Yeah, I did it.  I made smart use of the opportunity presented by my last “official” show at Angels Gate Cultural Center to riff on aesthetic alpha & omega that is To Live and Die in L.A. (playing at Cinefamily on November 23!), thanks to the inspiration of title-suggestor Nicholas Klemek, whose intricate, [...]]]>

Yeah, I did it.  I made smart use of the opportunity presented by my last “official” show at Angels Gate Cultural Center to riff on aesthetic alpha & omega that is To Live and Die in L.A. (playing at Cinefamily on November 23!), thanks to the inspiration of title-suggestor Nicholas Klemek, whose intricate, considered work joins “drawings” by a motley crew of twenty-seven artists in this exhibition.  There’s a range of works in media ranging from stuffed animals to video to performance to conceptual, instruction-based work to traditional drawing in the show, and that’s how I like it.  The show is a good hustle of great art by some of my favourite and most resourceful people.

Artists in the exhibition include: Edith Abeyta, Rochelle Botello, Carol Es, Finishing School, McLean Fahnestock, Jocelyn Foye, Jeff Foye, John Michael Gill, Bean Gilsdorf, Dan Gilsdorf, Betsy Lohrer Hall, Darren Hostetter, Michele Hubacek, Eric Johnson, Nicholas Klemek, Sojung Kwon, Elana Mann, Christine Nguyen, John O’Brien, Ric Rowland, Yong Sin, S. Ian Song, Macha Suzuki, Matthew Thomas, Devon Tsuno, Gordon Winiemko, Meeson Pae Yang

Also, in my last act, a show three years in the making, a commissioned exhibition by Bay Area artist Lisa Solomon.  I fell in love with her work a lifetime ago and have been working with her to bring her to AGCC for several years.  Lisa’s work in this exhibition is inspired by NASA imagery of deforestation in the Tierras Bajas, Bolivia.  The pictured quilt seems abstract until you see the crazy, geometric pattern of the actual deforestation – that’s the human signature Earth, right there.  Lisa arrived in LA today to start the install, and the work above is going to be joined by a series of beautiful objects in a variety of media.

Both shows open November 7.  Receptions are 2-5 pm.  Join us.

There’s also a Fall Festival and a Cevapacici Festival taking place the same afternoon at AGCC.  Cevapacici is a Balkan sausage that’s a local San Pedro staple.  Come for the art, but stay for the sausage, I say.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

This space has been blank for a while, as I’ve been up to my neck in preparation of Open Studios at Angels Gate.  Sometimes you’ve gotta choose between doing your job right and busying yourself as an unpaid internet loudmouth.  Spring is always the busiest time of the year for [...]]]>

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

This space has been blank for a while, as I’ve been up to my neck in preparation of Open Studios at Angels Gate.  Sometimes you’ve gotta choose between doing your job right and busying yourself as an unpaid internet loudmouth.  Spring is always the busiest time of the year for me, and it’s been worth it.  In Mass Emergencies, we’ve hustled up a great exhibition brought to you by the ever excellent Devon Tsuno, his students at Cypress College and a crack team of CSULB folks.  Elana Mann and Autumn Rooney are experimenting economically and performatically through their project, Artist Bailout: Renegade Bounty Exchange, which brings a host of artists to Angels Gate in search of support for their projects.  About 50 artists in our Studio Artist Program will be opening their doors – lots of new folks to see at Angels Gate this year.  Oh, and the Tastymeat truck is coming – think doner kebab, shaved fresh from the spindle.  You can download the brochure for the event here, which lists everything.

Beyond Angels Gate, another 30 artists will be opening their studios as part of the San Pedro Studio Tour including all of my studio mates at The Loft.  If you’ve come to 1st Thursday before, don’t think you’ve seen everything, we’ve got a lot of folks off the 1st Thursday path to open up for this one, including Austin & Lida Lowery, Norm Looney and Craig Antrim on Pacific Avenue, Karena Massengill just down the hill from Angels Gate and Dar Horn at Union Art Works on 5th & Mesa.  Download a map for the Studio Tour here.  My studio is on the tour, but I won’t be able to be there (I’ve gotta work or something…) – come check out the awesome sparseness and cleanliness of my studio at the Loft while you’re there.

