We've Moved!!!

Hi there--I just fell in love with Wordpress!

Wordpress suits my needs much better than the Blogger platform, so I've imported this blog over there, and I believe it will be a much more enjoyable experience!

If you have this blog bookmarked as www.eclipsegalleryblog.com it will still work.
If not, please update your bookmarks and RSS feed. Thank you so much!

This blog will still be available for viewing, but I will not be updating it anymore.
Visit the new blog for new posts!

I am looking forward to bringing you a more delightful blog from now on!

Jennifer Marsh

Jennifer Marsh: Lawnmower


I am very excited to announce that Jennifer Marsh will be representing Alabama and Community-Based Medium for the 50 Artists, 50 States, 50 Mediums exhibition!

Jennifer is the founder of the International Fiber Collective, an organization that creates community-based, large-scale fiber projects. You may have heard of her Gas Station Wrapping project, which received a lot of press--including a feature in FiberArts Magazine.

Jennifer's current project is Interdependence. Participants will create a full-sized tree for display in April 2009 in Huntsville, Alabama. The concept is, "much like a live tree is interdependent on its leaves and roots for survival, societies are interdependent on the greater whole, family units, communities, and countries."

Participants from around the world are invited to create leaves to contribute to the creation of the tree. In total, up to 30,000 leaves may be used. For more information on how to participate, click here. This is open to all age groups and levels of artistic ability.

Jennifer's next, highly ambitious project after the tree is wrapping a NASA rocket! But she needs help raising the money to rent the expensive crane required to install the artwork. Click here to see how you can help and become involved. She needs your help!

We are also planning a solo show for Jennifer's sculpture in the future--stay tuned!

Stephen Day Design

Large wood-framed sconce

[VG Fir / stained glass / acrylic / aluminum / incandescent lamps]

'milieu' accent lamp
[concrete / copper / halogen lamps]

'Found Object' sconce
[Radiology film / Walnut / fluorescent lamps]



I'm in love with Stephen Day's lighting design--and he will be representing California for the 50/50/50 show

I am still accepting submissions for the show, and am looking for unique mediums especially. The following states and mediums are already taken:
CA, NY, NJ, VA, PA, WI, MI, AL
Lighting Design, Mixed Media, Pastel, Ceramics, Paper, Silkscreen

Click here for more info on how to submit your work or e-mail me.

Latest from Matt Shlian

Limited Edition book by Matthew Shlian!

64 pages, A5 size (5.75 in x 8.25 in), perfect bound, full color, signed, limited edition (of 100) with extra die cut pages for you to fold up!!!

Showcases work from 2002-2008

Fits perfectly well into any stocking and will be shipped to you
on December 15th.

Matt Shlian

Thesis
paper, motor, string 24in x 15in x 13ft
2006 see the video

One
paper 15 x 15 (closed) 2004

Inhale Exhale Flip Book
cut paper 2 x 7 .5 inches 2005 see the video


I love Matt Shillian's paper work. Make sure to visit his great website
and also his blog.

He will be representing Michigan for the 50/50/50 Show,
and will also be involved with an upcoming paper-medium show!

Matt from Collective Revolution

falou monster

television rules the nation

bk stripes


So excited that I will be carrying these hand silk screened shirts in The Eclipse Gallery. I just bought the TV one. Matt will also be a participant in the 50/50/50 show representing New Jersey!

I'm still looking for artists, craftspeople, and designers so make sure to submit your work!

See more here

Local Events: Vacant

An opportunity to support the growing contemporary art community in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Vacant will be hosting a temporary art exhibition this Friday night. Be there to support these artists! Go to S. Brodway Street in Green Bay, next to Kavarna, Friday night between 6-10 PM.

I'll be there for sure! Hopefully this show will be sucessful so that more projects such as this can develop in the area. I'm excited!

Sandra Freeman

Seedpods

Lilies

White Lily

Just a sneak peek of some of the artwork you will see at The Eclipse Gallery in June.

Sandra Freeman is a photographer from Texas. She has a great website--check it out!

Liz Gresey

Emily

Mik

Laura Jane


I have been working with Chicago artist Liz Gresey with The Emergence Project, and I am happy that she will be involved in the upcoming Personality exhibition at The Eclipse Gallery.

