Painting in Progress

The newest painting I’m working on, to be completed and ready to show off at the Seraphine Music and Arts Jubilee: https://www.facebook.com/events/282583538563781/

Art Life

At the Seraphine Music & Arts Jubilee, taking place May 23rd at the East Room in Nashville, I will be passing out my contact info along with a “teaser” so to speak about a non-profit I would like to start. 
Several years ago I started Art Life with another local artist, Hannah Sheehan. The group was meant to be an artists collective, giving everyone involved exhibition opportunities, a chance to network with other artists, and to one day have its own gallery with affordable studio space and a supply sharing program. We organized many successful shows, but the group eventually disbanded.

For a long time I have wanted to bring Art Life back, but have wanted to expand the dream a little further. Rather than just striving to one day provide affordable studio space, why not housing too? After all, most artists I know struggle to balance a busy schedule between their work and their day jobs. And what good would a studio space do if they barely had any time to spend in it? 

I have always loved artist residency programs – the idea of giving an artist the time they need away from everything else to immerse themselves in their art and the art of those around them. But most artist residency programs aren’t designed to accommodate families, and Murfreesboro does not have one of these programs, family-friendly or otherwise.

So the dream is to one day open Murfreesboro’s own artist residency program where both artists and musicians can live, with their spouses, partners, and children if needed, rent-free with their own studio, access to an art gallery, a recording studio, and a music venue. In exchange for their housing they will spend a short amount of time each week working at some part of the facility.

They will also be required to spend a certain amount of time during their stay servicing the community in some way (aside from their art exhibits at the facility). There will be established programs providing free art and music classes to low-income areas that might not otherwise have access to these kinds of activities, but artists are also free and encouraged to come up with their own ideas for how to fill their community outreach requirements – such as organizing a charity exhibit or concert (or both) or starting a community garden on the grounds, just as a few ideas. 

Several times a week special meals will be served for all of the residents (could be sponsored by local restaurants?), but as for food and other things needed during their stay, stipends will be available to some (maybe one day everyone), but those who don’t receive stipends will be encouraged to find a part time job. Full-time work won’t be allowed, because working a 40 hour job outside of the program would defeat the purpose of giving people free housing so that they can focus on their work. The beauty of a part-time job, especially if it is for a local business, is that it provides the artist with extra opportunities to be engaged in the community and make more connections that could possibly benefit their career.

Classrooms will also be available for artists to use to teach workshops and seminars. They can do this for profit or as part of their community service requirements. 

Another amenity will be a small publishing house, which could also give internship opportunities to local writers and college students interested in journalism or the publishing industry. The publication would keep everyone up to date on all of the happenings at the facility – all of the exhibits, concerts, artist features, etc. 

The beauty of Murfreesboro is that it is it’s own little area with tons of untouched potential, but it is also close enough to Nashville so that artists could make the relatively short commute and look for career opportunities there. The Ryman Lofts in Nashville are also now available and might offer a more permanent living situation to some artists as they leave the residency program. 

Artists would have to be accepted into the program based on review from the board of directors. They would have to have letters of recommendation, a good portfolio (or demo), and would have to show proof that they were a low-income family (or at least that they would be during their stay, after leaving their “day jobs”).

This is the start of everything. And it may never go anywhere, but this is my dream and I am ready to release it from my brain and start getting it out there into the world. At this point I need to work on a solid mission statement, more clear outlines of everything, and do lots and lots of research. I don’t know how I can ever make this dream come true, but I certainly can’t lose anything from trying.

Upcoming Events

A couple of things are on the horizon that are very exciting! 

First and foremost….

