04/07: Public Benefits of the Arts
The following is from Arts Plan NJ. Due to our two most recent governors' hatchet jobs on arts funding, it is critical that this information be made public.
Do you know about the economic benefits of the arts?
The nonprofit arts in New Jersey is a $1.5 billion annual industry that supports 17,000 arts-related businesses and employs or supports the employment of over 80,000 New Jerseyans. In 2007, New Jersey ranked eighth in the nation in numbers of arts-related employment and businesses. In addition, jobs in the arts and creative industries are growing sometimes at rates two and three-times the rates of other industries. More than 65,000 professional artists call New Jersey home and this year alone the nonprofit arts will produce over 10,000 public events and draw audiences in excess of 18,000,000. Those patrons will spend more than twice the cost of their tickets in the local economy. The arts are good business and artists are powerful creative capital.
Do you know about the educational benefits of the arts?
According to a recent Harris Poll, an overwhelming 93% of Americans believe the arts are vital to a well-rounded education. More than half rate the importance of arts education a “ten” on a scale of one-to-ten. The study and practice of the arts are essential to a quality and complete K-12 education as well as to lifelong education. Students who study the arts learn invaluable life and professional skills that prepare them well for the 21st century workplace in which creativity and integrative thinking, as well as teamwork, self-discipline and self-confidence are essential.
Do you know about the economic benefits of the arts?
The nonprofit arts in New Jersey is a $1.5 billion annual industry that supports 17,000 arts-related businesses and employs or supports the employment of over 80,000 New Jerseyans. In 2007, New Jersey ranked eighth in the nation in numbers of arts-related employment and businesses. In addition, jobs in the arts and creative industries are growing sometimes at rates two and three-times the rates of other industries. More than 65,000 professional artists call New Jersey home and this year alone the nonprofit arts will produce over 10,000 public events and draw audiences in excess of 18,000,000. Those patrons will spend more than twice the cost of their tickets in the local economy. The arts are good business and artists are powerful creative capital.
Do you know about the educational benefits of the arts?
According to a recent Harris Poll, an overwhelming 93% of Americans believe the arts are vital to a well-rounded education. More than half rate the importance of arts education a “ten” on a scale of one-to-ten. The study and practice of the arts are essential to a quality and complete K-12 education as well as to lifelong education. Students who study the arts learn invaluable life and professional skills that prepare them well for the 21st century workplace in which creativity and integrative thinking, as well as teamwork, self-discipline and self-confidence are essential.
"The Universe of Keith Haring" directed by Christina Clausen
A film review by Karey Maurice Counts
The film documents the career of one of the most efficient producers of contemporary art anyone has known since Picasso who hold the Guinness Book of World records title for producing the most artifacts
by a single artist.
While Picasso's career as an artist lasted several decades, the production was consistent and steady over a period of time, where as Keith Haring's career was quite the opposite, it only lasted ten years and friend Jean-Michel Basquiat even shorter than that just breaking the lucky seven benchmark.
This is a very poignant point to this film because once you know this fact you can begin to understand the time in which these two artist lived and produced an phenomenal amount of work before surcomming to their very own personal, but yet publicly displayed passions of sex and drugs. Given the situation at hand Keith chose to live his life on a high level of activism and he touched on subjects that no one had the balls to confront but clearly recognized when seeing such subjects in his work.
As Keith became more comfortable with his homosexuality and the threat of contracting AIDS he produced numerous works of art dedicated to the fight against HIV and related social causes that affected the gay community as well as other human rights issues at large.
A film review by Karey Maurice Counts
The film documents the career of one of the most efficient producers of contemporary art anyone has known since Picasso who hold the Guinness Book of World records title for producing the most artifacts
by a single artist.
While Picasso's career as an artist lasted several decades, the production was consistent and steady over a period of time, where as Keith Haring's career was quite the opposite, it only lasted ten years and friend Jean-Michel Basquiat even shorter than that just breaking the lucky seven benchmark.