One of her current projects is "I am ready to change"--you can see all of the images from this series here.
Also make sure to visit her blog here.

Her work will definitely add an interesting dimension to our grand opening exhibition! I can't wait!

Updated Website

Just a quick note to let you know I've updated the website once again (I'm a little OCD) but I think you will find this design to be much better.

I've also revised some of my statements on the About page, and if you haven't seen the online store yet make sure to visit.

Check it out!

Another blurred intersection...

Curating. Just as I am interested in the intersections between the art, craft, and design worlds, so too am I interested in breaking the stereotypes of what it means to be a curator. Labels and stereotypes run rampant in the art world, and I feel compelled to dismiss, ignore, and criticize all of them. What does it mean to be an artist and a curator? I don't feel my position makes my art or my curating any less valid. After all, people are capable of more than one role in life. I'm a mother too--does my work as an artist and a curator make my parenting any less important?
Of course not.

There has been a lot of talk and criticism of the concept of curating as art. There are contemporary curators like Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ydessa Hendeles that create unique exhibitions that some people consider art (or at least creative). I don't see anything wrong with this. After all, curators are now coming from various backgrounds--no longer simply art historians--curators like me have something to actually contribute, not just intellectualize, organize, and install.

The group show is most conductive to this type of curating. My exhibitions will be based on curatorial premises or concepts. When I think of an idea for a show, it is very similar to when I think of an idea for artwork. That is not to say that there isn't a distinction between curating and art. One artist working somewhat within the scope that I am talking about is Julieta Aranda who created projects such as Pawnshop and E-flux video rentals.

Visit the E-flux website for more interesting info & projects

For more that I've written on this subject, visit Visual Influence.

I've only scratched the surface here--if you are interested in this subject I would recommend the current issue of Art Lies, which includes several in-depth articles on Death of the Curator.

As always, I would be interested in your thoughts--feel free to comment or e-mail me.

Sher Christopher

Bathers #2

Pied Piper

Pox, the ship's cook

Sher Christopher creates unique and detailed paper sculptures, exploring characters that she invents.

Visit her website for more information, and look for her work in The Eclipse Gallery this summer!

Personality Exhibition and Justin Madson

Our grand opening exhibition is going to be

Personality: Exploring Real People & Imaginary Characters

I would like to show three regional artists and am hoping the artists I have in mind will be available. The one artist I have confirmed is Justin Madson, who is an illustrator and cartoonist exploring contemporary characters. He is from Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Below are a few examples of his work.


Whimsy

Freckles

The Cold Creeps In
(appropriate for today, since there were a few snow flurries here!)

Find out more about Justin on his website, Just Mad Books.
And buy his work on Etsy.

I will be exhibiting his original illustrations, prints, artist books, and comics.

The exhibition will run May 29, 2009 - September 27, 2009
Work will also be available for sale via our online shop at that time.

New Website Feature: My Writing

I've added a few articles, essays, and exhibition critiques that I've written over the past couple years to the website. I have four articles up right now and will add more later. I'm an avid writer and thought I would share. Topics include Craftivism, Kyoung Ae Cho, Messages & Magic, and Art World Norms Have to Change.

Here's the link

Enjoy!

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Banner & Website Updates

Don't you love the new banner? It was made by kieutiepie on Etsy. She does great work, inexpensive and fast!!!

I updated the website with the new look as well!
And guess what? I now have e-commerce functionality, so shortly you will be able to actually buy some of the things I've been talking so madly about. I discovered eCrater.com, a build-it-yourself FREE store that uses Google checkout. And if you use AdWords, they process your transactions for free too! The best thing is that I've ended up with an online store that has a decent design! It's perfect until I can afford a spiffy new website design someday.

Click here to check out my shop. There's not much in it yet though!

Our Logo!

It was really hard to find the right company to design my logo. I would have loved to pay a bigger sum of money for a logo by an independent designer, but with all the costs of renovations for the building, and the fact that I just had to install a new furnace, I had to go with a cheaper option.