The Seraphine Music & Arts Jubiliee will be held at The East Room at 2412 Gallatin Ave., Nashville, TN on Friday, May 23rd beginning at 8pm. The event is curated by Mai Harris to give artists and musicians the opportunity to come together and share what they do on an equal level. While most shows have one or the other as the headlining entertainment, this event strives to give music and art equal attention, allowing the two mediums to intertwine and overlap in as many different ways as possible.
Musical performances will include the following local bands: The Grayces, Featuring Richard Koozie, Good Sex, and Thunderfrog. Artists Tyler Bates, Jeff Bertrand, and Mai Harris will be painting while the bands play, creating art work directly influenced and inspired by the live music. Visual art will be displayed in every way possible throughout the venue space. Some other artists exhibiting work the night of the show will be Jeff Bertrand; well-known Nashville artist, Alicia and Travis Maynard; owners of Murfreesboro’s Lime Tiger, Mai Harris; curator of the event and local artist, and Ryan Frizzel who is also a member of one of the bands performing, Thunderfrog.
Anyone wanting more information about the Seraphine Music & Arts jubilee should contact Mai Harris. Maiharris27@gmail.com

___________________________________________________________________________

The following night The East Room will also be the location for the Purple People Eater Art & Music Show…..
https://www.facebook.com/events/547076768739568/?fref=ts

Also, coming later this year, I have a second Arts & Music Jubilee in the works that will be taking place in Murfreesboro, TN, as well as an Essential Tremors benefit show featuring the work of myself and Alyssa Strickland of Articulation Creations.

Thanks for checking in! More updates to come!

 

Truckin’ Along….

So sorry, bloggers, for having been MIA! Life gets crazy sometimes, and things, such as blogs, get neglected. However, I come bearing exciting news. The first photo shoot for the “No Means No, Yes Means Yes” community photo project went down beautifully. Our photographer, Jessica Storvik, demonstrated her genius abilities with the camera, and many people took their stand against rape culture with variety, creativity, humor, passion, bravery, and just all around awesomeness. And it’s just the beginning. The next photo shoot goes down this Saturday. If you live near the Mboro, TN area and would like to participate, just drop me a line or two and I’ll set you up with all of the info. 😉

FORCE – Artfully and Brilliantly Upsetting Rape Culture

Recently I’ve began following the efforts of FORCE – a feminist activist group that is “upsetting rape culture.” Their mission statement reads:

Upsetting Rape Culture is an artistic effort to agitate the culture of rape and promote a culture of consent. The curators of this project are employing a variety of tactics to disrupt the silence that surrounds sexual violence and call attention to the images that perpetuate the culture of rape. We envision a world where sex is empowering and pleasurable rather than coercive and violent.

One of their most recent elaborate schemes involved launching a faux Victoria’s Secret line of underwear, juxtaposing phrases like “Consent is sexy,” “Ask first,” and “No means no” against the typical VS lines like “Unwrap me.” They released press statements, launched a website, and even did brief interviews all under the guise of being actual VS representatives before the big “launch” which involved tons of members discreetly dropping the revised underwear into store bins in over a dozen stores throughout North America and Europe. VS lawyers have been called onto the scene to investigate the matter and see what legal standing they have in stopping the movement, but since FORCE never attempted to sell the underwear or to make any profit using the VS brand name, they don’t seem to have a lot of power, for now, in shutting down this brilliant plan.

Most of the criticism they have received for the remodeled VS line is that no one can actually purchase the underwear, but they’ve encouraged interested parties to create their own. However, some people argue that FORCE is just contributing to the problem by using a woman’s sexuality as their only form of activism. In an interview with Bitch Magazine, organizers stated:

 It’s this argument of, “Why does feminism always need to be fuckable? You got all this attention because you’re using women’s bodies, using sex appeal.” I think what’s happened in feminism is sex has become this very polarizing position where both options are limiting. You have option A, where you’re an enlightened feminist that would never let yourself be objectified and option B, which is like being an ignorant bimbo with your tits out. And both those options are limiting! We’ve had people say, “If you really want to be taken seriously, you need to be in business suits, not your underwear.” And we’re like, ‘Whoa. Actually, I should be able to be in my underwear and be respected. The two shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.” It’s important for us to move beyond the point where our culture is stuck. I don’t think it’s just feminists who do this. When you look at images of women who are sexualized and smart, her sexuality is always the focus, her intelligence is diminished. If she’s supposed to be smart, her sexuality has to be confined in a pantsuit.

I attempted to do some digging and find real examples of exactly what VS has on the market right now. We all know the deal – first thing you see in any VS store are giant bins and drawers in the PINK section that feature a plethora of underwear, several sections dedicated entirely to bikini cuts and thongs with various sexual teaser phrases plastered on the bottom and crotch area. But oddly enough I could not find any of these underwear listed on their website. It’s possible I’m not looking in the right spot or that they never feature those specific panties online, but it did make me wonder if they recently edited them out of the site to prevent further possible criticism. The only thing I could currently find was a peak at their St.Patrick’s Day line featuring one pair of thongs that read “Feeling lucky?”

