CricketToes

Chipstone Encourages Artists/Museumgoers To Say "What A Tool"

Last March, Milwaukee's own decorative arts foundation, Chipstone, issued a challenge to a cadre of established artists in the UK and the US: Take a peek into your box o' creative instruments, choose one that grabs your usually splintered attention and make a work of art using just that one gadget. In addition, the artisans must shoot a video documenting their process and explaining to the rest of us just how easy/difficult it was to accomplish this formidable mission.

The means by which the artists were invited to participate in this project and subsequent exhibition curated by Ethan Lasser at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) was through visual demonstration—a sweet short video by filmmaker Nicola Probert:

 

Okay, first of all, I absolutely love the fact that there are missing pixels in the footage—a quirky problem common among older cameras—which can be clearly seen in the shots taken prior to the lens cap being removed. Second of all, it is truly amazing that the camera continues to shoot so far into the dismantling process, clearly telling us all that there can still be life in something that's had its attractive outer skin stripped. Third of all, Probert's haphazard manicure—at the beginning of the video one hand has chipped red polish and the other blue—shows us her punky little hands, proving that she's a full-on artist who's completely immersed in the task and isn't aiming for a shallow yet far more lucrative gig as a hand model.

In the end, sixteen artists accepted Chipstone's invitation to participate in the The Tool at Hand and their works + videos are on display in the Decorative Arts Gallery at MAM, starting today and running through April 1, 2012. To get you more than interested, view some of the artist's videos here.

If you happen to be free tonight and you're looking to cram some learnin' into your brain, there's a gallery talk at 6:15PM. Also, they've scheduled a super fun event called Tool Weekend from March 16-18, complete with artist talks, demonstrations, competitions, and performances, giving you the opportunity to express en masse what's sure to become the exhibit's catchphrase, "What a tool."

(Thanks, Claudia!)

Related:
Meta-Craft At MAM: Welcome To The Future!
Breaking: Green Lives In Winter

Gallery Night Goes Internationally Local

Many, many moons ago I was fortunate to work for a small company that coordinates language and culture programs for folks who want to learn more about other folks who populate our tiny blue planet. My employment there lasted six and a half years--an unprecedented length up to that point in my life, so you know it was worth it. This company was and still is called the National Registration Center for Study Abroad (NRCSA), located right here in our fair Miltown.

At the time of my congenial departure, NRCSA had a limited number of programs combining language with serious art study, which were available only in a few countries. Now, though, they've got a sizable number of these programs located in eight different countries, including Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Mexico, Italy, and Spain. Wouldn't ya know it, I turn my back for just a second--well, eight years really--and they decide to build-up a ginormous array of awesome language + artsy programs. Good for them!

In celebration of this, the super intelligent people of NRCSA will be hosting their very first art exhibit tonight--a.k.a. Gallery Night--at their digs in the Marshall Building, 207 East Buffalo Street, Suite 610, in the Third Ward. Hooray!

On view will be the work of Dr. Lucy Yu--a painter originally from Shanghai, China--Nick Bowers--who studied glassblowing in Canada--ten Milwaukee area students--veterans of a lithography study trip across Mexico this past August--and a variety of Peruvian art, including textiles, wood, ceramics and instruments.

As Program Coordinator and my old comrade Sarah Damonte Vegas informed me in a recent email,

"When we first discussed hosting an event one thing was clear--it had to be 'international'. Now, defining that took a while! In the end we decided that it meant inviting artists currently living in the Milwaukee area who:
1) are from another country and whose art is highly influenced by their birth country
2) specialize in an international art form (typical art from a certain country, region or culture, not common in US)
or
3) studied/lived abroad and now create/focus on art form learned abroad.

We cast the net far and wide and selected the above four because they represented foreign born artists, local folk influenced by travel and art and artists that studied their art form abroad."

Now that's what we call internationally local!

NRCSA plans on hosting many more of these exhibitions in the future, but I know you're the type who wants to be in on the action right from the get-go. How do I know that? You read this here blog, that's how! So stop on by Suite 610 at 207 East Buffalo Street tonight from 5-9PM and enjoy your in-the-exclusive-loop status.

(Thanks, Sarah!)

Artifacts On The Radio

The very fine and upstanding folks at WMSE 91.7 FM here in Milwaukee will be airing a LIVE interview with yours truly on Monday, October 17, at 5PM CT (6PM ET / 3PM PT). The Topic: Artifacts. Hooray!

If you live in the Miltown area, tune your old-fashioned radios to 91.7 FM at the designated time.

In addition, those living throughout the land--and indeed the world--may tune in for the live stream at their website. They also keep a fancy archive at the same site for those of you unable to tune in at the exact moment of liveness.

