see this show again.

Ok. Carry on.

The importance of writing

2008-07-17T09:27:00.007-05:00

So I type much faster than I write, and when I do put pen to paper, the pen had better be nice. This of course doesn't have anything directly to do with art, but surely, a nice pen can turn the simple act of writing into an art form.

A few weeks ago, I bought a couple disposable fountain pens and I like them a lot. They're by Pilot and called the Varsity. Here's what they look like. Cute, right?

Well, the first pen is almost already out of ink and I realized, much to my chagrin, that it was awfully wasteful to toss the entire pen once its empty. I mean, that's a piece of plastic that I'm contributing to a landfill that I'd just assume not throw in the trash. So that led to a rather exhaustive ebay search for a fountain pen of reasonable price with replaceable ink cartridges. I settled on one by Waterman, which was less than $40, stylish and refillable. It's called the Phileas Demonstrator and I chose to order it in clear, which I think is pretty sweet. I also ordered some chocolate brown ink: I might as well be stylish with my new, "earth friendly" pen. Anyhow, if you like a fountain pen and fancy being a bit old school, the pens come in lots of colors and the ink refills come in every color of the rainbow. Choose your own sylish combination and put all those stolen Bics back in the supply room at your office. Your notebooks - and the Earth - will thank you.

P.S. Here's my pen.

Telephono

2008-07-16T10:54:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow night, David Matysiak will premiere his "Telephono" Project. (read about it here if you're unfamiliar.) The listening and album release party starts at 8 p.m. in the Bemis Underground. Matysiak's limited edition box set of five vinyl records archive the Telephono project, which includes contributions from musicians worldwide. The participants altered Matysiak's recordings before passing them on to another artist. I've never heard this type of "transformative" music project and I'm excited to check it out. Omaha video artist Jadon Ulrich will create some live visuals on site tomorrow night. The Telephono project has gotten some big time press -- it's been in both USA Today and on NPR. The party, of course, is free.

I just finished putting together the list of story assignments for the August issues of The Reader, and summer's art scene is in full bloom. There's some great stories on the docket, and the paper is free every week, so I hope you pick it up.

One other thing: last week I made mention of this blog at the end of my column, Mixed Media, in the paper. If you came to the site via the Reader, please let me know! I am curious if anyone saw that and took the time to visit. You can either leave me a comment or send me an email at boomsbaker@gmail.com.

See you soon.

For your viewing pleasure...

2008-07-15T10:56:00.003-05:00

As a farewell to my friend Jake Gillespie, I present to you one of his beard drwaings. You might reognize the person in the drawing. (or you might not. She's incognito.)

Art this weekend

2008-07-14T16:40:00.005-05:00

Hello, my three devoted subscribers.

Sorry I've been awol. Big stuff happening outside of the blogosphere in the past week. None of it has to do with art though, so I won't bore you with the details. I'm already looking ahead to this weekend.

My friend Alice Kim, who has a great accessories store in Omaha's Old Market called Trocadero, is playing host along with the Bemis Underground to the MUNNY Party, taking place this Saturday night. I have to say I'm a bit of an imbesil when it comes to the whole fad of Kid Robot and MUNNY dolls, but after a quick tutorial, I got the gist. I stopped into Trocadero and checked out some of the Kid Robot merch for myself, and I have to say, there's a certian appeal to a tiny piece of plastic bacon smoking a ciagarette. (And I think I pretty much need a cute Kid Robot keychain.)

Anyhow, Alice and the BU have pulled together a group of Omaha artists to each design a Munny doll, which will be on exhibit (and for sale, with proceeds benefitting the Nebraska AIDS Project) Saturday night. Check it out. If nothing else, it'll be interesting. The poster for the show, pictured at left, lists all the participating artists. And, like so many of Omaha's cool art events, it's 100 percent free.

Lincoln artist Jake Gillespie is saying farwell to Nebraska to pursue graduate school. His big going-away art show/party took place last weekend, and I wasn't able to make it, but I wish him all the best. I have a few great pieces of his work in my home and couldn't live without them. (At least I couldn't live an artful life without them.) Natalie Linstrom wrote a nice piece about Jake and his work, and it'll be in the Reader next week. Check it out, too.

I'm finally recovering from my travels, which kept me out of town for the whole month of June, and settling back in to my normal life in Omaha. I love traveling, but I have to say: it's nice to be home.

Hope to see you around somewhere artsy this weekend.

New York: part two

2008-07-08T11:47:00.005-05:00

So last night I blogged about the museums I visited in New York, and today it's all about New York's public art. The city is rich with public art projects. Almost everywhere you turn there's something to look at. (I count grafitti art among this, even though it's not "sanctioned" most of the time.)

We saw two public art projects of note while I was there: Jun Kaneko's recently installed trio of giant heads on Park Avenue and Olafur Eliasson's four "New York City Waterfalls" installed in the New York Harbor.

I'd never seen Kaneko's heads installed anywhere but Omaha, so it was exciting to check them out in a new place. New Yorkers seemed to walk by them without much notice (that's what you'd expect from New Yorkers, though, I'd guess.) But for anyone paying attention, they're a nice distraction. Kaneko's assistants sent me some photos. Take a look.

The "Waterfalls" exhibit in the New York Harbor was simply outstanding. I took some photos but they don't really compare to some from the New York Times. Check it out via this slide show. I'll post some of my less impressive images later this afternoon.

New York: part one

2008-07-07T16:35:00.013-05:00

I just got back from New York a few hours ago and the weekend was great. The weather (hot and steamy: welcome to the city in July) didn't deter my friend Brad and me from having a fantastic time. We spent most of our time shopping, art viewing and eating during the day and going to fun restaurants and Broadway shows in the evening. For the sake of this blog, of course, I'll focus on the art. Oh, the art.

I had a long list of museums I wanted to visit but a limited amount of time to do everything, so editing was a must. Brad and I narrowed our visits down to two museums and four shows: The Guggenheim's Louise Bourgeois retrospective and the Brooklyn Museum's trio of shows: Ghada Amer's Love Has No End, the Takishi Murakami show and Judy Chicago's iconic (and newly installed) piece "Dinner Party." We also saw Jun Kaneko's recently installed trio of giant heads on Park Avenue and Olafur Eliasson's four "New York City Waterfalls" installed in the New York Harbor.

It was an art filled trip. I loved seeing the Bourgeois show, and Brad and I started at the top of the Guggenheim spiral and moved down -- we started at most recent work and went to earliest -- but were glad we did. It proved even more intriguing to look at the work and then read the wall labels. What was most interesting? The way the work made us feel often corresponded closely with the artist's intent. At left is an image of one of my favorite pieces from the show: "Le Défi" from 1991.

I'd never been to the Brooklyn Museum, but the building is an imposing one and we chose it because three shows there wet my whistle. I wanted to see the much touted ©Murakami exhibit, and I have to say it was the least impressive show I saw, and also (Brad and I concurred) the creepiest. For me, I think Takishi Murakami's hyper-sexualized, life size anime figures in various states of arousal were the least desirable; for Brad, it was the room filled completely with a wallpaper featuring thousands of eyeballs; the piece is called "Jellyfish Eyes." (I felt this pink and green scheme pictured at left must have come from someone's demented childhood fantasy.) What both turned us off the most? The gift shop smack in the center of the show where two white shirted Louis Vuitton employees stood at bored attention to hawk the latest collaboration between Murakami and Marc Jacobs: a mix of the iconic LV symbol against a camoflauge background (called Monogramoflauge.) I have to say as an aside, I did enjoy seeing a case full of the original Jacobs-Murakami handbag collaboration, though seeing them in an art gallery context was a little bit too weird. Also, after seeing so many terribly ugly knockoffs on the arms of teenagers everywhere, the excitement wasn't what it would have once been, and it stood to reaffirm my hatred of chintzy knockoffs of all kinds. But I digress.

The other two shows we saw at the Brooklyn Museum were fantastic. My friend (and former Omahan) Peter Fankhauser is one of New York-based artist Ghada Amer's studio assistants, and it was a can't-miss opportunity for me to check out Amer's show, Love Has No End, while I was there. It was fantastic. It's the first United States survey show of her work, and the fifty pieces in the show include some of her most iconic work. She's a self-described painter, but some of the most stunning works featured her singular embroidery work. I also greatly enjoyed her thought-provoking performance pieces, captured here in photographs and words. The image at right was one of my favorite pieces: "Barbie Loves Ken" and "Ken Loves Barbie" are doll shaped straitjackets embroidered with the titles of the pieces. Brilliant.