Where: Angels Gate Cultural Center & San Pedro
When: Sunday, May 16, 10am – 4pm.  Mass Emergencies reception is 2-4 and Artist Bailout takes place from 1-4pm.

See you there.

About two years ago now, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles contacted Angels Gate about curating a site-specific artwork for the La Salle Lofts.  We put together a process that looked at several Southern California artists and ended up commissioning AGCC Studio Artist Slobodan Dimitrov to design a photo-based labour mural.  Getting [...]]]>

About two years ago now, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles contacted Angels Gate about curating a site-specific artwork for the La Salle Lofts.  We put together a process that looked at several Southern California artists and ended up commissioning AGCC Studio Artist Slobodan Dimitrov to design a photo-based labour mural.  Getting to curate a labour mural somehow seems both traditional and subversive at the same time, and I’m really excited to see the work realized in my community.  See more photos of the installation here.

Extract from CRA/LA press release:

LA HARBOR- “The Longshore” a striking photographic mural by Los Angeles based artist Slobodan Dimitrov is the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) newest addition to their growing list of timeless art that helps define their revitalization efforts throughout the City. The artwork measures approximately 200 sq.ft. and is a part of the 26-unit adaptive reuse La Salle Lofts project, located at 255 W. 7th Street, within the growing San Pedro Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) District, of the Pacific Corridor Redevelopment Project Area. The pieces were commissioned through the CRA/LA Art Program, which requires developers working with financial participation from CRA/LA to contribute 1% of development costs to art projects, in association with developer Team Companies.

The mural is featured on the front of the parking structure just east of the original façade which is a separate building from the La Salle Lofts residences. ”The Longshore” draws distinct attention to the La Salle Loft residences, and the composition is a fitting tribute and recognition of labor in the development of one of the world’s largest international ports. The photographs depict the skill of working men and women in the harbor, and also celebrate the unique fact that San Pedro has an unusually high number of residents who are members of labor organizations.

Join us at 4:30 pm for the unveiling and then do the 1st Thursday thing.

Technorati Tags: The Longshore, CRA, Community Redevelopment Agency, La Salle Lofts, Slobodan Dimitrov, mural, labor mural, labor, San Pedro

I’m in Seoul as of about 10pm local time last night, after one of the lousiest flights in memory, and I’m one of those people who loves flying on airplanes. But I’m here, in room 3F at Yena House, a small, efficient little place in Insadong, which is home to literally scores and [...]]]>

I’m in Seoul as of about 10pm local time last night, after one of the lousiest flights in memory, and I’m one of those people who loves flying on airplanes. But I’m here, in room 3F at Yena House, a small, efficient little place in Insadong, which is home to literally scores and scores of art galleries. This is a curatorial mission, exploring the possibilities for exchange shows between Angels Gate and various Korean-based organizations and individuals. This is all made possible by my generous host/fixer/guide Sojung Kwon, one of our most active artists at Angels Gate and who is over here due to a solo show that opened at Gallery Dam last week.  So I’ve got four days of meetings, studio visits and gallery visits on my agenda, and being that I am involved, a number of culinary expeditions as well.

Since I’m on AGCC’s time while I’m here, I’ll be cross-posting most of my posts to my personal site and Up At The Gate.

Notice how I resisted a “Seoul Man” joke in the post title? I’m growing up, I swear.

At top: Cool building with giant circle motif seen from Samsung Station Bus Depot, where I arrived in Seoul. Really, really interesting architecture here.

Sunday is shaping up to be a busy day at the Cultural Center, with two gallery openings, a free pancake breakfast and the [...]]]>

It’s not all swords and respirators for me these days, I’m still busy as ever over at AGCC, where we’re having a very busy Sunday. Cross-posted from the AGCC Blog.

Sunday is shaping up to be a busy day at the Cultural Center, with two gallery openings, a free pancake breakfast and the Crafty Vixens Holiday Sale. So here’s the breakdown of where to be, when to be there and whether you should bring your own maple syrup.

10am – Noon. The Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council has chosen to bless Angels Gate as the site of their annual pancake breakfast. This is your chance not only to meet your local council members, but also to get yourself a free tote bag. But wait, there’s more, that being FREE pancakes, sausage, coffee, juice and milk. That is if you can get there early enough to get in line behind me, because I’m going to finish it all off. I’m warning you. Nothing about free syrup, but I might bring my own, just to show off. And there’s a raffle.