However, I don’t believe FORCE was ever necessarily trying to place blame on VS for promoting ideas of rape, but rather just using their wide-known brand and market to send an additional message. It would have been a true sign of the times (ideal times, that is) if VS had stepped forward and embraced the movement. Why not? Why wouldn’t they want to promote consent if they didn’t feel it in someway contradicted whatever message they feel they’re currently sending? I imagine many of their investors and business ties are probably males who would find the campaign offensive, but embracing it would only promote them further with the astounding amount of publicity, good and bad, they would receive. More importantly  just think of the impact it would have on the younger girls who have already began purchasing VS products in an attempt to make the first step in coming to terms with their budding sexuality. You would think a company would want to show a stronger allegiance to their client-base who are females. Regardless of if they feel a male influence is what is driving the women to their purchases, what a perfect opportunity to take a stand and make a real change in how female sexuality is viewed. They could reverse the idea that it exists only to serve a man’s desires and make the statement once and for all that a woman is sexual for her own reasons, motivations, and pleasures. For anyone who says we have no prominent issues for women in today’s society, I cite this example for how mainstream America really does cling to a male-bias.

FORCE’s “operation panty drop” isn’t their only recent campaign for fighting rape culture. On Valentine’s Day members of the group created a giant sort of raft made of letters that formed the phrase “I can’t forget what happened but no one else remembers” and set it afloat in the reflecting pool that sits in front of the Lincoln Memorial in DC. The statement was a poetic phrase written by a rape survivor, and the event was intended to send out a call for a permanent memorial for rape victims and survivors. FORCE states:

“We want to build a national memorial to survivors, because we want to live in a country that holds public and supportive space for survivors to heal.  We want to build a national memorial to survivors because we want to live in a country that believes rape can and must end.”

Witnesses of the event described it as beautiful and haunting. I can not think of a better way to bring much deserved and long over-due honor and recognition to victims of sexual assault. Acts of boldness like this are what will finally force America to stop ignoring the fact that 1 in 3 women have experienced attempted or completed sexual assault. With statistics like that it really makes you wonder what the problem is exactly. If it were a treatable disease or mental illness, pharmaceutical companies would be all over it in a heartbeat. They’d have new drugs up for approval by tomorrow probably. If it were a crime that affected both men and women equally, it would be considered a national epidemic by everyone. Plug those numbers into crimes that are regularly recognized as “real problems” by law enforcement and politicians. What if 1 in every 3 children were molested? God, what if 1 in every 3 people were murdered? What if 1 in every 3 men were raped? (1 out of every ten rape victims are male) For people who say we aren’t dealing with rape culture, I ask you to really think about why more attention isn’t being brought to the matter on a daily basis. When is the last time you heard a politician publicly speak on ways we can work to prevent rape and rape culture? When is the last time you heard any male politician even use the phrase “rape culture”?

I recommend doing more research if you need more convincing on why our society still has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the issue of violence towards women. It should get you asking yourself and others some hard questions. Then what? Speak up. And get involved with groups like FORCE. Their guerrilla art methods for raising awareness and sending the message that women won’t stand for this issue being ignored any longer really brings me hope. I can’t remember the last time I felt so inspired by a movement. Not only does it do wonders to bring attention to women’s issues of today, but it really shows potential for a new revival within the art world. It reminds artists that visual art still can be powerful and make a difference.

~A Day for Lovers~

Happy Valentine’s Day, fellow bloggers!
To celebrate, I give you pieces of my HeArt….
XOXO

photo by Libby Bulloff

photo by Libby Bulloff

by Mai Harris

Also, here are my music recommendations for this day, and well, every other day, too.