If you've never seen (or heard) of Judy Chicago or her famous 1970s work "The Dinner Party," I highly advise you to learn about it online, or else check it out if you're planning a New York visit. It's simply wonderful. The Brooklyn Museum's new installation of the piece does it justice, and the historical context makes it seem more current than ever.

Tomorrow, I'll blog about the two huge public art projects I saw while I was in the city.

Happy Monday!

photos courtesy of the Guggenheim Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.

Technological Difficulties

2008-06-30T16:30:00.007-05:00

I've killed two laptop computers in the span of one week. Technically, one was murdered and one committed suicide. Northwest Airlines crunched my Dell, used for work stuff mostly, to bits in my gate checked carry on bag. About an hour ago, my old junker of a personal computer blue screened, signaling a hard drive crash, as I tried to edit a Reader story. This is how I feel:
I'll tote my work computer to my office tomorrow where, hopefully, my friend in technical support will transplant my precious hard drive into a machine without a screen smashed into a million pieces. Before that, I'll drop my old junker off with my dad, who thinks he can salvage it.

Meanwhile, in more positive technology news, I have opened the comments section on the blog to let anyone leave their thoughts, not just those with a google or blogger account. (Thanks to my friend Brad for the tip.)

I'm praying this technological plague doesn't hit my beloved Blackberry.

Pittsburgh photos and New York

2008-06-29T16:37:00.007-05:00

I finally downloaded my photographs from Pittsburgh, and if you want to check them out, you can find them on Facebook. I'll also post a few at the end of this post for those non-Facebook users.

Since I got back from my business trip, I've been spending a lot of time decompressing from all the work and travel. Last night's Bemis Creativity Festival finale concert was great fun and I especially enjoyed music from Columbia vs. Challenger. What was even better was the vegetarian curry my friend Alyssa made pre-concert and the French martini post-concert at the Goofy Foot Lounge.

On Thursday, I leave for a holiday weekend (much needed) vacation to New York City. I don't have my itinerary planned out just yet, but it'll surely include some shows and some museums. (And maybe some shopping.)

Here's two more views from Future Tenant Gallery in Pittsburgh. Happy Sunday.

Creativity Festival 08

2008-06-24T12:52:00.009-05:00

So I'm finally getting home tomorrow after a solid week and a half of conferencing. I'll be glad to return, especially since I'll arrive just in time for the Bemis Creativity Festival, which begins this weekend. It's by far the largest event the Bemis has ever done in its nearly 30 year history, so I'm glad I'll be in town to attend. I wrote a story about it this week for the Reader, but there are literally too many events happening at Bemis for me to have mentioned in the paper. I'm devoting this post to some of the events I'm most looking forward to checking out.

The Midwestern Voices & Visions show in Gallery 2 is a show made of artists who completed stints in residency programs during the past year. The Nest Egg, curated by Bryce Speed and Eric Lopez, opens in the Bemis Underground and somehow involves creative use of a wire fence. Both sound great and open Thursday night.

If you haven't seen a performace piece by Omaha artist Doug Hayko, well, you're in for...something. I don't know if I can call it a "treat," but it'll definitely be worth your time. He's doing a performance Friday night starting at 6 p.m. called Petition. He describes it as a piece that blurs the lines between theater, socio-political commentary and street-level happenings. This is his third collaboration with Bemis. Doug is one of the most unassuming artists I've ever met, so seeing his thought provoking, limit pushing performance pieces somehow becomes even more of a thrill.

Recent Bemis music resident David Matysiak, of the Omaha band Coyote Bones, will give a video screening in the Bemis Undergound Friday night at 7. The screening -- sure to be accompanied by sound -- gives us a taste of the ubiquitous nature of the Internet. He's also behind a super cool project called Telphono, to be featured in the Reader next week.

Finally, I'll be going to the big "grand finale" concert on Saturday night, featuring three groups (of four total) that I've never heard perform. That of course makes it a much more exciting show. The lineup: Shiver Shiver, Bear Country, Columbia vs. Challenger and Capgun Coup. The show starts at 7:30.

Best of all: every event is free. You have no excuse not to be there.

photo courtesy Bemis Center.

My new banner

2008-06-23T22:23:00.011-05:00

So when the three people who read my blog didn't respond to my call for a pretty banner, I decided to seek one out on my own. The new photo you see in the banner above is taken by my friend, the lovely and talented Alyssa Schukar. She was kind enough to send me a bunch of her photographs and let me choose one that I thought fit my blog. Visit her blog, F Stop Go!, and also her mighty professional photography site, alyssaschukar.com.

Not only is Alyssa a fine photographer, she's also the creator of a mean vegetable curry, which she's promised to teach me how to make sometime before 2009.

I posted a few of the other images Alyssa gave me to choose from. See, I told you she's talented. (Click on each image for a larger view.)

First...

2008-06-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

thanks to the *three* people who have subscribed to my blog. I hope you are reading and enjoying. Leave a comment if you are one of them.

Now on to some other stuff.

I'm not in Pittsburgh any more, but I'm not home yet, either. I'm in Bismarck, North Dakota until Wednesday. I spent last night with friends at a restaurant called Bistro that was great: good company and good food never dissapoint. I can't say tonight was as swell: without a car I was forced to eat at Applebee's. It was not good. Now I'm back at my hotel room watching a rerun of "Ghostbusters" on VH1. I honestly think the last time I watched this movie was around the same time I went to an Applebee's: around (or before) 1996.

Maybe I should include some art stuff in this post. Bismarck isn't a bad city and I think I might have the hotel van take me downtown before I leave: the state capital building is supposed to be neat, and they have enough galleries here to advertise a "gallery crawl," so I'll check it out.

If you want to read about some of the art highlights from Pittsburgh, check out The Reader next week. I wrote about it in my new column, Mixed Media.

Also, this week I wrote the cover story, on artist Steve Joy. Check it all out and let me know what you think in the comments.

Today in Pittsburgh...

2008-06-18T18:25:00.000-05:00

...sans photos. I forgot my camera cord, so I can't download the photos I took, which included some interesting shots of architecture, photos of work from a show at a gallery called Future Tenant and some street life shots from the area of the 'burgh known as "The Strip." I'll have to post them after I get home. Sorry.

Meanwhile, you can look at some more "fashion as art," which is one of my favorite things, by clicking here.

Final thought: why is "Law and Order," in all its forms, always on hotel tv? (dunh dunh!)

Link time..

2008-06-17T20:16:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, I'll post some photos from Pittsburgh. I've already seen a bunch of things I want to photograph (if you can call my snapshot massacres "photographs.") So like I said, look for those tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

Meantime, I'm sitting in a hotel room and figure some links might be in order. They all relate to, of course, Pittsburgh.

My friend Julie is focing me to check out a place called Pittsburgh Jeans Co. which offers a virtual treasure trove of denim and free alterations. I'll have a hard time resisting. Meantime, we can all check out the fall 2008 clothing designs Damien Hirst created for Levis, via NY magazine's blog The Cut. They include his trademark spin paintings done on jeans, and one pair covered with crystal skulls. I doubt I'll see these at the Jean Co., but I still enjoy them.

While perusing ArtForum, I found this ridiculous video of Andy Warhol doing a cameo on the Love Boat. I found it appropriate since I'll be at the Warhol Museum on Friday night.

And though it doesn't necessarily relate to Pittsburgh, if you're not on twitter yet, you should be. It was a topic of discussion at one of the seminars I attended today. It's like Facebook "status" that can be updated all the time and you can find, and follow, some pretty interesting people to see what they're doing. Even cuter, the updates are called "tweets." It breaks the bounds of a site like Facebook and lets everyone know what you're doing, no matter what. If you want to follow me I'm under my predictable user name, boomsbaker. I'll follow you, too.

I'm in my hotel room watching "Oceans 13," a movie that makes Las Vegas look very glam. It makes Clooney and Pitt look hot too, though I don't believe that to be a trick of any camera.

Ok. signing off.

I'm in Pittsburgh.

2008-06-17T14:48:00.000-05:00

I'll be here until Friday, and thanks to my dear friend Julie, who lived here for two years, I have a full slate of artsy stuff I'll be checking out in the next five days.