Luckily, I found Logocare. I can't tell you how happy I am with their service, the design choices, and the unlimited revisions! It was a fast process and great results. I would definitely recommend their services to anybody.

the Kohler Arts Center

215 Points of View by Jonathan Schipper

I drove a little over an hour this morning down to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI. Interestingly enough, it's one of the only major art centers in Wisconsin that I haven't ever visited. I was more than impressed with the level of professionalism and importance of works displayed. This is definitely my new favorite place to be.

Their main exhibition right now is Messages & Magic: 100 Years of Collage and Assemblage in American Art. Quite the criteria, I thought, especially as I read from the newsletter that the show "is an unprecedented exhibition that traces American popular culture through a century of collage and assemblage." But I was pleasantly surprised to see works by the likes of:

Peter Sarkisian and this mixed media/video work on a car door
Ray Yoshida, an icon of the Chicago art scene
Lenore Tawney, a very influential textile/collage artist & sculptor
Henry Darger
and many more amazing artists...

There was even a display of Ray Johnson works and an explanation of Mail Art, something near and dear to my heart since I am also involved in this movement.

That was only one of about five exhibits at the Kohler. Another notable exhibition is Wisconsin artist kathryn e martin's installation Flotant. It is a breathtaking experience that you have to witness. The few pictures available don't cut it.

The amount of activities available to participate in here are enormous. Classes, performance art, films, residencies, and a myriad of projects. By the time I was ready to leave, I was also ready to write out a check and support this unique art center so close to my home! But even if you don't have much money, it's great, because admission is free.

All in all a great experience and I would highly recommend visiting! The collage show runs until January 25, 2009.

Renovations: a little progress

The first thing we are doing is tearing the nasty hung ceiling down to reveal to old tin ceiling. It is in pretty rough shape, but we wanted to salvage all the tin and create a Lousie Nevelson-esque ceiling. In other words, put as much tin as we can back up, leave the copper pipes and such that would be really hard to move, and insert some sculptural elements. Then we will paint the whole thing matte black.

Of course the artists in us saved all the scrap metal for use in future projects. Good thing we have a huge basement!

Here you can see the tin ceiling as it is now.

I just had to show this fake tile and lace stapled to the wall--how funny!

Brandon hard at work--I don't know what I would do without him! I did attempt to use a couple power tools today, but it's really not my thing :)

Concerning the Arts in Wisconsin

I just found an easy, FREE, way to support the arts in Wisconsin.
Click here to support the New Economy Funding Initiative. Just by signing up, even if you do not donate any money, you will help the Wisconsin Arts Board, who are actively:

• Investing in regional economic development through the arts
• Creating new and exciting partnerships and job opportunities based on creativity and innovation
• Attracting and retaining innovative companies and entrepreneurs
• Educating the 21st century workforce, through arts integration and involvement for all Wisconsin students
• Strengthening Wisconsin's artistic and cultural infrastructure, for vibrant and livable communities in every corner of the state.

Make sure to visit the Arts Wisconsin website and have fun exploring all the links!

They also have a Business and Arts Handbook, which has some of the most informative content I have seen in a long time, aimed at convincing everyone of the importance of arts in the community!

Living in a different state? Click here for a list of state and regional arts agencies.

Exhibition Opportunity

I am very excited to announce an upcoming show:

50 States, 50 Artists, 50 Mediums

One artist or designer from each state in the USA will represent a different medium, bridging the gap between the traditional fine art world and other arts disciplines, including craft, design, architecture, performance art, etc. I am interested in these intersections and how they translate into everyday life. This show will not only represent the importance of all art disciplines, but will also stress the importance of all working artists regardless of their location.

Call For Artists:

Open to all professional artists living or working in the United States. Open to any and all mediums in the art, craft, and design communities. See below for examples of accepted mediums.

How to submit: Send a short biography (including your address & e-mail), artist statement, a few words about why you want to be in this show, 10-20 images & information (including medium, dimensions, & price), and any links to your work on line to sarah@theeclipsegallery.com. Important: You must write “Submission for 50 Show” in the subject line of the e-mail or I will think it is spam. Attachments are fine. E-mail submissions are preferred.

