SAC and MCC Fellowship Grant Award Plans

I am sure everyone at WSAC has heard that I got an LCC fellowship grant in visual arts for 2012. As part of receiving a grant through the Mass Cultural Council and the Somerville Arts Council, you are basically asked to brag about it, which I have absolutely no problem doing. Ha!Anyways I thought it would be cool to document it here, since the WSAC is where I was able to spend all my time making art to apply for the grant. I definitely feel that having a separate studio from my apartment is a huge luxury, and I feel really lucky to have a space at WSAC and to get to work around all of you!

So far I have 2 public events planned to show what the grant money was used for. My friend Marissa and I are putting on the Spring Zine Thing on April 15th. It is gonna be super low-key and really fun, I hope a couple WSAC zines end up getting made for this. That is my not-subtle hint that you should all make a zine. You can even show up on the day of and make a zine. I am going to make my first zine, probably with a lot of paper cutting in it, that is about making art and finding time/inspiration, and how process and collaboration are things I am really interested in.

The second event is gonna be the September gallery show, and it is going to be great! Lauren, Alex, my friend Sarah and I are going to collaborate, and are already doing some serious long-range planning for making the September show completely amazing. I can't wait to see it come together. We will definitely have our regular opening reception, but we are also going to figure out a series of workshops, talks, and video presentations to go along with it, during or after gallery hours on Saturdays.

This blog post was totally supported by the Mass Cultural Council and the Somerville Arts Council. Thank you!!!

Rad Artist Installment #4

I was talking to Monique about paper art the other day, and we got on to talking about a friend of hers who uses a technique called quilling. Lisa Nilsson is a paper artist who uses this technique in some of her work to make cool pieces with anatomical subject matter.
Nilsson also does work in other media, but her use of paper is most exciting to me. Her series of installation boxes (vaguely in the vein of Joseph Cornell or Louise Nevelson) are also really interesting, and I like how tightly the pieces within the box are tetris-ed together so perfectly. Definitely someone whose work I would love to see in person, and hope to someday soon! There is also a post on the MCC site where you can see Lisa Nilsson's studio, which is always my favorite extra tidbit to see about contemporary artists.

the newengland craft conniseuer

Check out this great on line craft publication written by Janet Shepard

www.ne-crafts.com

Sewing Machine Mechaninism

Someone was asking me about how a sewing machine works, and why there are 2 threads. Maybe it was someone at WSAC? Regardless, since there have been a bunch of sew-ers and fabric related projects, take a look at this mesmerizing gif of how it works.

Cool right?

Interviewed about art and craft in Boston

The Bazaar Bizarre Boston organizers got interviewed by WBUR to talk about the continued rise of art, crafts, and handmade economies. Andrea Shea from WBUR interviewed 4 out of 7 of us and it was really fun! The piece will likely only feature one or two of us, and will be on Morning Edition tomorrow, either at 5:50 and 7:50, or at 6:50 and 8:50 if you want to tune in and listen. It will also be posted on WBUR afterwards, and I will be sure to post a link!

Getting set up for silkscreening

I haven't been set up for silkscreening in years, but I'm getting ready to get started all over again. Exciting!

Rad Artist installment #3

I think I have made 2 other posts about cool artists? Well, I am going to start giving them all this subject so I can keep track of who I have seen and loved their work.

Just saw Debbie Smyth's work (sadly, only on the internet!). HOLY CRAP her work is so cool. Specifically Lauren, Alex and Danielle might be into this woman's work because of her use of thread, multimedia, and handwritten text, but I think a lot of the WSAC artists would be into the style of her work.




So cool! Her piece 'Fly Away Home' that is the first series of images from initial sketch to finalized installation is what first drew me in. Her use of the space, the thread, pins, and the cut out handwritten text is so great. Debbie Smyth is definitely an artist I will be looking out for places to see her work in real life.