Tonight and tomorrow night I will be exploring The Strip, which looks cool, and also visiting two very cool galleries: Future Tenant and Space.

I'll also be eating some good food. Tonight's menu: Bossa Nova. We'll see if its tapas rival Espana's in Omaha.

Magazine covers as art

2008-06-12T22:46:00.000-05:00

Esquire asked a bunch of famous fashion designers to re-create vintage Esquire magazine covers. I love the one of Master Karl.

Check it out at NY Magazine's fashion blog, the Cut:

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2008/06/galliano_lagerfeld_westwood_an.html

Mixed Media. 30 May 2008

2008-06-12T22:24:00.000-05:00

I fell in love with art when I was 16. I went to my first gallery opening and I went to New York. Then it was done.

One of my high school friends was the granddaughter of Bob and the late Roberta Rogers, so that’s how I found myself in Gallery 72 on the night of my first opening, a night when I usually would have been either sitting in the stands at a football game or eating Hot Tamales at a west Omaha movie theater. My infatuation was immediate.

The scene is still fresh in my mind. The second floor loft’s kitchen counter covered with pot luck goodies, smartly dressed people mingling and talking. Most of all, I remember the ceiling-to-floor art in the apartment, hung in a way I’d never seen, in a jumble of sizes and shapes. The space was full. The work wasn’t all “fine.” It was instead was a mix of posters, family snapshots, gallery announcements and of course, paintings, prints and drawings. I wanted to live there.

The same friend had an older sister who lived in New York, and we went to the city during our senior year spring break. We did the things 16-year-old girls do on their first trip to New York (Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, David Letterman). But my friend’s sister worked in the gift shop at the Museum of Modern Art, so we got free admission to the city’s museums. We spent hours trekking through MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We tried to get into the Guggenheim on an ill-fated Monday; I remember being disappointed at the dark windows of the circular building. Not even the sight of Mel Gibson smoking on a street corner a few blocks away soothed that wound. (Mel is short in real life, and not that hot, just in case you wondered.)

My friend’s sister lived downtown, and though I wanted to go “uptown” and see the fancy shops and pretend I was rich, our trip was cooler than I realized. We ate ethnic food in dumpy restaurants, sat on the apartment balcony and watched weird people on the street and stayed up all night because a band played without pause in the bar downstairs, keeping us awake. I wanted to live there.

Fast forward to now. Gallery 72 will close later this summer. I’m not living in New York. But that love that got me so long ago — got me before I even knew what happened — is still there. It’s unfailing, difficult and sometimes a chore. But it never hurts my feelings and always leaves me feeling satisfied.

It creeps up on me when I least expect it. Just like it did when I was 16.

— Sarah Baker

Mixed Media is a column about art. For tips, contact mixedmedia@thereader.com.

30 May 2008

Make me a header

2008-06-12T22:20:00.001-05:00

I know lots of great artists in the city of Omaha. I spend time in lots of galleries and I quite enjoy it. I like wandering around downtown much more than I like sitting at home typing on a blog. But I digress.

My blog looks rather boring, and I'm thinking I need a header. So I'm writing this post in the hopes that someone will make me one -- someone who is an artist (or not) who lives in Omaha (a must have) and who also likes wandering around, taking in their surroundings but who also (hopefully) likes reading blogs more than I like sitting here writing the entries.

I will post all the people's work who send me a possible header. And then I'll pick one and write about you, your entry and your work in my column in the Omaha Reader, Mixed Media.

I hope this works, because a plain white art blog just won't do.

Update...

2008-06-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

So yes, its been a while.
But I'm back, with a new column in the Omaha Reader and some new features for both the print edition of the paper and the Blog.

I'll post my opening column from last week's reader, called Mixed Media, in a few minutes. I'll also be writing a column about this blog, and maybe we can finally start the conversation I hoped to start a year ago or more.

Thanks for coming back.

Musings and a few links

2007-08-20T18:59:00.000-05:00

I've been out of town for the past few days, in Phoenix, and I was actually glad to get back to Omaha for a few uninterrupted days (though I do have to travel to Kearney bright and early tomorrow morning.)

Here's some links to some of my recent writing.

Cover story on Larry the Cable Guy, Omaha Reader

Review of the Bloch Building, the new wing at Kansas City's Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

Review of Natalie Linstrom's show at the old Darkroom Gallery in downtown Omaha

I also recently checked out Kansas City's first Friday openings, and my review of that isn't posted online, but I posted it below in its entirety.

This week I'll be reviewing Sheldon Connections two, now on display in Lincoln and writing about the Bemis Center's new podcasts. I'll also be attending the opening of Dave Swensen's solo show at the Bemis Underground.

Other intriguing stuff: There's a show opening at Creighton's Lied Gallery of art inspired by the work of Ted Kooser. I'm also looking forward to this fall at the UNO Gallery now that Dan Siedell is on staff in Omaha. I'll also be writing in the coming weeks about a new group called Design Alliance Omaha, which aims to heighten all of our knowledge about architecture and the envoronment around us.

Meantime, here's my thoughts on KC's first Friday:

Kansas City's First Friday art openings are almost legendary in the Omaha arts community.

I've heard about them ever since I've written for the Reader, but I've never been able to time my annual KC summer trip to the right time. This year it finally happened, and I come to you with a full report – some good and some bad – on the city's bustling Crossroads District on First Friday.

The first thing you gotta know is that it's packed out. Thousands of people descend on a mile-wide area in downtown KC, the boundaries being 15th Street, Interstate 35, the Freighthouse district and Troost Ave. My sister and I were forewarned that the area surrounding 20 th street and Baltimore was the craziest part – the epicenter – and boy was that right.

The streets were teeming with people and the crowd, combined with the sauna-like August heat, made things a tad sweaty. In fact, the crowd was so big that people in essence formed a single-file line down the street, into each gallery door, through each gallery, back out the door and on to the next. It's not exactly an atmosphere for casual perusal.

I looked in vain for a glass of wine or a catered snack but none were in sight. One gallery owner told me in the past, vittles were part of the game, but the crowds have made it too expensive for most galleries to provide, so they stopped. Also, don't expect to go to the ladies room without a battle. In one gallery, I was met with a snide remark when I asked about facilities, and the lack of restrooms is apparently a common problem on First Friday. (Thanks to the gallery owner that took pity on me a few blocks later.)

That's the not so good.

But the good was really good. My sister and I loved – and I mean loved – the stretch of galleries, stores and coffee shops along 18th St. I was especially excited to spot Straw, Sticks and Bricks, the sustainable design outlet that also has a location in Lincoln. The street life was great – we saw a man taking photos for a Kansas City fashion magazine, a guy in red and black zebra print plastic pants doing some crazy dance moves on one corner and a café full of some hard core indie rockers; closer to 20th street we saw street vendors, a band using a street sign as an instrument and some politicos: one group supporting Ron Paul and a second supporting Bush impeachment.

The best art was at the Blue Gallery, (http://www.bluegalleryonline.com/) on 19th and Grand, but I also loved a store called Spool (http://www.ilovespool.com/) where I bought a really sweet horseshoe necklace made by Lawrence jewelry artist Kyle Grater. I'd recommend checking it out, if only to give a cool event some added support, something any arts community needs if it's going to continue to thrive.

It's been a while...

2007-08-15T16:20:00.001-05:00

...but I'm back. The impending fall has me ready to write about art. (It also has me in the mood to wear boots and sweaters, but that's a different blog, yes?)
I'd been planning a special blog section to be plugged via my column in the Omaha Reader, and I'm thinking that this fall I may actually get that off the ground. So please stay tuned in the next few weeks.

Also, you can find me on Facebook these days much more than MySpace.

In non-art related news, I wrote a cover story for the Reader this week on Nebraska native Larry the Cable Guy. It's out of my element but it refreshed my writing skills. Check it out and let me know what you think.

New Job...

2007-03-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

So as posted on my MySpace, I got a new job. Quite a few people have asked me about what the new job is, so for those who might be interested, here's some info: I'm now the PR coordinator for the state of Nebraska's Department of Travel & Tourism. This is my third week on the job. I'm working with all sorts of media people, both in and out of the state, and doing what I can to encourage them to write stories about our lovely state. I'll also be doing quite a bit of traveling, both in and out of the state.

I will still be doing all my freelance writing, so this site will continue to exist and hopefully, as things calm down and settle into a rhythm, I'll have time not only to regularly update but also to finally create some web-only content.