Deadline for submissions: April 15, 2009. Show is scheduled for October 16, 2009 – March 8, 2010 at

The Eclipse Gallery, 507 Fourth Street (Hwy 42), Algoma, Wisconsin, 54201.

Mediums accepted, but not limited to: Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Digital, Ceramics, Mixed Media, Knitting, Jewelry, Metals, Found Object, Glass, Plastic, Photography, Crochet, Paper, Quilting, Felt, Wearables, Architecture (such as models, plans, photos), Graphic Design, Film/Time Based, Installation, Furniture, Baskets, Typography, Performance, Music, Spoken-Word, Text, Artist Books, Zines, Mail Art, Encaustic, Watercolor, Sewing, Mosaic, Graffiti, Illustration, Altered Book, Printmaking, Silk Screen, Product Design, Wallpaper, Textiles, Etc.

Any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Thanks :)

Local Events: Craftivism

Craftivism: Reclaiming Craft and Creating Community opens at the Lawton Gallery (UWGB campus) tonight at 4:30. If you are anywhere near the area, you must go see it. I helped install the exhibition with a troop of people plus guest curator, Faythe Levine, a tremendously talented gallery owner from Milwaukee. I blogged about the details of the exhibition on Visual Influence, so for more info hop over there.

I was so excited when I first heard this show was coming to town, and even more so when I met Faythe and saw the inspiring artworks for this exhibition. The Craftivism and DIY culture that has been gathering speed over the past few years have directly influenced the direction for my personal artwork and what artwork I want to have shown in The Eclipse Gallery.

"To know that something is made by hand, by someone who cares that you like it, makes that object much more enjoyable." --Cinnamon Copper & Amy Carlton

Gallery director Stephen Perkins writes, "One indication of the energy of this new movement is the large number of manifestoes being issued by its participants...It's interesting to me that the world of craft has adopted a strategy from the world of avant-garde art to promote its agenda, and it further suggests that the divide between the two worlds is becoming increasingly blurred."

That is my sentiment exactly. The reason I want to have handmade design in my gallery is because I do believe that craft, design, and other forms are merging with "fine art" to become legitimatized as Art (with a capital A) in a broader sense of the word. Betsy Greer, author of Knitting for Good, writes, "Until the turn of the last century, the word "craft" was...negatively viewed in the vernacular. Long seen as trivial and somewhat crude and unnecessary thanks to technological advancements, "craft" had long lingered as an activity of the past. But thanks to the timely convergence of the quest for uniquity, frustration against consumerism and materialism, and the internet, "craft" has been rescued and empowered instead of forgotten.


Design Art relates to this--design that is so unique it is sold in galleries as art. This bridge between craft and art, design and art, architecture and art--you see it now in so many areas, even graphic design--where the typical gallery show is being expanded upon and is evolving.

Which brings me to an interview I read with Hans-Ulrich Obrist, a famous Swiss art curator and critic. He stresses that what is important about art or exhibitions is not how large they are or what type of venue they are held in, but the actual content of the show. Obrist says, "It's not through scale that art or buildings are made important." I would add to that, location either.

I am so happy that the world today is evolving away from the notion that all good art is made and shown in NYC, London, and Paris. There are artists all over the world, in every corner, creating important artwork. The goal of The Eclipse Gallery will be not only to bring more international contemporary art to Wisconsin, but to create more awareness of the many highly talented, professional Wisconsin artists. Another aspect of the gallery will be creating community, a fundamental issue of Craftivism and the handmade movement. I will have various sections where visitors to my gallery can create work, play, experiment, and most of all have fun. Much like the "laboratory" notion of Obrist.

Obrist says, "The curator is the catalyst of relations and situations....Exhibitions have to go past geographical and cultural boundaires; they must be transgenerational and interdisciplinary." A very interesting statement from a very interesting person. Do an internet search for more info about Obrist, and you can read a great interview with him here.

Giving an Old Building New Life

The building we just bought for The Eclipse Gallery was built in 1909, and has been pretty neglected. But I'm one of those people that loves to give new life to old things. I am so excited that we will be opening the gallery on the building's 100th birthday! To give you an idea of the shape the building is in currently, I thought I'd post a few "before" pictures. We certainly have our work cut out for us, don't you think?