If you haven't yet bought your copy of Artifacts, go to artifactsnovel.com right now. For those a little tight in the wallet these days, feel free to download the free PDF, available for a limited a time.

Thanks to all for your support!

Artifacts Novel Is Here!

My debut novel Artifacts is on sale at artifactsnovel.com right now. Yippee!

You may also download the free PDF version of the entire novel at the site for a limited time.

Get your copy and claim your I-read-it-first-baby boasting rights today!

Artifacts Novel Coming September 29, 2011!

Howdy to all you regular CricketToes readers and to you others who, through some form of crazy serendipity, have stumbled upon this here bloggity blog!

I write this post filled with much excitement as today I announce that my debut novel, Artifacts, has been officially published and will be available for purchase on Thursday, September 29, 2011, exclusively at artifactsnovel.com. Whoot and Hooray!

I'm not gonna lie to ya kids, the writing of this tome has been a long haul, marked by both joy and struggle, but anything worth doin' has got a healthy proportion of both, right? Right on!

While you wait, no doubt with bated breath and butterflies of anticipation, feel free to check out the site where you'll be able to buy the paperback and, for a limited time, download a free PDF next Thursday.

To everyone who supported me during the creation of this work--especially my equal half Kevin--I offer my sincere and deep gratitude.

Now click on over to artifactsnovel.com!

Comix & Music: Now That's A Weekend!

Here's a little scenario I've no doubt you've suffered through before: You're standing in a gallery space, completely immersed in an awesome exhibit of finely crafted comix--only losers spell it the old-fashioned way and you, my friend, are no loser--when it suddenly dawns on you that the only way this stupendous experience could possibly be even more noodle-exploding is if there was live music. You look around, listen hard and hear only the largely non-musical jabberings of other human beings. We've all been there, people, and it hurts--it hurts bad.

Well, good news, kids! Woodland Pattern Book Center will save us from such pain and agony this weekend with two exciting events happening simultaneously: Hal Rammel's Comix & Cartoons and the 3rd Annual Music Marathon & Benefit for Alternating Currents Live--Whoot and Hooray!

First up is Mr. Rammel's exhibit Comix & Cartoons in the Woodland Pattern Gallery. "What?!" I hear you cry. "Hal Rammel draws comix and cartoons? But isn't it enough that he's the experimental music guru of all of Miltown and points beyond, creating his own compositions and sharing those of others on his Alternating Currents show that airs on WMSE 91.7 FM every Sunday from 6-9PM?" The answer to that fair if overly wordy question is "Yes, he does and, no, it is not enough." Ya see, when you've got a fantastically active brain like Hal's, you've always got to keep it moving or else. Don't know what the "or else" might be, but let's not dwell on that, 'kay? 'Kay.

While it may be news to some, Hal's been puttin' ink to paper for a mighty long time, and this exhibit will display 30 years of his work, including new drawings and cartoons. There's an artist's reception on Thursday--the night that the cool kids know actually starts the weekend--August 18, beginning at 6PM, with live music--you heard me--supplied by guitarist Chris Rosenau at 7PM. The exhibit runs to September 25, 2011.

Okay, so in that same gallery space on Saturday, August 20, the 3rd Annual Music Marathon & Benefit for Alternating Currents Live will kickoff at 1PM and continue on until you keel over in utter amazement at all the talent harbored in our fair city or 9PM, whichever comes first. So far, the line-up's looking pretty sweet, with a few of our local favs, like Steve Nelson-Raney in the 3PM slot, John Muther at 4PM and our bud Dan Schierl--a.k.a. Dan of Earth--in the 8PM hour.

There's room for more musicians, folks, so if you'd like to strut/strum/blow/pluck/tap/bang your stuff in front of a live audience--let's keep it clean, people--and help raise funds for the outstanding Alternating Currents Live series hosted by Woodland Pattern, call 414-263-5001 to sign up! Artists get 10 minutes to perform, and 5 minutes for set-up. Also, ya gotta raise at least $25.00 in pledges, but you can do that in your sleep.

Phew! It's hard to believe that these two wondrous events will be happening in the exact same place in one weekend, isn't it? And yet it is true. Should you doubt my word, I can only advise that you find out for yourself by going to 720 East Locust Street for both and, in the process, renew your faith in a weekend well spent.

(Thanks Hal!)