This is a very poignant point to this film because once you know this fact you can begin to understand the time in which these two artist lived and produced an phenomenal amount of work before surcomming to their very own personal, but yet publicly displayed passions of sex and drugs. Given the situation at hand Keith chose to live his life on a high level of activism and he touched on subjects that no one had the balls to confront but clearly recognized when seeing such subjects in his work.
As Keith became more comfortable with his homosexuality and the threat of contracting AIDS he produced numerous works of art dedicated to the fight against HIV and related social causes that affected the gay community as well as other human rights issues at large.
Philadelphia Tattoo Convention
By Luanne Smith-Kanevsky
You gotta love irony. We Americans seem to do it so well with a straight face or, dare I say it, without even realizing what’s at hand is ironic. Take the recent Philadelphia Tattoo Convention, for example. Three days in the Sheraton in downtown Philadelphia. What could be more normal, more mundane, more American, than a convention at the Sheraton Hotel in a major U.S. city?
The word itself—convention—means normal and mundane. Customary. The usual, please.
But a tattoo convention? Forget the suitcase wrinkled, navy blue business suits, the muted or power red neckties, the low heels on the women for comfort, the bad chicken dinners and boring speakers and the visual aid slides or transparencies or business models and laser pointers. Forget the drone of yet another seminar. Forget the happy hour at the hotel bar meant to “loosen up” the business atmosphere and allow for continued discussion of today’s topics, networking and, just maybe, the occasional cheating on the spouse. Go to bed early because tomorrow’s meetings start early? No way.
Walking up to the Sheraton on the weekend of March 6-9, 2009, and, in spite of the 22 degree weather, the first thing we see is a tall, slightly doughy man with no shirt on and a body suit of green, red, blue, and yellow tattoos creating a vest of artwork on his upper body. His hair is a messy, neck length brown, a pile of straw, if he were a blonde. His earrings—yes, earrings, not a necktie—are heavy gold hoops crowding one ear’s edge. He’s smoking outside with many, many others—most far more covered up in the cold weather than Mr. No-shirt. He has the beginnings of middle-age man boobs going on. He doesn’t care. At this convention, what is conventional is showing off the ink, and that’s exactly what Mr. No-shirt is doing. He’s showing off hours of art work, pain, pinpricks of blood and the whorls and sweeps, the cherry blossoms next to the scowling samurai face of traditional Japanese tattoo—and art—design.
By Luanne Smith-Kanevsky
You gotta love irony. We Americans seem to do it so well with a straight face or, dare I say it, without even realizing what’s at hand is ironic. Take the recent Philadelphia Tattoo Convention, for example. Three days in the Sheraton in downtown Philadelphia. What could be more normal, more mundane, more American, than a convention at the Sheraton Hotel in a major U.S. city?
The word itself—convention—means normal and mundane. Customary. The usual, please.
But a tattoo convention? Forget the suitcase wrinkled, navy blue business suits, the muted or power red neckties, the low heels on the women for comfort, the bad chicken dinners and boring speakers and the visual aid slides or transparencies or business models and laser pointers. Forget the drone of yet another seminar. Forget the happy hour at the hotel bar meant to “loosen up” the business atmosphere and allow for continued discussion of today’s topics, networking and, just maybe, the occasional cheating on the spouse. Go to bed early because tomorrow’s meetings start early? No way.
Walking up to the Sheraton on the weekend of March 6-9, 2009, and, in spite of the 22 degree weather, the first thing we see is a tall, slightly doughy man with no shirt on and a body suit of green, red, blue, and yellow tattoos creating a vest of artwork on his upper body. His hair is a messy, neck length brown, a pile of straw, if he were a blonde. His earrings—yes, earrings, not a necktie—are heavy gold hoops crowding one ear’s edge. He’s smoking outside with many, many others—most far more covered up in the cold weather than Mr. No-shirt. He has the beginnings of middle-age man boobs going on. He doesn’t care. At this convention, what is conventional is showing off the ink, and that’s exactly what Mr. No-shirt is doing. He’s showing off hours of art work, pain, pinpricks of blood and the whorls and sweeps, the cherry blossoms next to the scowling samurai face of traditional Japanese tattoo—and art—design.