The first thing we are doing is tearing that awning down and replacing it with something elegant, repainting the woodwork and fixing the ugliness around the main doors and big windows.

This will be part of the art studio. I can't wait to fix it up and get organized!

Front window of the gallery

Eventually will be part of the art studio.

Believe it or not, this will be part of the gallery.

And so will this.

Lots and lots of dust.

And falling down tin ceilings that must be revamped.



Over the next few months I will be using this blog to document the state of the building now, and our progress toward the grand opening. We are really enjoying this process and are so happy to be giving this building new life.

Drawing Free

Frank Ghery sketch

Drawing Free: No Cost, No Rules

I've been trying to think of how I can get the local community involved with The Eclipse Gallery and how I could give back--especially to children. We're all aware that schools struggle to fund their art programs, and in my opinion there is not nearly enough emphasis put on art education in public schools. So one of the first things I will do when the gallery opens is host a Drawing Free session every Friday night. Not just for children, but for people of all ages!

Drawing Free sessions will be based on the notion of concept drawing, which is basically drawing without rules. Remember how fun it was to draw when you were a child, before you had any preconceived ideas about art? This is a fundamental element to creativity (Picasso, Matisse, and Paul Klee knew this.) Draw whatever you please, however you please, and you will invigorate your creative flow in all areas of your life. Concept drawing allows people to create ideas. It is a starting point for original, intriguing art and design. So many artists forget the importance of sketching in this way. I feel very strongly that it is much more important to draw conceptually than to draw realistically. Many famous artists and designers begin monmuental projects with a concept drawing. Frank Gehry for example.

Drawing Free will be just that--Free. No cost at all. The Eclipse Gallery will provide a variety of paper and drawing utensils. So for those of you in the area, I hope to see you there next summer! I can't wait!

An Interview with Amy Schmutte

Because I love Amy's work so much, I wanted to share an interview I did with her awhile ago, for The Emergence Project.

The Emergence Project: When and/or why did you decide to become a professional fine artist?

Amy Schmutte: I believe I must've started to decide to become a professional fine-artist, at some point as a child...pretty much as soon as I could answer the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And then, in college, as I started to develop my own creative niche, I suppose that desire started to materialize into an actual possibility. But it wasn't until about five years after I was done with school, did I take initiative to create new work on my own (without the demands and forced inspiration from school assignments). And finally, it was about two or three years after self-motivated creation, before I started to realize I really wanted to get this work out into the world.

TEP: About how many years have you been creating art?

AS: I guess I've been creating art since I was old enough to put pencil to paper and express my own creativity (maybe 4 or 5 yrs. old?) So, I guess that makes about 30 years, by now. I'm pretty sure I'm a "lifer".

TEP: When did you decide that your artistic style was mature?

AS: I clearly remember feeling aware of it while it was happening...my senior year of college at MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design), during work on my senior thesis on abstraction of glass. I felt that my artistic style had reached a substantial level of maturity. It was a beautiful process... really natural, almost like a child being born. Of course, when a child is born, the fetus was developed to merely a level of maturity to come out of the womb and face the world. So, to use that metaphor, I guess you could say I'm raising an eleven-year-old, at this point...so, in the big picture...not really all that mature! It's a life-long process.

TEP: What are you currently working on?

AS: I'm creating a new series that experiments with color-opposites in cross-processing, with the goal of expressing a mood of "sunshine", using my constant muse of glass.

TEP: What is the main concept or inspiration behind your current work?

AS: The sun is right up there with glass, on my list of favorite artistic inspirations. To me it's not just a light-source (photographically speaking) it's more than that...more like a "force" I actually feel affection for, and want to not only "use" to create my art, but celebrate as the subject of my art.

TEP: Have any other artists substantially influenced your current work?

AS: There are so many artists that have inspired me over the years, that it's hard to list. I recall, when I was in college I loved playing with abstraction in the darkroom. I remember there was a famous photographer named Barbara Morgan as a specific inspiration, because of her "darkrooom play" with multiple exposure and photograms. At this point, I don't know if there are any specific artists influencing my current work, to be totally honest, I feel like I'm sort of going out on my own limb, so to speak. Not at all to say, that what I'm doing has never been done before! Simply, not feeling any specific outside inspirations.

