The OC Art Blog

"Veronica" 09/24/09 reception & Open call to text Artists @ Pitzer College

So while at the In Love With Night exhibition curator Ciara Ennis gave me the scoop on her upcoming group exhibition titled Veronica at Pitzer Art Gallery, Pitzer College.  Does she sleep?   For full detailed info regarding gallery hours and directions just click on the link above.

Here is the low-down for another brilliant exhibition and open call to text artists:

Rheim Alkadhi, Mathilde ter Heijne, Nadine Hottenrott, Karen Lofgren, Shana Lutker, Jeni Spota, Carrie Yury and Joy Whalen

Nichols Gallery, Pitzer Art Galleries

September 24 — December 11, 2009

Opening Reception: September 24th, 5 — 8 PM 2009

Veronica draws together an all-woman cast of artists from the United States, Germany and The Netherlands whose works involve an examination of their cultural guideposts. Inspired by the myth of Saint Veronica—who mopped Jesus’s brow on the road to Golgotha resulting in an imprint of his face on her veil––the artists attempt to cleanse and update existing stereotypes and the icons that support them. Like Veronica, who committed a brave and selfless act, these artists have created courageous works that tackle gender, politics, religion and identity issues while freely indulging in the familiar tropes and rituals of ancient myth and magic. The result is a collection of visually compelling works that beguile with formal invention and persuade with thematic wit.

Emerging Artist Series #3

Nuttaphol Ma

This Land is Your Land

Lenzner Family Art Gallery, Pitzer Art Galleries

September 24 – November 20, 2009

Opening Reception: September 24th, 5 — 8 PM 2009

In the third installment of Pitzer’s Emerging Artist Series, Thai-born, Los Angeles based artist Nuttaphol Ma combines references to Manzanar—an abandoned Japanese relocation camp at the base of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range—with Woody Guthrie's missing lyrics from "This Land Is Your Land." Ma’s site-specific installation explores issues of displacement, migration and survival and asks whether "This Land Is Your Land" is still relevant to today’s new immigrants.

This Land is Your Land is co-organized with the 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica.

Launch: Writ Large

Open call for Text Artists

Pitzer Art Galleries announce the launch of Writ large a new exhibition project site for text work. Writ Large invites artists working with text to produce a temporary site-specific work for the curved wall of an interior staircase connecting the first and second floors of the Nichols Gallery. The wall is viewable from the main and balcony galleries yet occupies a distinct space all its own. Measuring 15 feet high by 10 feet wide the work will remain on view for 4 months. Each project will have its own announcement card, be celebrated by a reception for the artist(s), and will be featured on Pitzer Art Galleries website.

Information about submitting work:

Open call for text artists

Pitzer Art Galleries announce the launch of Writ Large a new exhibition project site for text work. Writ Largeinvites artists working with text to produce a temporary site-specific work for the curved wall of an interior staircase connecting the first and second floors of the Nichols Gallery. The wall is viewable from the main and balcony galleries yet occupies a distinct space all its own. Measuring 15 feet high by 10 feet wide the work will remain on view for 4 months. Each project will have its own announcement card, be celebrated by a reception for the artist(s), and will be featured on Pitzer Art Galleries website.

Project Specifications
There are no thematic or subject restraints. The individual letterforms should be no larger than 6 inches high and a maximum of 400 characters. The text should be designed with one color in mind. The Illustrator file with all fonts embedded should be sent to art_galleries@pitzer.edu. All work will be installed by Pitzer Art Galleries staff.

Yes, that's right. The exhibition will feature one of my favorite local artists Carrie Yury!!

So get those text entries rolling and hope you can make it out for the show- you can even pick-up a catalogue while you are there.

Thanks,

Joanna

Good News! The OsCene is Coming Back in 2010 @ LAM

 Laguna Art Museum is currently accepting submissions from Orange County and Long Beach artists working in all media for an upcoming exhibition scheduled for February 20 – May 16, 2010.

OsCene is a survey exhibition drawn from artists working in all media including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, multi-media installations, video, architecture, performance, and design.

The survey will focus on artists based in Orange County and Long Beach. However, artists who have an ongoing presence within the county, but may not live in the region and commute, are encouraged to submit, such as employees, university faculty, and students (university seniors, or graduate students are welcome). Work produced within the last two years will be considered.

OsCene 2004 was the first survey of Orange County artists in over 20 years. The Museum received over 400 submissions. Curators from Laguna Art Museum conducted nearly 100 studio visits and then 40 artists were selected. Each OsCene will have a different emphasis. OsCene 2010 will be curated by Grace Kook-Anderson, curator of exhibitions at Laguna Art Museum.

Please Submit the following:

1) Resume

2) Artist statement

3) Materials in any format that best presents your work such as print outs, CDs, or DVDs

4) A S.A.S.E. with enough postage for the return of materials

Laguna Art Museum
Attention: Grace Kook-Anderson
307 Cliff Drive
Laguna Beach, CA  92651

DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL WORK as the Museum cannot be responsible for its safe return.

Deadline for submissions:  Monday, September 28, 2009 at 12:00 p.m.

For questions or more information, please email gkook-anderson@lagunaartmuseum.org.