02/07: SLANT - exhibition review
by Kathryn McFadden
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind
—Emily Dickinson
The exhibition Double Bind: Women Telling it Slant ran in the Rowan University Art Gallery from February 16 – March 20 to honor Women’s History Month. The exhibit was conceived when I found myself in an impossible situation. I had followed all the “rules” but was still criticized. Nothing on my part would remedy the circumstances. I was frustrated and mulling it over when I visited an exhibit at the Hood Museum. On the wall of a gallery there was a quote by Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu. In essence it stated that women carry all that is desired and disdained within a culture. Ah, the double bind! Her succinct words struck my heart and jump-started this curatorial intervention.
A person in a double bind experiences a conflicting message, whereby the action taken is wrong no matter what choice they make. Whether inflicted by those in power or self-imposed, double binds singularly hold women to established roles and boundaries.
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind
—Emily Dickinson
The exhibition Double Bind: Women Telling it Slant ran in the Rowan University Art Gallery from February 16 – March 20 to honor Women’s History Month. The exhibit was conceived when I found myself in an impossible situation. I had followed all the “rules” but was still criticized. Nothing on my part would remedy the circumstances. I was frustrated and mulling it over when I visited an exhibit at the Hood Museum. On the wall of a gallery there was a quote by Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu. In essence it stated that women carry all that is desired and disdained within a culture. Ah, the double bind! Her succinct words struck my heart and jump-started this curatorial intervention.
A person in a double bind experiences a conflicting message, whereby the action taken is wrong no matter what choice they make. Whether inflicted by those in power or self-imposed, double binds singularly hold women to established roles and boundaries.
It’s hard to believe that a whole year has flown by since The Barn Studio of Art was reorganized as a New Jersey Non-profit Corporation. The Barn has had a very active and productive year, and it’s been a learning experience for all involved. For friends of The Barn, old and new, 2009 promises to be both busy and fulfilling moving forward.
Review of Long Distance by Kathryn McFadden
It is frequently said that life is journey. Life’s intimate relationships formed and unraveled over time are the subject of the works of Philadelphia painter Elyce Abrams. She applies the metaphor of emotional journeys literally and figuratively to her vibrant panel paintings for her third solo exhibition at Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Center City (April 23 – May 30). Titled Long Distance the name lends itself to a number of interpretations. For one, to examine the twelve narrow paintings that dominate the gallery the viewer must walk their extended span. From an interior perspective, a fractured or unstable personal relationship almost always entails physical distancing as well as emotional alienation.
It is frequently said that life is journey. Life’s intimate relationships formed and unraveled over time are the subject of the works of Philadelphia painter Elyce Abrams. She applies the metaphor of emotional journeys literally and figuratively to her vibrant panel paintings for her third solo exhibition at Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Center City (April 23 – May 30). Titled Long Distance the name lends itself to a number of interpretations. For one, to examine the twelve narrow paintings that dominate the gallery the viewer must walk their extended span. From an interior perspective, a fractured or unstable personal relationship almost always entails physical distancing as well as emotional alienation.
02/07: Trash Picked - Arte Povera
By Kathryn McFadden
The exhibit titled Trash Picked: Contemporary Arte Povera took place in the Rowan University Art Gallery January 12 through February 6, and was curated by this writer. It has been 41 years since the first exhibition of works by artists who embraced the movement Arte Povera (“Poor Art”) in Italy during the1960s. Lasting only a decade, Arte Povera artists did not have a distinguishing style or fixed theoretical methodology seen in other movements of the era such as Photorealism and Minimalism.
The exhibit titled Trash Picked: Contemporary Arte Povera took place in the Rowan University Art Gallery January 12 through February 6, and was curated by this writer. It has been 41 years since the first exhibition of works by artists who embraced the movement Arte Povera (“Poor Art”) in Italy during the1960s. Lasting only a decade, Arte Povera artists did not have a distinguishing style or fixed theoretical methodology seen in other movements of the era such as Photorealism and Minimalism.
by Ricki Sablove
When it comes to seeing, there’s no time like summer. With its long days and searing sunlight, the season offers unparalleled opportunities for tracking down nature’s fleeting tricks and hours for uninterrupted gazing at its more dazzling displays. In Sunshine and Flowers, a show that lit up Philadelphia’s Smile Gallery (105 S. 22nd St.) this July, two Delaware Valley artists, Ken Tutjamnong and Mike Sweeney, paid homage to the pure pleasure to be found simply by looking at what the sun has revealed–simply, of course, if you’re willing to seek it out. Fortunately for the viewer, Tutjamnong and Sweeney, along with curator Debra Miller, have done all the legwork.
