Show Openings in Chelsea

The last time I was in Chelsea for an afternoon of art I came home tired and discouraged. I saw work that seemed shallow, forced, redundant and you could add a long string of disappointed adjectives to continue the thought. I wasn't inspired to go back until a friend of mine that I used to share the opposite side of a studio wall with had her first solo show opening at Robert Steele Gallery this past Thursday. It was a lovely opening characterized by many friends, acquaintances, colleagues and new connections coming to support Michelle. The work looks finished, it has humor and introspection, a rich pallet of texture, color and varied composition and in short, belongs in a gallery

Now, of course I'm biased by seeing Michelle's work progress and being friends. But, there was also a different air to the evening that greatly contrasted to the spaces I visited the last time and I left feeling like thoughtful art-making really can have a home in Chelsea.

The Paper Bride is Here!

About a year and a half ago Esther K. Smith contacted me through a friend of a friend of someone I was in a show with a few years ago. Esther was going to be writing a book about wedding crafts made completely out of paper and she was looking for someone who could make a paper wedding dress. She inquired if I had one, indeed I did, but as we talked it became obvious that a new dress would need to be made. Jump forward a few months later, countless different designs, at least 12 glue sticks and multiple months of the New York Times Magazine and voilà the paper wedding gown! The dress is made completely out of magazine and newspaper and is secured with glue and a velcro fastener. No sewing machine required! The book is now on sale through Esther's website, Amazon, the publisher's site and I'm sure various other book sites. You can see the full gown on page 82 and a write up on page 91.

If you can't beat them, join 'em.

Here begins my first steps into the world of blogging. I got schooled by a P.R. person at a recent professional development session for artists about not having a blog nor Facebook account. So, in an effort to step up the communication I did the unthinkable and joined Facebook and now I'm taking on the new identity as a blogger. A new year has begun and I am hoping that these small steps will bring me and my work into a new season.

One of the projects I will be periodically be writing on is the progress of a Queens Community Arts Fund grant I received through the Queens Council on the Arts. The award ceremony is next Thursday and I have to complete my project by the end of 2010. I'll add more details as they get solidified but basically I will be working with the community around the Queens Botanical Garden to collect materials and dress three new torsos. There will be some public workshop events and then the pieces will be on display at the garden.