As for the freelancing, I have some non-art related assignments I'm working on as well as a review for Sculpture magazine, and hopefully one or two more for Review Magazine. Also, I'm doing some short story writing. I may or may not post that here; we'll see how it goes.

Thanks, as always, for reading, and please do feel free to leave comments or feedback.

A personal post...

2007-03-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

I won't normally do such things on this site, but I want to do what I can to support a local organization.

I'm raising money for the MDA by "going to jail" at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Wild Wild West Lock Up on April 24. (If you want to see me go to jail, you can do so at noon on that day at Jobber's Canyon in the Old Market.)

My bail has been set at $2,600, but whatever I can raise will be a great help. My "Bail Money" will go toward helping people with Muscular Dystrophy in Nebraska and southwest Iowa by providing them with clinic services, support groups an research grants. It will also help send a number of kids to a MD summer camp in Cozad, NE. MDA also funds research grants to help find treatments and cures for some 43 neuromuscular diseases that affect people of all ages in our community.

Any donation is tax deductible.

Thanks again for reading and for anything you can do to help me raise some money!

Click here to visit my Participant Page.

8 March 2007

2007-03-20T18:59:00.000-05:00

-- The University of Nebraska at Omaha Gallery’s largest show of the year — the 2007 UNO Art Student Exhibition — runs through March 26. The juried show is open to any UNO student; submitted works include two and three-dimensional work and inter-media pieces. This year’s juror is Amy Nelson, a Sioux City, Iowa native, Creighton University graduate and concept-driven artist whose work manifests itself through installation, community involvement and ideas of political change. UNO also will unveil the Hexagon Installation Program, which will allow UNO art students to create a site-specific installation in the space each spring semester. This year’s work is Meander by Jason Pierce. He built a wall of light that winds through the gallery that interacts with viewers. For more information, call 554.2796.

-- The latest show at Lincoln’s Great Plains Art Museum focuses on Native American Art. The Journey Home: Native American Art Show features about 30 pieces that explore the spirit of Nebraska tribes — Winnebago, Omaha, Santee Sioux, Northern Ponca and Otoe-Missouria — as well as the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma. The show is part of the Nebraska Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission’s official commemoration of The Journey Home. Ernest Ricehill, a member of the Winnebago and Omaha tribes, curated the show. The exhibit also celebrates the reopening of the gallery, which closed after it was water damaged in January. The show continues through March 25 at the museum, 1155 Q St., in Lincoln. For more information, call 402.472.6220.

-- The latest show from Vera Mercer’s Moving Gallery features contemporary photography and video art from Berlin, Germany. Curated by Matthias Harder, who is also chief curator at the Helmut Newtown Foundation in Berlin, the show explores the change in Berlin pre- and post-fall of the Berlin Wall nearly two decades ago. The show runs through April 26 and is being held at the Old Market’s Artists Cooperative Gallery, 405 S. 11th St. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.

— Sarah Baker

Sketchbook is about artistry in the Omaha-Lincoln area. Email information to sketchbook@thereader.com.

Art Scene Iowa Cover Story

2007-03-20T18:55:00.000-05:00

I co-wrote the cover story for the March issue of Art Scene Iowa about comic art. My third focuses on Chris Ware. Enjoy.

A superhero of his own kind

By Meghan Hackett

Batman has his utility belt, Superman’s chest is emblazoned with his stylized ‘S,’ and Captain America bears homage to the American flag. Whatever their iconic trait may be, superheroes are instantly recognizable, and have kept America feeling safe and protected since the introduction of Superman in 1938.

At the age of 11, Phil Hester, a nationally published comic book artist, realized that even superheroes need help. “As a kid, I always liked drawing and I was a big reader, especially of comics,” he says. “When I was 11, it finally dawned on me that there were actual people doing this. Comic books weren’t made in factories.”

His first introduction as a comic artist came as a sophomore at the University of Iowa. Besides working for nearly every comic book publisher in the last 20 years, Hester has created art for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, two of the country’s largest comic publishers. His art is featured in over 300 published works, and he’s experienced the iconic worlds of Batman, Nightwing, Green Arrow, the Hulk, the Creeper, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, and many more. His original character ‘The Wretch’ was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best New Series in 1997.

His first major assignment with DC Comics was the comic book ‘Swamp Thing.’ “I’ve read ‘Swamp Thing’ since I was a kid. It’s my favorite character to draw,” says Hester. “I was so excited to get that offer, but also completely petrified. I never thought I’d live up to my expectations.”

A stay at home dad, Hester resides in North English with his wife and two children. He says the best part about his work is that he got to stay home with his kids when they were little. The second best part is being able to bring to life America’s favorite superheroes.

“I get to draw Captain America and Spider-Man. These are things that I’ve been dreaming about since the age of 12,” he says.

Creating characters that have supernatural strength or extrasensory perception is all part of his job, but for kids that read these comics, Hester’s a superhero of his own kind. “At a comic book convention, I’m relatively famous,” said Hester. “But once I take my name tag off and open the door to the street, I’m no one.”

“One of the greatest things about comic books to me is the personal relationship they create with the reader,” he says. “It’s different than watching TV or a movie; you have to read a comic book, actively creating that intimacy with the prose. But at the same time, they come out every month and you share them with thousands of other people who read them. Comics establish a personal relationship between the story and the reader and yet can still create a community, since it is mass media.”

Hester has also has made the occasional jump over from comic artist to writer. Going from drawing the character’s rippling muscles and toppling towers, to telling the inner conflict of the comic’s central character, seems like a daunting task.

“It keeps everything fresh for me,” he says. “Right now, I’m in a comfort zone as a penciler and I’m maybe at my peak in that aspect of the industry. If I ever need a recharge, I go back to writing and it starts up again.”

Hester says he never really knows when an idea will become the next great idea. “I’ll see a kernel of what would be a neat scene in an exchange of dialogue at Arby’s and I’ll take notes, and eventually it’ll become a full-fledged idea.”

If you’re ever passing through the town of North English, take a glance around, for your red high-heels or your fight with your little brother just may be the inspiration for Hester’s next comic.

Graphic novelist and art museum team up

By Sarah Baker

Omaha native and comic artist Chris Ware’s solo show at Lincoln’s Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery is one of the most engaging of this year, and for those who see it, will certainly hold that title throughout 2007.

Ware, who is alternately described as a cartoonist, a novelist, and sometimes just as an artist, is best known for his graphic novels Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth (2000) and Quimby the Mouse (2002). This show explores his newest graphic novel, set in Omaha. The installation offers insight into Ware’s creative process and the multi-layered way in which he creates and thinks about his work.

His solo effort runs in tandem with Comic Art, a show focusing on the place that comics hold in today’s American art world and within American culture, and includes work from Enrique Chagoya, Jon E. Gierlich and S. Clay Wilson, Howard Finster, Red Grooms, Philip Guston, George Herriman, Roger Shimomura, Saul Steinberg, Art Spiegelman, and Walt Kelly.

Ware has been creating comics for many years, and says it’s a genre he continues to pursue through difficult times, both financially and critically.

“I truly believe comics, with their mixture of writing, art, and a kind of visual music, is a really powerful way of recreating human experience on paper, with all of its layers of meaning and contradiction,” he says. “I essentially worked for little or no pay for many years. I’ve now found myself able to support myself with what I do, and consequently, I find myself one of the luckiest people in the world.”

Ware wrote an essay for the Comic Art show catalog, and created a special gallery guide for his solo show.

“The gallery guide tries to differentiate between the original drawings and the actual printed work, since the printed page is where the real art of it — if there’s any at all — resides,” he said. “I guess it’s sort of like the difference between a manuscript of a musical composition, its published version, and then hearing a performance of the piece; in comics, the manuscript is the original drawing and the performance is the reader’s experience of reading the published book.”

More than 300 people attended the opening night, both to see the work and to hear Ware’s live discussion with Sheldon curator Dan Siedell, and more than 1,000 have checked out the event via the museum’s Web site. Posting the talk online is something new for Sheldon, and is part of its new initiative to take its programming to a global audience. So far, it’s a clear success: normally, the site draws about 400 unique visits a day. Ware said he is continually surprised — and pleased — by the ever-growing audience for comic art.

“I’m more than a little incredulous at what appears to be a genuine popularity of comics among more and more thoughtful readers,” he says. “But I have to think that’s partly due to my generation having grown up reading them and partly due to more talented and serious cartoonists working and writing now than ever before.”