Soundwalk 2009 Deadline Approaching

Two weeks remain to submit to the sixth Annual SoundWalk event to be held in Long Beach CA on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Please visit www.soundwalk.org for submission requirements and further information. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, July 1st, 2009. Get on it folks.

OCMA Auction

OCMA's annual auction is coming up on March 28th but you can start bidding on the work now. Head over to their auction site and take a look. It would seem that they decided to offer fewer works that have larger price tags. I hope that works out for them. If you would like to attend the event tickets can be yours for $200 (member price).

Above & Below @ The Box

Details Here

GCAC 10 Year Anniversary/ Steve Jones' Love Letter to GCAC

 Steve Jones the Chairman of the GCAC's Art Forum board took a moment to write a love letter to GCAC and pretty much nails it. This Saturday night Grand Central Art Center will be celebrating 10 years of groundbreaking shows as part of the First Saturday Art Walk. There will be bands, food and art. Not to be missed.

The schedule for Saturday's events are as follows:

12-3pm KICK OFF EVENT
-Special Guest speakers Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and
Cal State Fullerton President Milton Gordon
-Printmaking Demos by Watermark Printmaking Press
-Facility and Gallery Tours
-Music by CSUF String Quartet and jazz band Trio Sangha
-Flamenco Dance Performance lead by Claudia de la Cruz
-Food catered by Memphis Cafe

4-7pm SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
-Facility and Gallery Tours with founding Director Andrea Harris-McGee

BAND SCHEDULE (OUTDOOR STAGE)
4:00pm Gantez Warrior
4:45pm Oh, The Spanish Moss
5:45pm The New Limb
6:30pm Will Crum
7:15 pm DJ Slippy
8:00pm Peanut
9:00pm Big Skin: Michael Knowlton Duo

7-10pm FIRST SATURDAY ARTWALK AND OPENING RECEPTION
-Continuing 10th Anniversary Celebration with cake and refreshments
-Music by Big Skin: Michael Knowlton Duo
-Music by favorite local band Peanut

I hope you can all make it out to Santa Ana this Saturday to help celebrate one of our true cultural jewels here in Orange County.

Little Pharma Meditation Workshop

The OC Art Blog's very own Chris Hoff led a meditation workshop for Finishing School's exhibition Little Pharma Physic Garden this past Saturday at Fringe in Chinatown. Chris gave a short lecture then led everyone into a 20-minute meditation. I have to say that Chris was a great teacher. Incredibly knowledgable from all of his years as a practitioner. Even though I was raised a Buddhist, I've gotten away from practicing meditation for so long. Life tends to pull you in different directions. But I was reminded by Chris this weekend what benefits meditation can have on your life and your mental health. Thank you, Chris!

--James

Engagement Party

This Thursday night is Engagement Party at MOCA. Finishing School kicks off our three-month residency at the museum with Executive Order Karaoke.

Featuring special guest host Tammy Tomahawk , Executive Order Karaoke is a public action in which participants are invited to sing their favorite mixes of George W. Bush’s executive orders to popular music. The evening will be filled with special guests, games, and prizes.

Engagement Party is a dynamic new initiative developed to engage innovative Los Angeles-based artist collectives. Over a three-year period beginning in October 2008, selected groups will participate in three-month residencies during which they will present a public program at MOCA Grand Avenue on the first Thursday of each month from 7 to 10pm. The goal of Engagement Party is to involve new artists and new audiences while reiterating MOCA’s commitment to imaginative critical analyses of contemporary art in Los Angeles. Made possible by a major Artistic Innovation Fund grant from The James Irvine Foundation, MOCA’s Engagement Party will host 12 artist collectives over the next three years.

Executive Order Karaoke will happen on Thursday, October 2, 7-10pm at MOCA Grand Avenue, Sculpture Plaza

Come join us and sing some karaoke. Remember, we're judging the entire night and giving out prizes. So bring it! As they say.

--James

Animal Magnetism @ OCCCA

While you're doing the artwalk this Saturday, check out this group exhibition at OCCCA. I'll probably be hanging out there most of the night since my friend Juan Thorp is included in the show.

Animals, real and imaginary. We fear them, pamper them, tame them, trap them, eat them, lobby on their behalf, experiment on them, strut them as status symbols, and exterminate them. How do contemporary artists represent them?

From the caves of Lascaux, to the halls of the Louvre, there is no escaping them. With their long pedigree in the history of art, they prowl the great museums of the world. And today, animals leap from the work of contemporary artists, symbolically expressing their ideas and emotions. OCCCA's terrific exhibition space will showcase a menagerie of superb examples of this trend, from the traditional to the avant-garde, from the realistic to the fantastic, in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and new media

--James

From Similar Origins to Remarkable Visions @ Cal State Fullerton

Before you head out to Santa Ana this Saturday, how about swinging by the Cal State Fullerton campus to check out this exhibition? It will be up in the main gallery.

Here's the info:

From Similar Origins to Remarkable Visions: An Exhibition of Eight Alumni
September 2 – October 3, 2008
Reception: Saturday, September 6, 5-8 p.m.
Forty-five paintings and drawings by Cal State Fullerton art alumni: Karen Brown, Deborah Davidson, Jeff Gillette, David Michael Lee, James Lorigan, Ann Phong, Max Presneill and Emigdio Vasquez

--James