Bedroom Eyes by Dum Dum Girls
First Love Never Die by Soko
You Really Got A Hold On Me by She & Him
Fake It by Candypants
Things Change by Caitlin Rose
Together by Earl Lee Grace
Anyway You Like It by Holly Golightly
It’s All Okay by Julia Stone
AND….Dear Johnny by Miss Derringer

One Love – The Beauty of Earthsoul

https://www.facebook.com/events/285826484878713/

This past Saturday we attended Earthsoul gallery’s one year anniversary show which I felt honored to be a part of. I have had work in Earthsoul since that first exhibition one year ago, including my solo show, To Stand Strong. My solo show was a true testament to gallery owner Angela Elkin’s dedication to her beliefs about the art world. I was turned down by gallery after gallery, each saying that the art community in Smyrna and Murfreesboro, TN just wasn’t strong enough to support solo shows. Less people attend solo shows in these areas, which isn’t something to play around with in an already dry market. If fifty people or more attend an opening and another twenty visit in the following exhibition dates, artists and gallery workers are lucky to sell a handful of pieces. Which means, for a solo show you are lucky to sell one or two small pieces. But Angela enthusiastically welcomed my exhibition because she believed in my work and wanted it to be shared with as many as possible. It is that dedication and pure, undying love for art that makes Earthsoul such a special place. Her energy alone seeps into the space infecting everyone who enters its doors. On several occasions visitors have confessed an almost “supernatural” good feeling about the gallery and what it will accomplish.

Angela was a classmate of mine at Watkins College of Art & Design. Like many students of Watkins, we felt disheartened by the elitist mentality commonly encountered in the art world. We spent many hours ranting and raving to each other that art needed to be accessible and welcoming to all who had an open mind to it, not just to those who had the extensive knowledge it took to decode the subtle and dense symbolism packed into most contemporary art today. We recognized and understood that every human being has a primal connection to visual art, meaning every single person can both create and appreciate art if only they can be given the proper environment and community as context.

Years later I was delighted to see that Angela had truly gone the distance with her vision, embodying every detail of her dream down to the exact building she wanted her gallery to be in and the decor she had spent hours meticulously planning. It is every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be, and her hard work and determination in making that dream come true is alive and well and all too evident in the success of this past year. Saturday night’s opening served as a gateway for that infectious quality Earthsoul has become known for in my mind as well as the other artists that have had the pleasure of being involved.

Every artist exhibiting in this show is amazingly talented and I am excited to be showing with them. Not only that, but every single one of them I have spoken to seems to share in that same grander vision for the art community that is the fuel to Earthsoul’s fire. Every new endeavor Angela takes on strives to connect her community through art, strengthening Rutherford County’s appreciation for art as well as reviving that sense of community that is becoming so lost within today’s self-focused society.

Earthsoul is located at 307 Hazelwood Dr. in Smryna, TN.
Hours: Wed – Thu: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Fri: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Sat: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
(615) 462-6051

Words from back in the olden days….

This weekend, I will have work in EarthSoul’s one year anniversary show, and if you live in the middle TN area you should definitely check it out. I’ll write up a few words about the reception come early next week. Here is the FB event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/464949500232819/?ref=ts&fref=ts

On another note, I found an old journal of mine the other day, which is the type of thing that can be wonderful or painful. But there were actually a few poems that took me by surprise, and I have decided to share them with you. If you don’t like poetry, read no further. If you do, you might not want to read either because I don’t know that they’re any good. But if you’re somewhere in between and you know nothing about poetry but don’t mind it….these are for you….

ODE TO SYLVIA

Today is my epic deathblow.

It’s a marathon run,

For the people to blame.

Because it’s dark
and the “stars” are flaking.
My throat has swollen up
from the dust.
The dead skin cuts