Chris Ware and Comic Art will be on view through April 29 at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, 12th and R Streets. A few events surrounding the shows remain: At 2 p.m., Sunday, March 11, Sheldon’s Second Sunday Gallery walk will feature a discussion on comic art with artists Paul Fell and Bob Hall. At 10:30 a.m. on March 10 and 24, Sheldon will hold comic art workshops for 6th graders. For more information on these events, visit www.sheldon.unl.edu.

To view the webcast, visit www.unl.edu/unlpub/podcasts/videofiles/chrisware.mp4.

Conquering and saving the world
By Cathy Wilkie

Imagine you have a great tree house, and your friends come over everyday to talk comics, movies, music, and video games. Now, imagine that same tree house as ‘electronic,’ your friends are scattered throughout the Midwest, and your discussions lead to jobs with DC and Marvel Comics. That, in a nutshell, is Shocktrauma Studios — a loose collective of comic artists and writers who network with one another over the internet for ideas, job leads, and to collaborate on projects.

They came together gradually; it all started when The Des Moines Register ran an article about artist Phil Hester of North English. “A bunch of us Iowa artists were astonished to find that there were other folks doing this sort of thing, so eventually we all sought out each other and became brothers,” says Fredd Gorham, an Iowa native who now resides in Omaha, Nebraska.

They occasionally meet in real life for collaborations and ‘comic-cons’ (conventions), sharing not only the group name, but the exposure it’s brought them. “Those are grand times for us,” says Gorham, “we get to spend a weekend surrounded by the things we love and share the company of our friends.”

Over the years the ‘Shocktraumanauts’ (as they refer to themselves) have spread their influence in books like The Holy Terror, Swamp Thing, Clerks: The Lost Scene, Superman, The Simpsons, and gaming projects such as Society of Shadows. They proclaim that inking, drawing, or writing comics was what they were born to do.

“I think the fact that having grown up in rural Iowa during the 70s and 80s and finding little to do in a small town lead many of us to gravitate to comic books, which lead us to want to create stories and art in the medium we grew up loving,” says Jason Caskey of Milo, south of Indianola.

Caskey says it’s easy to make a living in the Midwest drawing comics. “In the age of the internet, Fed Ex, and multiple comic-cons nationwide, it’s no easier or harder to be from Iowa and to make it in comics than anywhere else.”

The internet has indeed helped them tremendously: they’re often contacted for pro assignments and fan commissions through their Web site (www.shocktraumastudios.com), and it proves an invaluable tool for networking. “In a career sense, most artists need networking in order to be in the loop when a project arises,” says Gorham. “Publishers are more likely to work with people they know (and trust to get things done) than to just hire someone unknown. It pays to be out there and have your name passed around.”

One case where ‘names were passed’ was the Iowa episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show came to Gladbrook to build the Kibe family a new home; the producers discovered one of the boys lost his comic collection in a house fire. Producers contacted the Iowa Comic Book Club for donations; the ICBC went one better: they told the show there was a pro comic artist nearby, and Hester found himself painting a mural for the boy’s room featuring a custom superhero. “It was exhausting and stressful, but worth it,” says Hester, who called in fellow Shocktraumanauts Aaron Gillespie and Brook Turner to help finish in time.

The Shocktraumanauts frequently celebrate their victories and mourn their losses via their chat room, and they know how lucky they are that fans can access them via their Web site.

“The internet has vastly changed the comic book industry as a whole,” Caskey says. “I can’t think of any other entertainment industry where the big names are so accessible to the average fan. You can be into the most obscure characters or genres, yet instantly connect with countless people who share your passion.”

Hester agrees. “It’s a worldwide tree house for people to sit in and argue about Thor being tougher than Superman. It’s really quite beautiful.”

Boilin' Boots

2007-03-04T15:15:00.000-06:00

by Sarah Baker

Nic Bartlett doesn’t want the shirt off your back. He wants the shoes off your feet. Bartlett, along with fellow artist and curator Rachel Ziegler, are kicking off their shoes, eh, their exhibition with a dance party before the art show even starts.

The Black Shoe Bash and Dance Party is a precursor to the duo’s show, Remainder, which opens in the Bemis Underground March 23.

The artists are asking dance party guests to bring a pair of black shoes as admission, and if you don’t want to give up those old black Doc Marten boots just yet, you can also get in for $5.
This is the second time Bartlett and Ziegler have showed their work together — the first was at a show in 2004 in Seward, Neb.’s Marxhausen Gallery. That show included works vastly different than what will show at the Underground, Bartlett said.

“The show included two very different installation pieces that came from two very different people employing two unique concepts,” he said. “That show was a success and laid the groundwork for a Bemis Underground curatorial collaboration.”

The duo decided to kick off their second collaboration with not just a party, but a dance soiree with live music from Brimstone Howl, The Terminals and Denver-based band The Machine Gun Blues.

Ziegler said she’ll be creating two-dimensional work which will hang on the walls, while Bartlett is doing a site specific, centralized floor installation that will fill a portion of the gallery. He plans to use variations in surface texture, color and lighting to separate his work from Ziegler’s.

“The show won’t fill the Bemis Underground to maximum capacity, but will utilize the space it does use while keeping in mind the peripheral space,” Ziegler said.

And what of the shoes? They’re the main ingredient for Bartlett’s piece. He plans to collect at least 100 pairs of shoes, then will boil them and use the remaining liquid in what he calls a “saline installation.”

“I am using a process of saline evaporation to create works that focus on my own memories,” Bartlett said. “My site-specific installations are part sculpture and part ephemeral interactive performance.”

The two bodies of work will be separated in the space, but there is a tie between the distinctive artistic styles: Both Bartlett and Ziegler plan to use the reductive evaporative process in their pieces.

“We are very different, but we work well as a pair,” Ziegler said. “Personally, I couldn’t think of anyone else that I felt more comfortable showing my work with.”

The Black Shoe Bash & Dance Party is Friday, March 9 at the Bemis Underground, 12th and Leavenworth. The music starts at 9 p.m. Guests can either bring a black pair of shoes to donate or pay $5. For more information, visit bemiscenter.org.

Update 2-28-07

2007-02-28T14:58:00.000-06:00

My Chris Ware story -- part of a larger piece on comic art -- will run in the upcoming issue of Art Scene Iowa. I'll publish it here once it's out. For anyone who missed Ware's talk, it's available via a webcast on the Sheldon's web site. Ware was funny, engaging and smart. I highly recommend checking out the dialogue between him and Dan Siedell here.

In other news, four shows are opening this Friday at the Bemis Center. I'll be writing about a few of them, most notably Karen Kunc's solo show. I wrote a story this week for the Reader about the upcoming Bemis Underground show, curated by Nic Bartlett and Rachel Ziegler, which looks to be super interesting, as is the norm at the BU. Click on the image at right for more information on the party they're throwing next Friday night. I had to buy a new pair of black shoes so I could donate an old one (or at least that's what I told myself.)

This Saturday I'm traveling to Nebraska City to visit, for the first time, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. Lincoln artist Clarisse Hastie creates collage work inspired by her home, the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. I'm also going to try and do some thrifting and eating while I'm in town, and maybe get a few apples just for good measure.

I'll be starting a new job next week so I might be a bit slower on updating, for the two people that are likely looking at my blog. But rest assured I'll do my best to keep posting as usual. I hope to see more comments posted on here at some point -- I'm always interested in feedback. Thanks for reading.

Review: Select Cuts

2007-02-23T09:35:00.000-06:00

by Sarah Baker

By the time someone calls you “of the moment,” you’re usually passé.

Select Cuts, a carefully curated group show at the Jewish Community Center Gallery, avoids that stigma. It focuses on a handful of young, up-and-coming Nebraska artists and, for the sake of being taken seriously, throws in a few familiar young people who are already among the area’s most accomplished new faces.

The show’s curator, artist J. Lynn Batten, writes an intriguing statement on the show’s invitation, outlining the show’s goal of exhibiting artists that in some way are “set apart.”
“For as long as there have been established art communities, there have been artists within them who usher in new practices, principles and perceptions of expression,” the statement reads. “While often varying in media and subject matter, the collective power of these individual’s work has had the ability to revolutionize the definition of art.”