Milwaukee Soundscapes: A Smorgasbord Of Aural Art

While nearly everyone and their uncle/aunt/pet of choice are readying themselves for this weekend's quarterly madness known as Gallery Night and Day, the curious and lucky students who enrolled in the Milwaukee Soundscapes summer Humanities course at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) are preparing to show the world the results of their intellectual, aural inquiry tonight at the Urban Ecology Center, getting a whole day's jump on the rest of the artsy crowd--so there!

Led by Thomas Gaudynski, their teacher and our compatriot in sound exploration, the students will be presenting their conclusions and non-conclusions gleaned from a whole summer semester spent in the deep state of active listening 'round our fair city.

As Thomas told me in a recent email:

"So the drive was to have students understand why the soundscape, in different places, inside and outside, sounds the way it does, rather than telling them or having the read Murray Schafer's great text The Soundscape. For the first six class periods we took soundwalks… from these initial experiences, they discovered what keynote sounds were… [t]hey identified Hi-Fi or Lo-Fi environments… they grappled with the cultural and design reasons for these characteristics… [and] they experienced the vastness of soundscapes such as Lake Shore State Park versus the close experience of Riverside Park where on a path you can hear insects, birds, and the rustling of leaves.

What they are going to present on Thursday are some general observations; some readings from their journals; a poetic (literary, visual, informational, and music) response to the sounds of the past inspired by the Faith Family Festa exhibit at the Historical Society; direct observations about traveling on the Milwaukee River; some interactive soundmaps created in google maps (specifically a Sound-Skate map by Sean Weber detailing skateboarding in the Third and Fifth Ward; a Romantic soundmap of the Third Ward by Brett Pearson suggesting places to take your partner for a good listen; and a Shopping SPREE soundmap by Lydia Yang where you can listen as you shop in the Third Ward). These maps where all chosen as best by the students as a group. Finally, three art or design soundscape proposals; again chosen by consensus."

Holy smorgasbord of super cool, sound-based art! Not only that, it's free for you to enjoy! A modest donation to the Urban Ecology Center is highly encouraged and appreciated.

Student creators of the show are Valerie Davis, Brennan Goodwin, Vedale Hill, Maxwell Morein, Brittany Patz, Brett Pearson, Alec Schuppel, Katherine Walton-Myers, Sean Weber, Julie Xiong, and Lydia Yang.

So, where ya gonna go tonight to kick-off your art filled weekend early? The Milwaukee Soundscapes show at the Urban Ecology Center in Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee, that's where! It all starts at 6PM sharp.

(Thanks Thomas!)

Haggerty Museum Takes It To The Streets

For decades, super smart folks have been telling traditional artsy institutions that they should pack up their old kitbag and take art out into the streets instead of passively waiting for the peeps to come to them. This very thoughtful advice has most often been met with the enthusiastic verbal response, "Say, that's a swell idea!" only to be quickly succeeded by a frustrating let's-just-go-ahead-and-do-nothing silence.

Thankfully not all artsy establishments remain inactive and mute, making the oh-so right decision that the effort to bring art to the world outside their walls is actually a mighty good thing for everyone. To wit, the Haggerty Museum at Marquette University, along with the Avenues West Association, is currently presenting the Crossroads exhibition at the corner of 27th and Wells Streets in Milwaukee. Whoot!

Lynne Shumow, the Haggerty's Curator of Education, informed me in a phone conversation last week that the impetus for this exhibition was sparked by a project organized a decade ago. At that time, she and Andrew Parker--then of West End Development Corp and now the co-owner of Manderley B&B at 3026 West Wells Street--partnered up to showcase the work of eleven artists in a building designated for rehab at 27th and State. The one-night exhibition drew over 1000 people, by her estimation, and stirred up genuine excitement and a we're-all-in-this-together attitude in the neighborhood.

Fast forward to the present day, and Shumow and Parker are at it again with Crossroads. Comprised of temporary window installations created by four extremely talented and diverse Wisconsin artisans--Hans Gindlesberger, Rafael Francisco Salas, Michael Velliquette, and Rina Yoon--the exhibit is up now where the Concordia and Avenues West Districts meet and will stay up through July 30.

As the Haggerty's exhibition description states, "Crossroads aims to strengthen community pride and increase the visibility and viability of the neighborhood. The themes of the window installations reflect the project’s urban location, focusing on neighborhood, reinvention and revitalization." Impressively enough, no grant money was secured for this exhibition and yet funds were still successfully raised to pay the artists, proving once again that worthy work will always receive the support it needs, you just have to ask.

Shumow told me that there are no specific plans for exhibits of this kind in the future, but I would like to heartily encourage the Haggerty to keep bringin' the awesomeness of relevant art into the community and make the suggestion to other art institutions that they do the same. People don't care about things they're unfamiliar with, so bring the best of what ya got to them and the care will follow.