deeper than you’d think.
Yet the smoke still
seeps through to sink.
And its my own
suffering marrow.
Now I’m the snide one
who is closest.
The privileged one.
My feet are blessed
to creep around aching,
And make my guesses
just the same.
He could fight away the sting,
cushion a bloated organ.
Filled with biting little white cells,
shedding themselves of outflow.
They said I had too many to function.
So that’s why they can’t be trusted.
Three by three, and two by seven,
All before August.
Eight passed by in this game.
And surely the time
is almost up.
This flawed appendage
will shrink.
It’s not bleeding to regrow.
Rather its sore,
like those roasting deep scratches.
Hurt, inches away and aging
from the red skin rusting.
Instead, this unkind tide
can be heard in tempo.
Right around the corner,
with perfect aim,
taunting me to rethink.
Its slowly rolling in
under disguise,
but a weapon all the same.
With all of its lifeless,
dull, aching pain in motion.
Full of things to get tangled in,
for crushing, like jellyfish tentacles.
So many poisonous cells
to drink down the deepest.
They’re heartless,
mindless with blame.
They can’t hear you
scream into your pillow,
But you’re used to that type.
Better to keep your black tongue
bit and broken,
as you choke on the salt,
and throw up the water.
The arguments are
peeling off the weakest.
Going to live
with all those cells, I think.
This acerbic sacrifice,
this mordant bump,
with all of its stretching sorrow.
My coat of rapture
and logical things.
Poking out of the coffin,
gone off for coddling,
for his bar stools and fame.
His futile stories to tell and proclaim,
after all, if someone should
get what they’re wanting,
it should be the one
who dreams with ego.
Toothless beer guts and bourbon,
green-toothed drive-thru binges.
Acid drips saying, “did not care”
onto skin dissolving in and out,
screeching, “does not care”
And now, here, see,
this pink egg bubbles,
wrapped in the skin
of your sleeping tongue.
It was warm and safe,
it rested like a promise….
Your stomach told in a joke,
the punch line to name.
But, still, once below….
must have hurried back to Eden.
No one to start over again,
even for faking.
Barbed flashbacks of hell,
over and over,
Trespassed.
Without warning,
without disclaimer.
The pattern of swallowing.

BALL

Someone will come along and see
me here, so lost in this.
These fish scales, peach and green
nets of tiny planets
turning white, four by four,
as the light leaves its fingerprint.
Seaweed sneaking
away under the bed, inch by inch.
It’s only a tangent,
although a valid one.
Because that’s what Universes
are made of.
Those are the grapes just floating,
bobbing in the air.
The ones we could use,
though they’re just tiny parts.
Dancing together at the ball,
in bubbling dresses,
soon all to leave.
Going home to their
less magnificent
corners of the room.
But at this moment,
it’s monumental.

MANIC

Maybe it’s Mania,
maybe it’s sickness,
This tick,
that loses the winters.
Who needs it anyways?
Spring was what mattered,
carrying that January stream,
carrying a blessing
to blocked and infected tubes.
No one could blame me,
so you’d think,
and yet they do.
Death and murder,
justice and valor.
Oh, God,
wherever have you gone….

ANATOMY

These bones may be strong and these muscles tough,
but be rest-assured, they are breaking.
All these twisting blood roots, they raise like warnings,
and, just like that, the heart becomes the enemy.
Like the joke he told as all hands were held,
with a web resting on that heart.
And know for certain that it is a sickness
with a perfected fit.
And it will, oh it will, Tighten.

 

01/26 @ WallStreet in Mboro, TN

I had very high hopes for last Saturday night’s show at Wallstreet. A friend told us to check out Thelma and the Sleaze a week or two ago, and I was instantly in love. I have to admit I am pretty sexist when it comes to music. I am just a fiend for all-female made music, and its harder than you’d think to find good local female musicians/singers, especially in the punk/rock/grunge genre. And even when I do find something I can get into, I tend to judge it on the “local” scale. By that I mean it may not be something I would listen to were it from somewhere else, and a vast part of my appreciation for it is just based on the fact that it is local. BUT this is NOT the case with Thelma and the Sleaze. Its just so good….and I can honestly say I would dig it just as much even if they weren’t from TN. So combine those high expectations with what I already knew of the other great bands on the bill, and as I said I had pretty high hopes. And I was not disapointed.