Including new work by Peggy Gomez, Joey Lynch and Jake Gillespie — the three original founders of Lincoln’s still-closed Tugboat Gallery and some of the most innovative young artists in Nebraska — gives the show a solid base and fits in perfectly with its goal. All three show excellent pieces, each building on work they’ve shown in the past.

Lynch, newly transplanted to Omaha with a studio snuggled in the basement of the Bemis Center, shows a few new prints that have a more painterly feel than his older work.
“America’s Hardest Hitting” features his familiar kitschy screen print work to one side, but lower on the piece, there are visible brushstrokes, as though he painted over the screen print, or did some brush work before printing. Regardless, he seems to be moving his technique somewhere new.

Gillespie shows two pencil drawings, done in his familiar style. His recent focus has been more on video pieces, but he doesn’t show that work here, instead focusing on the two-dimensional. Gomez shows a few mixed media pieces, the best being “Mixed Media with Zeppelin,” featuring a little floating blimp suspended in front of a familiar Gomez collage.
Paris-based artist Anthony Mundy shows a series of illustrations that are some of the most humorous pieces I’ve seen in some time. They don’t take themselves too seriously and invite the viewer to break the gallery stigma of silent art perusal: In fact, my gallery viewing companion and I laughed boisterously a number of times while we looked at his work. Our favorite was a small drawing of a cow sitting in an armchair watching a television. A bubble above the cow’s head read something akin to the film being “moooving.” The animal’s big, watery eyes and gangly body made me think of vintage “Ren & Stimpy” cartoons. A viewer needs to see it to appreciate.

Omaha artist Andrew Hershey, a printmaker and installation artist, presented photographic works that juxtaposed domestic scenes — kitchens, doorways and other images swiped from a suburban enclave — behind ghostly, partially transparent humans doing tasks in the spaces. They felt moody and had an American Beauty-esque feel of detachment and isolation; whether this was deliberate, I couldn’t tell. His artist statement says he aims to capture the mundane and the beauty of everyday occurrences: The work accomplished that goal, but for this viewer also had an intriguing layer of disconnection.

Lincoln fiber and fashion artist Mary Pattavina showed three whimsical hats that I really, really wanted to put on my head (I refrained). “Victorian Itty Bitty Cocktail Hat,” “Mustard Itty Bitty Cocktail Hat” and “Brown Itty Bitty Cocktail Hat” were transported from a different era and planted in a gallery. One had a tiny satin veil, a second had a big, gold flower and the final had a brown ball made of feathers. They were Christina Aguilera meets Lady Di meets Dame Edna but with an extra dose of class. It’s hard to mesh vintage with now and not be either kitschy or dated: Pattavina’s work achieved the perfect balance and that balance, above all, made me want to wear it.

Select Cuts continues at the Jewish Community Center Gallery, 333 S. 132nd St., through Feb. 27. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

22 Feb 2007

2007-02-23T09:32:00.000-06:00

-- When I was younger, my sister and I rabidly read “X-Men” and “Red Sonja” comics. So when I heard Bemis resident Dane Watkins created an online, animated comic, I was all about learning more. “The Call of the Dead” is a 22-part, animated, black-and-white comic strip, a new “episode” premieres daily at eatmydata.co.uk (click on the skull). The story is one of “zombie love” and the work is basically a series of skulls, animated in line drawing. The animation spans three paneled strips, and skulls in each strip “communicate” via flying balls, catapults, gears, conveyer belts, pulleys, mechanical arms and human hands.

The tone of the piece is slightly sentimental. It’s about love, but with a sort of seedy underbelly — after all, these are lovelorn zombies. The pieces continue running online through Feb. 25. The final episode will be unveiled at a closing party Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Bemis Underground, 12th and Leavenworth. Online viewers can sign up for a daily email reminder to check out the next episode of the strip during its run. Also, take a look at the link that gives instructions on how to apply a temporary “eat my data” tattoo. The pictures are a trip.

-- If you have a blank space that needs immediate filling, check out the Lincoln Print Group’s sale Feb. 22-24 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The sale features original prints from UNL faculty, undergraduate and graduate students in all sizes and media. The sale features a benefit raffle featuring some framed pieces, proceeds going to support the group. The sale is held on the UNL campus, Richards Hall, Room 121.1. Hours are 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb 22; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. For more information, call 402.472.5522.
— Sarah Baker

Sketchbook is about all things related to art and artistry in Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs. We cover anything from new projects to calls for artists. Please send information to sketchbook@thereader.com.

Update 2-15-07

2007-02-15T13:46:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone out there had a nice Valentine's Day. I know I did.

My Q&A with Ware ran in abbreviated form in the Reader. I won't post it here because I already posted the entire text, but check it out in this week's issue if you like. It's free and available everywhere.

For next week's issue of The Reader, I'll be writing a review of a show called "Select Cuts" currently showing in West Omaha at the Jewish Community Center Gallery. My column focuses on an upcoming show by Bemis Resident Dane Watkins centering on his virtual comic called "The Call of the Dead."

Also, I'm working on another Chris Ware story for Art Scene Iowa, which will be running later in the month as part of a larger story about comic art.

Comics, all of a sudden, are everywhere.

I'll be in Lincoln on Friday for the conversation at Sheldon between Chris Ware and Sheldon Curator Dan Siedell, who tells me that the museum expects a packed house. The event starts at 5:30 and seating is first come, first seated. I'd stand, outside in the bitter cold maybe, to hear Chris Ware speak. I'm guessing it'll be a whose-who of artists and art people from both Omaha and Lincoln, so I'll see you there.

15 Feb 2007

2007-02-15T13:43:00.000-06:00

-- Art collectors get used to choosing the work of artists they love; this time, a number of them are doing it for a good cause. MEDICI (which stands for Most Esteemed Donors, Intellects, Colleagues and Individuals), a friends group that supports UNL’s Department of Art and Art History, is throwing a fundraiser Saturday, Feb. 17 at the campus’ Eisentrager-Howard Gallery. Modern Medicis: A Collector’s Showcase invited Nebraska collectors to name artists they admire. The selected artists each contributed a piece, and at the event, the 30 pieces will be distributed to each Premium Ticket holder who will pay $300 admission and walk out with not only a good time but a new piece. Those not interested in buying a work can attend for $50.

Collectors such as Robert and Karen Duncan, Norman Geske, J.B. Milliken and Nana Smith and Larry and Judy Roots chose artists — Santiago Cal, Karen Kunc, Deb Oden, Craig Roper and Allan Tubach, to name a few — to donate pieces. The works are on display now at Eisentrager-Howard. All money raised goes back to support the department. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact MEDICI president Tom Woods at twoods@woodscharitable.org.

-- In late January the Durham Western Heritage Museum dedicated a gallery to Dick and Trish Davidson for their contributions to the Omaha arts community. The Trish and Dick Davidson Gallery includes many of the museum’s exhibits on the area’s rail history, including an 1890 Union Pacific steam engine — an appropriate choice because Davidson is also chairman of the Union Pacific Corporation. The museum also announced plans to create a special exhibition exploring Union Pacific and the beginnings of the transcontinental railroad in Omaha.

-- Photographer Matel Rokke explores herself in The Self: Collections and Memories at Lincoln’s Lux Center for the Arts. Rokke grew up in Lincoln and uses a number of different photographic formats and processes, along with melding photography and three-dimensional objects. The show runs through Feb. 25.

— Sarah Baker

Sketchbook is about artistry in Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs. Send information to sketchbook@thereader.com

Blindcritic. Feb. 2007 Art Scene Iowa

2007-02-13T11:46:00.000-06:00

Blindcritic

The opinion of the Blind Critic is to be an electric conduit for honest and forthright feet-to-the-fire gallery experiences. As information flows, the critics’ opinion generates interest or disinterest, validates or alters perceptions and glorifies or vilifies artists’ works and presenters’ exhibitions.

BEMIS UNDERGROUND
BEMIS CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS

“BART VARGAS: ONE MAN'S TRASH”
OPENING RECEPTION JANUARY 26, FROM 7-10 P.M.
12TH AND LEAVENWORTH STREETS, OMAHA, NE 68102

Gallery statement: The Bemis Underground is a basement level gallery space suited to present visual, audio, and performance art in an interactive environment dedicated to experimentation. Six curators, selected by jury, are allotted five weeks and a stipend to execute projects of their design. A new group of Project curators are selected every spring for the following year.

