The Grand Guignol

Grand Guignol event on Staten Island - April 1, 2 and 3, 2016 was inspired by the theater that was popular in Paris 100 years ago. Doug La Tourette and Kimbra Eberly produced a local version with 5 short plays on themes similar to the original horror plays, featuring study of bleak human behavior with gory special effects and makeup, all written by Staten Island authors. The original theater was considered small with 293 seats but the Hub 17 space where this Grand Guignol took place only accommodated 25 people at one time.

The first night opened with a severed head accomplished with up to date technology. He asked the audience to “turn off your cell phones”. Was hoping he would ask if there was a doctor in the house, but enjoyed the final plea to “vote for me!” The other two dates the head was outside interacting with the audience.

Plays began with a drama based on the Lizzie Borden story. Kimbra Eberly, with a long interest in Borden, had researched the details of the case over the years and created a short drama. A final throat slitting scene drew on the Grand Guignol feature of lurid special effects.

Other plays on the themes of ghost hunting, deals with the devil, zombies and frustrated revenge killing exploited contemporary fears and weaknesses

"Inadmissible" cast - Emma Borden- Mary Campbell, Lizzie Borden- Viv Vassar, interviewer- Margaret Chase and the severed head.

Fireworks Art Exhibit at SIABC

I submitted some of my eye mandalas for this exhibit, taking a chance on an open minded juror. For me fireworks are about the patterns created in the sky, branching out from the center like the mandala patterns. Douglas La Tourette the curator accepted them and put together an interesting assemblage of work at the SIABC Gallery on 73 Wave Street. The show is up June 27 to August 3, 2015.

My favorite piece in the show is a small painting by Tiffany Porcu. The fireworks are painted after their glorious moment, when the leftovers are melting to the ground, looking like hair or multi-fingered hands. I looked up Tiffany Porcu but didn't find much besides her FB page which didn't have any other artwork. Hoping to see more of her paintings in Staten Island exhibits in the future.

SWAN Day 2015 Staten Island

Elaine Mendez-Torres has brought a great event to Staten Island- SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now)

It is, according to the WomenArts and Chicago’s WITASWAN groups who started it, "an international holiday designed to showcase the power and diversity of women’s creativity." Some of the places this years events were held included Burundi, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Turkey, New Zealand.

Elaine held a SWAN Day event in 2014 and felt it was so very successful that she started organizing for this year the day after.

Her 2015 Staten Island efforts included an exhibit during March, "UPCLOSE", a photo exhibit of present day Staten Island female artists in Hormann Library at Wagner College, for which she also produced an accompanying book.

For the designated SWAN Day- Sat. March 28, Elaine produced an event at the SIABC Main Gallery (73 Wave St.) an afternoon of exhibited work, readings, performance and an open mic for announcing upcoming projects. We were entertained by Christine Dixon performing part of her Harriet Tubman monologue and the Deep Tanks Butoh Dancers.

A raffle was held to start funding next years Staten Island SWAN Day! YES! We need this event to celebrate the accomplishments of our local women artists, and I'm hoping to see even more women participate next year.

Global Art/Local Art

Fall art season is upon us in Staten Island.

Two interesting exhibits are presently up in Snug Harbor Cultural Center.

Hanging in the hallway of Art lab, the premiere art school here, Zeke and Nancy Quinn display their photos and drawings from workshops they presented in Ethiopia. A culture obviously different than our familiar Staten Island, but the art has a similar feeling to childrens drawings in the city, a few which are also shown.

In the Newhouse Galleries next door one of the Sharp Resident artist has built the shack of Milas Mariner a squatter on the Kill Van Kull 100 years ago. The assembled boards were found along the waterway. A performance at the installation will occur on November 8.

the Art of Risk

I was invited to participate in the round table discussion "the Art of Risk" part of the SIArts series Arts Intersect. The other panelist were a photographer, street artist and retail manufacturer. They were all smart and had well thought out answers. Were positive, working hard to achieve their goals.

The format was a conversation directed by moderator Sean Paul Gallegos, who asked a series of questions we had been given to prepare ourselves- our biggest risk, etc. After about an hour of talk Brielle, an organizer of the evening lead us in a word exercise. And then a final open mingling of attendees.

The attendees of this round table were few, and mostly older. Where were all of the younger artists who could have benefitted most from the conversation? Was the $10 fee prohibitive for them? As a young artist it might have been for me. Why does SIArts charge for these events? it seems like they should be free, isn't that their job on SI, what they get funded for, to educate the arts community? I remember a few workshops I attended when I was younger but don't remember if there was a charge or what it was. One was at Cooper Union, a series over several weeks, "Artists Survival" led by Deborah Remington and they covered getting exhibits, promoting your work, artists issues. Another similar series also at the lower east side print shop when it was in the east village.

When I started researching for the "risk" discussion I thought I wasn't a risk taker, but then as I explored the topic realized that everyone takes risks its just the level or extremity of the risk one takes on, that make some people stand out as labeled risk takers. My risks are always calculated, after stewing on a decision for a long while I figure out the course I want to take. We didn't discuss at all intuition or the subconscious which I believe also plays a big part in the risks you allow yourself.

From my recent work "Take a Chance"48 languages there were many languages in which risk was a part of the expression. My research for the panel showed that society thinks negatively about risk and the definitions are all about facing loss. While for chance it is defined as something that happens to you that you can't control.

JRow a NYC-based artist who creates and leads online community-based art projects, has set up the page "Artists Stories" to "raise awareness about the challenges of living a creative life... Creative people are legitimately at risk for many social issues." Stories are being collected to "increase awareness about what it really means to live a creative life." Looks like you can still submit your story of risks here!

"Wish women"- never fail to grant a wish that is sincerely desired...

A favorite artist- Florence Barry is showing her work at ETG Book cafe this month (March 2014). I bought one of her wish women many years ago. At ETG beside many splendid wish women she is showing 2d work, many attractive collages. I particularly like this woven one and the beetles are also compelling. I saw her hanging the show and started to take pictures to add to this blog post. She told me she does not allow photos to be taken of her work. But I said, when you hang it in public you can't control if someone takes photos. She said she knew that but would stop someone if she saw it happening. I was so perplexed I didn't think to ask her why. 

Knock Knock, Whoʼs There?

It's been awhile since an installation at one of the smaller Staten Island venues has looked like more than a vanity showcase. Ron Morosan's “Knock Knock, Whoʼs There?” uses paintings, drawings, and installation constructions to explore his curiosity about the "art world" - the term and theories of the "art world" culture especially it's American institution.

My favorites were the two paintings with small portraits and text- critic Roberta Smith "Opinions are part of the air we breathe." and artist Chuck Close "I don't wait for inspiration." Bold statements.

The Close statement I was able to find the rest of- "if you wait for the clouds to part and to be struck in the head with a bolt of lightening, you're likely to be waiting the rest of your life. But if you simply get going, something will occur to you." I always found this to be true, the "aha" moment seems to come as part of the process. I can't conceive of sitting around, not making all of those mistakes and suddenly "getting it",

The Smith quote I couldn't find online and had never heard. I would imagine for her it is true as a critic, publicly assessing work through a knowledgable lense, with a taste for contemporary issues, yet probably still bombarded with contradictory ideas. But really everyone is constantly being bombarded with opinions not about art- what you eat, wear, vote for, purchase, etc. So yes, I guess it is true, part of the air we breathe...

This is the inaugural event for The Studio at 194 Bay Street.

The show runs- January 11 to February 2, 2014.