A New Jersey painter, photographer, and educator, Mike Sweeney finds beauty in the smallest details. Whether it’s a blade of grass that seems to be calling us to see it while it’s looking its best, or the split second when a sunrise is at its most spectacular, Sweeney uncovers the hidden microcosms that elude lesser mortals, and opens our eyes to the possibility that we, too, might see something breathtaking at any moment.
When it comes to seeing, there’s no time like summer. With its long days and searing sunlight, the season offers unparalleled opportunities for tracking down nature’s fleeting tricks and hours for uninterrupted gazing at its more dazzling displays. In Sunshine and Flowers, a show that lit up Philadelphia’s Smile Gallery (105 S. 22nd St.) this July, two Delaware Valley artists, Ken Tutjamnong and Mike Sweeney, paid homage to the pure pleasure to be found simply by looking at what the sun has revealed–simply, of course, if you’re willing to seek it out. Fortunately for the viewer, Tutjamnong and Sweeney, along with curator Debra Miller, have done all the legwork.
A New Jersey painter, photographer, and educator, Mike Sweeney finds beauty in the smallest details. Whether it’s a blade of grass that seems to be calling us to see it while it’s looking its best, or the split second when a sunrise is at its most spectacular, Sweeney uncovers the hidden microcosms that elude lesser mortals, and opens our eyes to the possibility that we, too, might see something breathtaking at any moment.
04/09: How to Catch a Wild Pig
Submitted by Dennis Tawes
There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had
some exchange students in the class. One day while the class
was in the lab the Prof noticed one young man (exchange
student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if
his back hurt.
The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The
student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had
been shot while fighting communists in his native country
who were trying to overthrow his country's government
and install a new communist government.
There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had
some exchange students in the class. One day while the class
was in the lab the Prof noticed one young man (exchange
student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if
his back hurt.
The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The
student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had
been shot while fighting communists in his native country
who were trying to overthrow his country's government
and install a new communist government.
by Robin Rice - Guest Reviewer
2008 Highwater Sculpture Invitational Gallery of Fine Craft
WheatonArts & Cultural Center
1501 Glasstown Road
Millville, NJ 08332
1 800.998.4552
www.wheatonarts.org
Metal seems to be the common denominator of most of the unexpected combinations of materials in the third annual Highwater Sculpture Invitational at the Gallery of Fine Craft at WheatonArts. Approaches range from political to autobiographical to abstraction and virtually every work in the show has something worthwhile to offer.
There are two notably abstract artists among the fourteen in the show. Christoph Spath cleanly brackets small squared-off sections of greenish plate glass into natural two-tone grey basalt in Light Passage. Although color, textural, and linear contrasts engage in a kind of formalist dialogue, it is the penetration of light through the cool greenish, striated glass and its non-penetration of the warm-seeming weathered stone that makes this work memorable and beautiful.
2008 Highwater Sculpture Invitational Gallery of Fine Craft
WheatonArts & Cultural Center
1501 Glasstown Road
Millville, NJ 08332
1 800.998.4552
www.wheatonarts.org
Metal seems to be the common denominator of most of the unexpected combinations of materials in the third annual Highwater Sculpture Invitational at the Gallery of Fine Craft at WheatonArts. Approaches range from political to autobiographical to abstraction and virtually every work in the show has something worthwhile to offer.
There are two notably abstract artists among the fourteen in the show. Christoph Spath cleanly brackets small squared-off sections of greenish plate glass into natural two-tone grey basalt in Light Passage. Although color, textural, and linear contrasts engage in a kind of formalist dialogue, it is the penetration of light through the cool greenish, striated glass and its non-penetration of the warm-seeming weathered stone that makes this work memorable and beautiful.
