WonderRoot CSA Project-yay commission time!

I haven't had a chance to write much about this, except in the brief timeline I posted yesterday but here's some more information about this project.  I was invited by WonderRoot to participate in their CSA, or Community Supported Art.

Here's how they explain it:

"What is the WonderRoot CSA? The WonderRoot CSA (Community Supported Art) is a new model for selling and purchasing artwork, adapted from the traditional agricultural CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).


What is the purpose? The WonderRoot CSA seeks to: a) cultivate a culture of art collecting for the local arts economy and b) support Atlanta artists by commissioning them to create work


Why did we create it? WonderRoot invites art curious individuals and seasoned collectors to invest in the local arts economy by purchasing a share to Atlanta’s first ever art-based CSA, The WonderRoot CSA. By investing in local artists, customers are helping to keep local talent in Atlanta, as well as claiming their share of our city’s most gifted creators. Artist contributors are able to immediately grow their collector-base to 50 individuals, in addition to a guaranteed commission before any work is ever created. The exposure to WonderRoot’s audience throughout metro Atlanta creates even more opportunity for participating artists to develop interested buyers.


How does it work?- 50 shares available to the public at $300/share
- Commission of 9 artists to create 50 works each
- Quarterly (total of 3) delivery of “art box” with 3 works within each delivery
- A “release party” coincides with each delivery with attendees as artists and shareholders"

Here's the really neat infograph they made (click to make it big):

Here's all the other artists participating (so neat, websites are linked):
Bethany Collins, Wret Rausaw, Henry Detweiler, Michi Meko, Patricia Patterson, Noble Beast, Jill Frank and Nick Madden
And here's the video of me talking about why I am excited to be participating in the project:

Finally, Floyd Hall, of WonderRoot, did a podcast interview with me.  I mostly meander about my moving around as a lot as a kid, my family, and my work with domestic violence victims but I also talk a little bit about the CSA.  Here's the link:
http://wonderroot.podomatic.com/entry/2013-01-03T18_47_50-08_00

I'm super excited about the work, and in fact finishing it all up this week and weekend to be hand delivered on the 15th!

Here are some other articles/blogs announcing and talking about the project:
http://crusadeforart.com/wonderroots-csa-for-art-um-yes-please/
http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2012/12/20/wonderroot-announces-csa-style-art-subscription
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/a-csa-for-art-wonderroot-tries-a-new-idea

Update for the new year!

So the next three to four months is going to be intense and since I'ave already started getting busy I haven't had time to properly update in a long time and there is so much to share!  In the midst of the following, I am additionally trying to get a proper website set up, better documentation of my work, and the other things that happen from day to day (day job is picking up speed, moving, etc).

But in any case, here's a quick breakdown of my upcoming projects:

January 15th-WonderRoot CSA project Due
This is WonderRoot's new program which features 9 artists they selected viz committee. Each artist is paid $1000 to produce 50 pieces f work for boxes that will be released three times a year (I'm in the first box and there are 3 artists in each box). People who subscribed paid $300 for a set and will get 9 pieces of art from local Atlanta artists! I'm doing 10 unique prints, each an edition of 5 for 50 pieces-work based on stories of Domestic Violence Survivors.
http://www.wonderroot.org/csa/

January 17th-Mass Transit Muse Workshop
Michael Molina, who I worked with on the Elevate project, has been working on this production called Mass Transit muse which uses storytelling, petry, singing, dancing, and visual elements to tell the story of a young man returning home and exploring the city he grew up in, particularly the people who inhabit it. It's really quite amazing and I've been asked to design the sets and other visual elements for the production. On the 17th at 7:30 at seven stages we have the workshop to invite possible producers, funders, and others for feedback and information about the project. The actual run of the show is to be in the late winter/early spring of 2014.
http://www.momolina.com/

February 15th-WonderRoot and boys and Girls Club of America Project-75 blue doors
25 artists will each design/paint/art the back of three blue doors based on interviews with youth from the boys and girls club of America. It's to honor the 75th year of the organization and the doors will be installed throughout the city in the month of April. the intveriws start in February, the doors are due March 15th
http://www.75bluedoors.com/

March 30th-BEEP BEEP GALLERY SOLO SHOW
This is the big one! Ha ha, my solo show at beep beep. I'm still exploring a lot of ideas but I'll be working hard the month of February to get to near completion on new work so that I can do Studio visits and get enough feedback and exploration done to produce a really awesome show. Scary but exciting. I'm bringing Mom down from Michigan and Alec and Jessie up from Savannah for this.

From Beep Beep's Preview of 2013 shows!

Ongoing:
Mural project in Athens at New Earth Music Hall
Adrian, who is the director I think, asked me to work on a mural on the wall of this building. He's looking to have it be an arts center, I think similar to WonderRoot. He has great ideas and has given me free reign of the 140 ft wall, with a longer term goal of getting it done. Exciting stuff and I'm hoping to enlist some of my other artsy friends to help complete it.

Commissions
I'm still working on a commission that keeps getting pushed back for Tamara's friends. It's a portrait commission and another of Tamara's friends has said they want one too.