11am – 5pm. 2nd Annual Crafty Vixens Holiday Sale.  Follow the “Glitter Streamer Poles” to building H where a variety of local and Angels Gate craftspeople will be taking care of your holiday gift needs.  It has it’s own potluck going on, so you can top off your pancake tummy with a plate of surprise food.  There’s also a raffle, performances by belly dancers and all kinds of things to buy.

2-4 pm. Opening receptions for Plain and Simple and F Sculpture Show open in the galleries.  Two shows that I’m really pleased to have wrangled up, or as we say in the “industry”, curated.  Plain and Simple features the work of Betsy Lohrer Hall and Yong Sin (at top), two former Angels Gate Studio Artists who are good friends and who both make use of complex and idiosyncratic systems to construct their work, one tiny painted element at a time.  When the work arrived on Tuesday and we laid out the show in the gallery, I was very, very pleased.  The few folks who have snuck in for a preview seem to be feeling what I’m feeling.  F Sculpture Show, the latest in a series of exhibitions by Koh Byoung Ok will be in Downstairs Gallery, and we’ll be hanging the show tomorrow.  The for this show is based on a commission and I’m still not 100% sure what Koh has cooked up in his studio, but knowing his work, it’s going to have elements of humor and a profound sense of time and place.

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 22, at 7 pm, artists Darren Hostetter and S. Ian Song will take part in a roundtable discussion about their work for Flying Machine, their current two person show at Angels Gate Cultural Center. Flying Machine brings together two artists with a shared enthusiasm for the forms and aesthetics of [...]]]>

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 22, at 7 pm, artists Darren Hostetter and S. Ian Song will take part in a roundtable discussion about their work for Flying Machine, their current two person show at Angels Gate Cultural Center. Flying Machine brings together two artists with a shared enthusiasm for the forms and aesthetics of aircraft, who also have deep insight into relevant social, political and historical issues that surround their subject matter. Ian and Darren are two fascinating conversationalists with perspectives that span a plethora of issues and fields, and this exhibition was in planning for a very long time and is particularly dear to my heart. I’ll be moderating. These talks are very informal, and are a great opportunity for you to ask artists real questions about their work and to get serious, thoughtful answers. Be there or be square.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs has chosen Angels Gate as the site for one of their COLA workshops. For those who aren’t aware of COLA, it’s a $10000 Award that’s given to a selection of artists in various fields, culminating in an exhibition. It’s geared [...]]]>

Cross-posted from the AGCC Blog.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs has chosen Angels Gate as the site for one of their COLA workshops. For those who aren’t aware of COLA, it’s a $10000 Award that’s given to a selection of artists in various fields, culminating in an exhibition. It’s geared towards mid-career artists, specifically Los Angeles-based artists with 15 or more years in their field. So if you’re an artist working in Los Angeles, with more than 15 years on your resume, and not a DCA employee or a past recipient, you should find out more about it and apply if you can.

I’ve reviewed and helped people write COLA applications in the past, and it’s really not too difficult a process, so don’t be afraid of the paperwork. But the best way to prepare is to attend one of the workshops, where you will get the chance to ask specific questions about the best way to write your application and improve your chances.

Our workshop will be Monday, October 19, 6-8pm, in Building H. COLA has categories for visual, literary and performing arts, as well as those working in the fields of fashion, architecture and design. The DCA is very eager to receive applications not only from artists in the Center’s Studio Artist Program, but also folks in the Harbor Area, a body of artists that has been underrepresented in the past.

You can download and take a look at the grant application here.

Jason Kunke’s Model Bunker, 1:2.5 Scale.  Just a little taste of the amazing show that we have opening up tomorrow at Angels Gate.  Reception is 2-4 PM, come join us!

Technorati Tags: Jason Kunke, Welcome to Fake Iraq, art, contemporary art, missile, AGCC, Angels Gate, Angels Gate Cultural [...]]]>

Jason Kunke’s Model Bunker, 1:2.5 Scale.  Just a little taste of the amazing show that we have opening up tomorrow at Angels Gate.  Reception is 2-4 PM, come join us!

Technorati Tags: Jason Kunke, Welcome to Fake Iraq, art, contemporary art, missile, AGCC, Angels Gate, Angels Gate Cultural Center