I had never heard the Stiff Licks before, but they were a lot of fun. Their set seemed pretty short, but it was a perfect opening for the evening- Set the perfect tone.
Roman Polanski’s Baby is always a pleasure to see. The first time I saw them they were playing with a bunch of bands that sounded nothing like them, so I was quite taken back when they started. This was my second or third time seeing them, and I’m not sure if it was the better sound quality of WallStreet or if they have just really stepped up and perfected their sound, but it was a much more polished version of what I remembered hearing before. All I could think was “too cool.” Not in today’s overused sense of the phrase, but in the old school way. Their set is just packed with so much spunk and attitude, and they have their own unique qualities that really set them a part from other grunge bands playing around town right now.
And then came Thelma and the Sleaze. The lead singer’s vocals are absolutely phenomenal and she brings so much presence and personality to the music – through her look, her mannerisms, and, most importantly, her voice. She belts everything out powerfully and perfectly with just the right amount of grit. The same can be said for the music, with each member showing off a great deal of talent. Would love to see them play again soon, while I still can. They are one of those bands you watch and get the feeling that they won’t be local for long. I can see them going far.
And last but not least Young Wolves rocked it as always. I love Young Wolves’ ability to sound great no matter where they play. I have seen them all over town, including outdoors for Tour De Fun, and while the arena usually seems to affect how I am able to judge the quality of the music, this group always seems to accomplish the same effect on me. My only guess is that this is from a well-balanced combination of both skill and distortion.

I have mentioned on here before that I am slowly piecing together a book, and Saturday’s night show was inspiring enough to draw a small bit of writing out of me. I’ll be fitting it into a larger part of a story somehow, but here’s a taste of it….

She belted out something that was either part of a song or part of an orgasm. I couldn’t tell. The two things were one in the same at that point. Maybe it was the alcohol forcing the differences between me and her and us, the room, the music and the edges of everything to all bleed together….fusing together like water twisting down a drain, with me right in the middle of the vortex it created. Maybe it was just my own passion and mania that caused it. Or maybe both. But regardless of where it was coming from, I felt embodied by the music. Possessed. The spirit in the air seemed so tangible I almost thought I could taste it dripping down the back of my throat, like hot cum. In that moment I realized I was a whore for art. It had been a long, bumpy ride. A fiery unstable marriage that had probably gone on too long and everyone wondered why the hell we didn’t just call it quits. But damnit, I just loved her. Couldn’t quit her. That bitch called art. She ran my heart through a pasta machine and was playing cat’s cradle with the stringy remains. But she always mushed the pieces back together again when she was done, leaving me bruised and tainted but still in tact well enough to walk around and kind of pretend to be alive. And the juices from the massacre landed somewhere nearby, leaving a small trace of evidence for everyone to see. I hung those on walls of galleries so that maybe someone would take pity and give me money to compensate me for my troubles.

So there’s that….and that is all.
Soon to come: my take on cosmopolitans and Cosmopolitan, more writing tidbits, and possibly another local write-up this weekend? We’ll see.
XOXO

As Promised: EarthSoul, Marchesa Luisa Casati, and Frida Kahlo

Previous post noted that I will be doing a write up on the show at WallStreet tonight, but I probably won’t get to a computer to post it until Tuesday or Wednesday. So here is some neato reading to tide you over until then….

Angela Elkins informed me about EarthSoul’s upcoming anniversarry show, and while I was there to drop off some new work a guy from the DNJ showed up to interview her about the gallery’s progress and goals and involvement in the new Smyrna Arts Commission. He talked to me a little too. Below is the internet version, but if you can get your hands on a hard copy it features a picture of Angela and I in front of one of my newest paintings.
http://www.dnj.com/article/20130125/BUSINESS/301240034?fb_action_ids=10151174328126734&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=artsharetop&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%2210151174328126734%22%3A138518296308358%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151174328126734%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%7B%2210151174328126734%22%3A%22artsharetop%22%7D&nclick_check=1

I was recently delighted to discover that the wardrobe of Frida Kahlo is now on display in New Mexico. My favorite part about this article is the bit about how her clothes have been locked up since her death, so that now the aroma of cigarettes and perfume still lingers and of course there are still smudges of paint on the garments. If anyone is planning to go to this exhibit before it ends in November, please contact me for the possibility of a group trip.

Frida Kahlo’s Wardrobe Unlocked and on Display After Nearly 60 Years

The Frida Kahlo article lead me to another very interesting piece about the “original Lady GaGa,” who was the one and only Marchesa Luisa Casati. I had never heard about her before, so it was an exciting discovery for me. I love that she often traveled in the company of exotic pets, including two tigers. Good read!
http://www.messynessychic.com/2011/04/07/who-was-the-original-lady-gaga-hint-it-wasnt-madonna/