TEP: What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing working artists today?

AS: Sometimes I wonder if people truly value fine-art, in general. I feel that too much of the time art becomes something to "bring the room together" so that the couch goes better with the curtains, or something to simply "fraternize around" at gallery shows, or it becomes merely an acquisition for the sake of status, because So-and-So Artist is "hot" at the moment. I feel that the biggest challenge facing artists is being valued for expressing a unique vision that didn't exist before they created it. Art doesn't need to coordinate one's home-decor, and an artist doesn't need to be famous in order for art to be considered of-value to the general public. I wish that more often an individual could simply recognize a sublime connection with a piece of art that speaks to them, and realize that's all they need to find it valuable.

TEP: Do you think that the general public considers Fine Art a valid profession?

AS: Maybe a lot of the general public considers Fine Art a valid profession, but only in the way that, for example, someone who doesn't hunt (like myself), considers Deer Processing a valid profession, but can't see any use for it in their immediate world, or really ever in their entire life.

TEP: If you could change something about the current art world structures and/or stereotypes what would that be?

AS: The value of the art doesn't need to be determined by the high price put on it. I've been told to raise my prices in order to sell more, because then people consider it more valuable monetarily, and therefore more desirable. If someone wants my art, I would hope that they want it because the image connects to their soul, not their financial status.

TEP: Are you optimistic about the future of Fine Art in general?

AS: I'm very optimistic about the future of Fine Art, because it simply will always exist. There will always be those who are born to create and find great fulfillment in creating, and there will always be those who appreciate unique creations and find great joy in consuming them.

TEP: Why do you endorse The Emergence Project?

AS: I proudly endorse The Emergence Project because it's a bright warm light on a sometimes bleak path. The path of working as a Fine Artist can be discouraging, exhausting and thankless at times. Along with all of the joy and fulfillment of creating and sharing one's
art, can come creative blocks and financial burdens in producing and marketing of one's self. The Emergence Project is a faith-builder/restorer and supporter of one of the most powerful and beautiful forces that exist...Creativity! This project actually did exactly what it promised to do, literally in just the last 24 hours of my life as I write this. My boyfriend just randomly found an entry on an art talk-forum on the internet, in which this Project (specifically Sarah Elizabeth Condon) supported and promoted my work, naming me and referring people to my website. That immediately inspired me and made me feel motivated enough to start a new project which I've felt blocked on for quite a while. In the middle of writing and saving the text of this interview, I stopped what I was doing, and started shooting a new series of abstract images. By the end of one day later, I have in my hands a successful roll of film embodying new creations to share in my upcoming show. The Emergence Project has done what it set out to do, very literally, for this working Fine Artist today. It let me work. Thank you so much to Sarah and everyone else involved!

TEP: Thank you so much Amy!

Amy Schmutte

Amy Schmutte is a fine art photographer from Milwaukee, WI. She is also a graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD).

I've been representing Amy Schmutte at The Emergence Project for about a year now. I am madly in love with her abstract glass photography, and I don't think I could ever tire from exploring her images. I hope to host a solo show for her as soon as the gallery is up and running.

Here is a snippet from her artist statement:

The intention of my art is a visual escape, with no heavy messages beyond a destination for your mind to play. The photographs I create express my love for the incredible qualities of glass, such as it's light translucence, textures, shapes and colors. They are macro-abstractions of glass, created entirely by traditional photographic methods, with an intentional avoidance of digital manipulation. This method provides me with an escape from the rat-race of digital technology, and a devotion to the integrity of a true photographic capture.

Area Events: The Lawton Gallery

If you have never been to The Lawton Gallery, located at the University of Wisconsin campus in Green Bay, you are missing out! This gallery produces many interesting exhibitions and brings much needed and exciting contemporary art to NE Wisconsin.

Don't miss the reception for Bringing It Home: Post Katrina Photographs from New Orleans, on Thursday, September 18th from 4:30-6:30 pm. The artist Stan Strembicki will be speaking at 5 pm. Click here for a great link to Stan's work.