The show: “Bart Vargas: One Man's Trash,” runs through Feb. 24. In some way the show is a survey of the work Vargas has done during the past few years. He focuses on a few key types of work — paintings, sculptural spheres, installations and his newest edition, dolls, all made of his own and other people's discarded junk. He threw a few wild card elements into the show — for this viewer, the unexpected elements were the highlight. "Nuclear Winter" is one of the newest works in the show and its one that Vargas struggled with. Originally his thesis project, he abandoned the piece after deciding he didn't like it, eventually creating "Nest" for his thesis. ("Nest" is a giant nest of coiled keyboards, cordless phones, cables, wires, and other old electronic junk that Vargas spent more than three years collecting. In the center sits a huge egg covered with discarded keyboard keys all in a muted shade of grayish white.) Nuclear Winter's 111 paintings are all the same shape — hexagons — but of different thickness and different sizes. Each is intricately layered with stenciled snowflakes; The paint in some cases is carefully applied, in others, it was clearly sloshed on, splattered on or sprayed on. Approached as a whole, the piece is like visual candy. Even singularly, the works are a feast for the eyes.

The welcome: The Bemis Underground shows aren't just an opening, they're a packed out party. More than 400 made a stop in this show; this amount of people has become the norm and is what makes the often artistically challenging shows such fun to check out.

The accessibility: Vargas made the rounds during the crowded opening; members of the Bemis Center staff were on hand to answer questions and welcome visitors.

The ambiance: The space is a bit awkward and challenging to fill. Vargas does an excellent job of using every bit and using it well. He even fills a small back room with heaps of discarded junk, further playing on the title of the show.

The nosh: Beer and wine, gallery staples, were here, as were cheese and crackers. The highlight for me were tiny, liquor filled candies in flavors like Courvorsier.

The sale: The paintings didn't have wall tags or prices; all of the work is for sale and a price list was available.

The final thought: This space continues to bring challenging work to a fresh, young crowd. As the seasons continue, the work only gets better.

Encounters with Chris Ware: part two

2007-02-12T11:26:00.000-06:00

Last week, I sent artist Chris Ware five questions. Here are his answers.

I will be writing two stories about Ware and his work: One for the Omaha Reader, another for Art Scene Iowa.

Learn more about Chris Ware and his work.

SB: You mention in your interview with Dan Siedell (which can be found here) something akin to your "Midwestern work ethic." Is that really part of the reason you stuck to comics through the time when they weren't a stable, financially feasible undertaking?

CW: Well, maybe 25% of the reason. The older I get the more I’ve come to realize it’s also one quarter a strangely backwards way of pathetically protecting the memory of my child-self, since in America it's become more or less acceptable to “grandfather in” one’s juvenile interests into one’s adulthood; I guess I'm as guilty of this as anyone. I think I can fairly reliably say that the other half is accounted for by the fact that I truly believe comics, with their mixture of writing, art, and a kind of visual music is a really powerful way of recreating human experience on paper, with all of its layers of meaning and contradiction. It also takes a really, really long time to learn how to do, though as a kid, being both an only child as well as something of a nerd, I got used to spending time by myself, so I was already broken in, as it were. As it’s turned out, while I essentially worked for little or no pay for many years, I’ve now found myself able to support myself with what I do, and consequently, I find myself one of the luckiest people in the world. Thus, I don’t want to take my life lightly; I know there are countless people who are smarter and more talented than I am and who could do much better work than me if they had the chance.

SB: I've heard before that you are always surprised to learn you have female readers and fans. As a female and a reader of your work, I'm interested in why this surprises you. What do you think it might be that does draw women to your work? (Or conversely, why don't you think they'd like it all that much?)

CW: That’s really nice of you to say. I suppose it makes more sense lately because most of my “main characters” are now women; I went through art school in the late 1980s and early 1990s and I can remember on at least a couple of occasions being told (by my professors, no less) that it was “immoral” for me to draw women, let alone write stories about them, so it took me a few years to get those voices out of my head. As it’s turned out, I find myself much more identifying and caring about my women characters than about the
men, however. I still worry that I’m getting "something wrong" a great deal of the time, but that’s hardly a problem that’s exclusive to writing one’s opposite sex.

As for being surprised I have female readers, I suppose I’m still getting used to the idea that comics readers aren’t primarily men — in fact, I think, that the comic-reading “Y” chromosome has been usurped, actually, especially with the popularity of manga in America, which is great. Finally, as for what might draw or repel readers from my stuff, that’s anyone’s guess, and something I try to not think about, because the prospect is paralyzing and antithetical to working for me. I simply try to tell “the truth” as I understand it at that moment as honestly as I can and hope that I’m not lying to myself or working from completely false premises or experiences (which, as it turns out, I frequently am, but that’s what drives one to keep working to improve, I think.)

SB: Tell me about the special stuff you created for the Sheldon show, why you did it and how you think it enhances the pieces you're hanging on the walls.

CW: Jeez, well, I’m afraid there isn’t really anything done especially for the exhibit; it’s pretty much all isolated and somewhat disconnected original pages done for reproduction in my comics and books, and as such, ends up being sort of a display of rather mechanical drawings rather than anything much too fun or colorful to look at. I was educated as a gallery artist but over the past few years of almost exclusively cartooning and writing I’ve basically just turned into an author who draws a lot, and so what’s on exhibit at the Sheldon is essentially that, aside from a couple of objects that I’ve made both in mass reproduction and in an “edition of one.” I honestly can’t imagine what would be of much interest there unless one was a cartoonist and wondered what sort of white-out I used.

I have, however, prepared a free sort of gallery guide for the show which tries to differentiate between the original drawings and the actual printed work, since the printed page is where the real art of it — if there’s any at all — resides; I guess it’s sort of like the difference between a manuscript of a musical composition, its published version, and then hearing a performance of the piece; in comics, the manuscript is the original drawing and the performance is the reader’s experience of reading the published book, despite how extremely pretentious this metaphor is.

SB: What do you think about the recent popularity of comics as art? For you, what is the connection between the two?

CW: Comics aren’t endemically art and cartoonists aren’t artists, but comics can be art and some cartoonists can be artists (just as a lot of painting isn’t art but something that made to be hung on a hotel wall.) I’m more than a little incredulous at what appears to be a genuine popularity of comics among more and more thoughtful readers, but I have to think that’s partly due to my generation having grown up reading them and partly due to more talented and serious cartoonists working and writing now than ever before. My stuff is
only one very small shard of the whole “iceberg,” and I think Houghton-Mifflin adding comics to their “Best American” series is evidence of that; I just guest-edited the most recent volume and I surprised even myself at the amount of really interesting and compassionate work that was done simply in the last year.

SB: One of the most intriguing elements in your work is the way it incorporates words and pictures, and sometimes says a lot more via images than via text. It leads the reader through the story but in a rather unconventional way. I guess I would just like you to talk a bit about your style, and maybe bring it back to your new work. Has it evolved? If so, how and why?

CW: Without devolving too much into my usual art-school nattering, I essentially write with pictures and I try to allow those pictures to not only organically suggest the flow of a story but also to suggest and draw out my own memories and experiences. Comics are essentially a language of abbreviated images that are intended to be read rather than seen (something like the difference between words being spoken versus being sung) though it’s also a language that allows for a very flexible approach, whether via more expressive or tentative drawings or much more internally-focused writing. I tend to work very flatly and banally, which is simply my choice; there’s no right way or wrong way to approach comics, just as there’s no right or wrong way to write. In terms of literature, what I’m most inspired by is what James Joyce accomplished with “Ulysses”; he was able to synaesthetically recreate with such perfect and poetic precision the layered, complicated experience of consciouness (i.e. simply what it feels like to “be alive”) that his writing can actually implant false memories or sensations in one’s own mind; on some level, I’d like my comics, however dumb they might be, to have some small sense of that
clarity, I guess.

08 Feb 2007

2007-02-08T16:18:00.000-06:00

The Bemis Center allows lovers — and art lovers — to celebrate the sappiest of holidays in the classiest of ways. This year, the Center mixed things up, deviating from the regular, themed auction viewers have become accustomed to and instead selecting a handful of artists to participate in a weeklong benefit art sale.

In the past, artists conformed their creativity to the Bemis Center’s template, creating heart-shaped pieces and, one year, clocks, said Rachel Ziegler, managing director of Bemis projects, This year’s show embraces the diversity of each artist’s approach.