As an addendum to Crossroads, there will be a group exhibition of work by the four artists at the SoHi building on the southeast corner of 27th and Wells on Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30--that's Gallery Night and Day for those of you keeping track.

(Thanks Lynne!)

Express Your Support For Miltown's Artsy Youth

The desire to express oneself artistically has been well documented throughout the cosmic blip that is human history. The drive to do so emanates from the need to make sense of our specific reality and communicate it to others, therefore expanding the understanding of the vastness of human experience.

For the young among us, this hankerin' to be heard and seen through creative means is so strong it completely blows away any other urge they may have bubbling away in the volatile volcanoes of their hearts, not to mention other body parts--hehe! And don't tell me that ya don't remember those days 'cause somebody somewhere has got ample evidence of your tween and teen explosions, 'kay?

As a subset of the pre-adult crowd, at-risk youth have all the more the reason to get their art on. Why? Because, as we all know, the creative process strengthens the ability to comprehend and articulate individual circumstance and come to terms with painful experience, which is in no short supply for many. Also, they just can't help it, so why not, huh?

Express Yourself Milwaukee is acutely aware of this need in our city, working tirelessly to help the youngins release the pressures of an often mad world through artistic venting. And tonight it will present the Annual Multi-Arts Show, featuring a whole gaggle of artsy kids eager to tell the world who they are and how they roll. Best part about it is that you're all invited. Whoot!

This year's theme, PULSE, is a one-word descriptor of life and the program is set show off the visual art, music, dancing, spoken word, and video work of young talents from 8th Street School, Our Next Generation, Westside Academy, Running Rebels Community Organization, and St. Aemilian-Lakeside with representation from the Milwaukee County Juvenile Detention Center.

So get yourself on over to the Humphrey Scottish Rite Center, 790 N. Van Buren Street, at 6PM sharp tonight to witness the creative PULSE of Milwaukee's youth. It's free and open to everyone, but we encourage all to chip in at least the $10 suggested donation.

Link (Thanks, Daisy and Mary Beth!)

Related:
Help The Kids Earn Some Cash/Make Art

Cream City Foundation Wants To Make You A Philanthropist

When most of us come across the multisyllabic descriptor "philanthropist" in our daily info gathering we don't think, "Hey, they're talking about me!" No, what we think is, "Oh, Warren Buffett/Bill and Melinda Gates/some random member of the Top 1% Crowd is gonna give away some serious kablingy." This spontaneous response couldn't be further off the mark, however, as each and every time we dig into our tiny pockets to benefit a worthy cause we become just as fancy but nowhere near as annoying as that Richie Rich kid from the old-timey comics--youngsters should go here for intel on that geekishly obscure reference.

Truly, the opportunities for us to morph into Philanthropists with a capital "P" are as numerous as there are deserving organizations and projects, making it a definite challenge to choose which we should back with our very hard earned dough. Today, though, I'm gonna make your decision so easy your money giving puzzler won't know what hit it.

So what meritorious cause raises my confidence level so high that I'm convinced there's no possible way you can resist? Why the Cream City Foundation's Art & Philanthropy: Caribbean Style event, scheduled to take place next Thursday in Milwaukee, that's what!

Organized to benefit CCF's Arts and Culture Fund, the happening will feature a silent art auction, with work by Ron Kosok, Pete Stolowski and Elizabeth Brown up on the block. Also, dance instructor Melissa Dexter will provide free, hot salsa dance lessons to anyone brave enough to strut their stuff in public and Women's Voices Milwaukee plan to perform as well.

Tickets can be purchased for a little as $25 and ya'll got at least that sittin' idle in your penny jar. Ambitious folks aiming to make a greenback splash can ante up more and have their name officially changed to that of a famous/infamous artist, like the stunningly talented Mexican painter Frida Kahlo--patron saint of the beautiful unibrow.

CCF is an outstanding and invaluable organization that works for social change on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. From its Gay Neighbor initiative to its tireless efforts to eliminate homelessness among LGBT youth, CCF makes Miltown and Southeastern Wisconsin a better, fairer and more compassionate place to live for all us.

Okay, so get yourself over to the Art & Philanthropy: Caribbean Style event on Thursday, March 31, 2011, from 6-9PM at the home of the mighty generous Andy Nunemaker. If anyone asks what you do while you're hobnobbin' at the party, you can loudly and proudly say, "I'm a Philanthropist."

(Thanks, Maria and Charles!)

Related:
Who Are the Gay Folks in Your Neighborhood? The People that You Meet Each Day!
Hey, I Know that Gay Guy--He's My Neighbor!