That's the major stuff! I'm also entering into a few shows and contests and the like but its hard to keep it all wrapped up in my head. I have a huge calendar at the studio that's helping me keep track these days.

CL Press about "Your Knot" and Community Conversation

Partially for my reference bute here's some press for the Community Conversation Wonder Root and Untie Atlanta are hosting at Ontologic tonight at 7.  Creative Loafing used an image of my print-woo hoot.

http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2012/07/24/community-members-gather-to-discuss-atlantas-knot

Image Courtesy Wonder Root

Some quick Updates for the next bit of the year.

So it's been busy what with random shows popping up here and there (which I'm not complaining about I'm just saying).  I'm starting work on some new ideas both regarding the domestic violence theme and other projects as well.

The next few months are full to the brim of applications (I think I've got at least one a month to complete till October or November).  In addition, finding out about some of those applications as well as the Leap Year residency will all be happening concurrently (Leap Year news comes in the beginning of August).

In the mean time here's a little bit about what is definitely happening:

"Change your ride"
Image by Wonder Root

I have a print in the Wonder Root and Untie Atlanta Show at Ontologic supporting the Transportation Referendum vote on July 31st.  Prints are on sale.  I believe gallery hours are from 2-4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and you can also purchase prints on the Wonder Root website here.  The other work in the show is really quite incredible.

(I think)Currently at Mint is the show "Untitled: Artwork too good for words". It's a group show and my diptych, The Fight is in it along with the work of some really amazing artists. I'm actually not sure if it's still up and if so how long it will stay. It was included as a part of the "All 4 One" 4th Ward art stroll.

"The Fight Part 1"

"The Fight Part 2"

The "Atlanta Printmakers Studio: Selections from the Emerging Artist Residency" show opens at MOCA Ga August 10th and the opening reception will be from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.  I'll have one piece from my residency work in the show.  It's a bit odd as I think that work translates better as a body but I've realized this might be one of the main problems with my work in general (inability to stand as well on its own in a singular context).

"Myself"

I am likely to be creating new work around the Domestic Violence theme, similar to and expanded from my solos show at the Arts Exchange for the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers wine tasting event in November.  It's a huge undertaking if I do do it and will be an awesome way to reach a very different audience (900+ lawyers attend the event each year).

Additionally, someone contacted me about my nest from the Beep Beep CDR show so I guess I'm selling that!

Photo by Lily Lampe (Burnaway)

That's really it for updates at this moment.  Lots of other stuff happening just nothing really to report on yet.

Your Knot! A print transit show

WonderRoot is hosting Your Knot! I show with 7 print makers (including yours truly) creating work around a July 31st vote and Transportation Referendum.

I've been really drained lately so these prints have been difficult for me but, they'll be done and hanging at the opening: Thursday, July 5th from 7-9 at a little place called Ontologic.  All the prints are going to be for sale and all of them are editioned (whoa-me doing editioned work, what?).

Other artists in the show are Rich Gere, Chris Chambers, Jason Kofke, Craig Cameron, Whitney Stansell, and Cubby West.  I know a lot of them and if not, man, I'm freaking excited to be in a show with all of 'em.

Check it out, should be fun!

Christmas Wishlisting: Supporting your (ok, mine then) Local Arts Organizations

Hey hey....I just found out I have extra money this month.  I don't really do a lot of Christmas shopping anymore (I instead prefer to make as many gifts as possible and then give a whole lot of lovin to those I care about plus an awesomely rad holiday party is usually in order) so I spent that extra money getting memberships to some local arts organizations that I'd been meaning to join for months.  I think everyone should give a little to some organizations they love, be it art related or not, so I'm just throwing that energy (and idea) out there...although I know a lot of organizations are already doing that too.

Don't have an idea of who to give your hard earned money too?  Fine, donate to some of MY favorite Atlanta based arts organizations and receive my unadulterated adoration, as well as theirs:

The contemporary hosts a ton of incredible art events and they have great resources for members and artists.  This year their goal is $38000 for 38 years of awesomeness.

 I haven't really been to Wonder Root yet and I am very sad about this.  I keep missing all the amazing things I want to do there.  They also have a wish list of useful items they need.  I wish I had any of it to give to them. I did just give 'em some of my money though, so I look forward to hitting them up in the New Year.

Burnaway rocks.  There's not a lot more I can say about the coverage they provide of all the arts happenings in Atlanta.  If I'm at something and Burnaway is there I'm pretty sure I'm in the right place.  If you become a member you get swag.  If you donate right now your dollars count twice.  That's pretty rockin.
 

I've met the people who run Dashboard.  I kind of wish I hadn't because before I came back to Atlanta I had set my sights on becoming a Dash artist in the future.  While I'm not sure that's gonna happen anymore, I do know that the people who run it are as incredible as the things they do.  Give 'em some love.  Better yet, give 'em some monies.

Anyone who knows who I am (which isn't a lot of people, YET) knows my involvement with APS.  I love this studio, and not only because they gave me my first step to being an artist in the professional realm.  They do awesome things, and as far as I know, it's really the only place you can do a whole lotta printmaking in Atlanta.

Ok, give.  Do it.  It feels great.