Viewers can expect to see new work by Dana Damewood, Mary Day and Eliska Morsel-Greenspoon, she said. Other artists donated familiar works: Scott Blake will show his “Bar Code Marilyn”; Therman Statom will show mixed-media wall pieces. Other participating artists include Kenneth Adkins, Wanda Ewing, Jake Gillespie, Joey Lynch and Craig Roper. Curated by Assistant Director Jeremy Stern, the work in the show ranges in price from $200 to $7,000. The sale runs Feb. 6-14.

On Saturday, Feb. 10 the Bemis is throwing a salsa dance party and ultra lounge to celebrate. The night will include salsa dance lessons and music as well as house music. All proceeds from the sale go back to the Bemis Center’s Community Arts Outreach Program.

-- Last week the Bemis, in tandem with Alegent Health, unveiled the city’s newest public art project. The O! Public Art Project commissioned 22 Omaha artists to design three-dimensional, 6-foot-tall O! fiberglass sculptures. The unveiling announced the artists and the future sites of the sculptures, scattered around the city. The sculptures will be installed in May. Participating artists include Kenneth Adkins, Littleton Alston, Les Bruning, Jamie Burmeister, Santiago Cal, Gary Day in collaboration with Anna Monardo, Eddie Dominguez, Wanda Ewing, Renee and Bill Hoover, Leslie Iwai, Susan Knight, Matt Lowe, Joey Lynch, Deborah Masuoka, Yanna Ramaekers, Larry Roots, Craig Roper, Colin Smith, Therman Statom, Bart Vargas, Liz Vercruysse and Mary Zicafoose. For more information on the project, visit opublicartproject.org.

— Sarah Baker

Sketchbook is about artistry in Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs. We cover anything from new projects to calls for artists. Send information to sketchbook@thereader.com.

Encounters with Chris Ware: part one

2007-02-08T13:25:00.000-06:00

SARAH BAKER to chrisware

show details

9:24 am (4 hours ago)

Dear Chris: My name is Sarah Baker and I am the arts writer for the Omaha Reader. I'm doing a story about your show opening at the Sheldon in Lincoln. My deadline is next Monday. Dan Siedell provided me with your email address.

I know you generally do email interviews, and I wanted to write and see if it would be ok if I sent you a number of questions later this morning. Let me know at your earliest convenience.

Thank you in advance --

Sarah.

Chris Ware to me

show details
12:04 pm (1 hour ago)

Dear Ms. Baker,

I'm happy to do an email interview for your publication by Monday, of course. If you send me five questions I'll do my best to email you some sort of answers which you can use as you see fit, or just discard altogether. My many thanks again for your kind interest, and I wish you the very best!

Regards,

Chris W.

Bart Vargas, One Man's Trash, Bemis Underground

2007-02-07T16:10:00.000-06:00

By Sarah Baker

For Bart Vargas, the future lies inside a big, computer-key covered egg. At least that’s how he answered a little girl who asked him the most obvious question that comes to mind when looking at his large-scale work, “Nest,” the first piece that viewers see when entering his show, One Man’s Trash, at the Bemis Underground.

“She asked me what was inside the egg sitting in the nest and I paused for a minute,” he said. “I told her, ‘The future is in that egg.’ I don’t know if she got it, but she seemed satisfied.”

It’s an appropriate sentiment — viewers may not “get” all the work in Vargas’ show, but visually, they’ll more than likely leave satisfied.

In a way, the show is a survey of the work Vargas has done during the past few years. He focuses on a few key types: paintings, sculptural spheres, installations and his newest edition, dolls. He threw a few wild card elements into the show, which were the highlights for this viewer.

“Nest” is just what it sounds like — a giant nest of coiled keyboards, cordless phones, cables, wires and other old electronic junk that Vargas spent more than three years collecting. In the center sits a huge egg covered with discarded keyboard keys all in a muted shade of grayish white.

Vargas, who has been labeled an “eco-artist” and environmentalist, said his art doesn’t come from such lofty places. As a student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he was short on money and long on ideas, so he started dumpster diving, realizing that he could find just about anything he wanted in other people’s garbage.

“It didn’t start out to be noble,” he said, “It started out because it was economical.”
His honesty is refreshing, and his straightforward process makes his work easy to approach.

Sphere sculptures are scattered throughout the gallery and all have the same basic internal construction of chicken wire, inflatable toys and plastic soda bottles, Vargas said. One of his earliest works, called “The Sphere of Education,” looks like a basketball and is covered with soda bottles turned upside down, revealing the names of universities underneath. Another is made of socks, and a third has a shiny gold finish studded with staples. Newer spheres, “Nest Egg I” and “Nest Egg II,” have morphed into egg-like shapes and are covered with money photocopied in the negative.

The wall pieces come in a few different forms; some are woven pieces made of materials like sliced paintings, strips of fabric or nylon, and other found materials, like measuring tape. The majority, though, are paintings cut into multi-sided shapes and covered with repeating patterns of stars and circles, the two shapes that it’s fair to say drive much of Vargas’ work.

Vargas can talk about his work and explain what’s behind it well, but when things aren’t as easily explainable it gets interesting.

“Nuclear Winter” is one of the newest works in the show and it’s one that Vargas struggled with. Originally his thesis project, he abandoned the piece after deciding he didn’t like it, eventually creating “Nest” for his thesis.

The piece consists of 111 paintings, all the same shape — hexagons — but of varying thickness and sizes. A friend gave Vargas a bunch of paper snowflakes from a grocery store Christmas display and the artist used them as stencils. The resulting paintings, which he sees as an installation of one large piece, are intricately layered with stenciled flakes. The paint in some cases is carefully applied; in others, it was clearly sloshed, splattered or sprayed on. Approached as a whole, the piece is like visual candy. Even singularly, the works are a feast for the eyes.

The original installation featured wood backgrounds of varying sizes; when Vargas rethought the piece for this show, he unified the backgrounds, giving them all six sides — just like a snowflake.

The departure from Vargas’ normal focus on the minute is what makes this piece so intriguing. It’s the same sort of feeling that surrounds his newly made dolls, which are creepily engaging and, in some cases, just plain creepy.

Vargas still relies on trash as his medium of choice, and though he does buy paint and selected other materials, he still makes dumpster diving a regular habit.

“I take advantage of other people’s consumption,” Vargas said. “There is no mythological place that we throw things called ‘away.’ I take that stuff and I try to make an art career out of it.”

One Man’s Trash continues at the Bemis Underground, 12th and Leavenworth, through Feb. 24. Vargas will give a gallery talk each Saturday at 1 p.m. For more information, visit bemisunderground.org.

1 Feb 2007

2007-02-07T16:06:00.001-06:00

-- The Nebraska Arts Council is renaming its downtown gallery after retiring NAC Board Chairman Fred Simon. The Fred Simon Gallery, formerly known as the Showcase Gallery, will be dedicated with a celebration of Simon and his achievements Feb. 7 at 9 a.m. A lifelong Omahan, Simon graduated from Central High in 1955 and earned a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania in 1959. He started working for Omaha Steaks in 1959 and became the Vice President of Sales in 1965. In 1970, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of the corporation. Simon is actively involved in the arts, active with the Omaha Symphony, Joslyn Art Musuem, the Opera Omaha Foundation and El Museo Latino. The gallery is currently showing the work of ceramist Al Holden and photographer Dana Fritz through March 2.

-- The Council recently announced a project to be installed at Shadow Lake Towne Center in Papillion. The project, “The Lifestyle Center Median Sculpture,” seeks proposals from artists to create a removable sculpture for a center median within the 114-acre development. The budget for the project is $75,000 and the deadline is Feb. 5. For more information, contact Korey Sculz, project architect, at 816.842.8844 or kschulz@ohhkc.com.

-- Three Bemis Center residents take the stage this week at February’s First Thursday Art Talk. Homare Ikeda’s work explores the life cycle in microcosm. Lines and seed-like forms are used in his playful drawings, evoking innocent yet complex notions of the universe. Sculptor and installation artist Nadya Volicer’s work reflects her New England heritage, playing with themes of home, memory, movement and the influence of architecture. Peat Duggins’ new work focuses on the creation of an imaginary community called Hickory Ridge. The project explores personal, social, spiritual and political identity of 21st-century America. The free talk is Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.

Sketchbook is about artistry in Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs. We cover anything from new projects to calls for artists. Send information to sketchbook@thereader.com.