Posts from ‘Contemporary Art’
Sue Sommers (sue@suesommers.com) has sent out an appeal to anyone able to assist arts advocate Gregory Gaylor, whose studio burned down about a month ago. The fire destroyed his life’s work–all his art–his records, materials and, horrifically, even took the life of his cat. It’s almost impossible to imagine Gaylor’s pain. If you can help Gaylor begin anew, please mail your contributions to this fund, established to help him do just that. Mail your check to: The Gregory Gaylor Art Fund, Rock Springs National Bank, PO Box 880, Rock Springs, WY 82902. You may also email Gaylor your good wishes: kgaylor@sweetwaterhsa.com. Snail mail: 628 B Street, Rock Springs, WY, 82901.
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The Tayloe Piggott Gallery welcomes contemporary artists Celia Gerard and Tadaaki Kuwayama. A reception for the artists takes place Friday, May 18, 5-8 pm. Works remain up through July 10, 2012.
Kuwayama’s work uses simple geometric structure and color–grey and yellow wall panels are juxtaposed against 
cylindrical forms arranged on the gallery floor. There’s a John Cage-like sense of open space and music, of the simple rearrangement and compression of air, made visible through color. “Kuwayama can focus on color, the subtle patina of a green or pink, or silver that emanate across the surface of the aluminum squares or rectangles. Each painting is a presence, a harmonized order of form and color,” says the gallery.
The Teton County Library has selected Brian Brush and Yong Ju Lee’s Filament Mind as its new lobby entrance (designed by Gilday Architects) public art installation.
“Suspended threads of gossamer fiber optic cables will span the length of the new lobby, and each thread connects on the wall next to the label of a unique library subject category,” says the Library. “The cables will interface with the library’s own “mind,” the Wyoming State Library catalog. Each time a library user throughout Wyoming searches a person, place, idea or book, an individual fiber optic thread fires a glowing light or color related to the library subject category returned from that search. In this way, Filament Mind resembles a luminous “connectome,” or map, of synaptic brain activity, firing away the thoughts of people extended through the mind of the library.”
Guidelines for the Warhol Foundation’s Creative Capital Arts Writers Grant Programs are available. The program supports individual writers “whose work addresses contemporary visual art.” Grants range from $3,000 to $50,000. Says the Warhol Foundation, “The first program of its type, [Creative Capital] was founded in recognition of both the financially precarious situation of arts writers and their indispensable contribution to a vital artistic culture. The Arts Writers Grant Program aims to support the broad spectrum of writing on contemporary visual art, from general-audience criticism to academic scholarship.” The program is currently open for submissions. Submission deadline is Wednesday, June 6, 2012.
Writers may apply to these categories: Articles, Blogs, Books, New & Alternative Media, Short-Form Writing. For guidelines and a statement of the program’s mission, visit http://www.artswriters.org Additionally, an Art Writing Workshop program offers ”ten select applicants consultations with leading art critics.” For more information, visit http://www.aicausa.org.
Chicago, Chicago—-That city plans to bump up its international arts scene by repeating its successful “Gallery Weekend Chicago” this fall. The event is a compact arts festival, targeted to attract the nation’s highest end art collectors and curators to the city, and expose them in a very pointed way to the best of Chicago’s trending art. Here’s what “Gallery Weekend Chicago” is all about…..
A dozen of Chicago’s best contemporary art galleries participate. Visiting curators and collectors are chauffered to each of the galleries and museums for private tours; tours are led by Chicago’s own curators and arts specialists–arts historians, I would hope, and museum directors. Reservations at the city’s finest restaurants are secured, special menus planned. Private VIP parties happen. Chicago’s own prominent collectors help guide the process, mingle with the weekend’s guests, and sing the praises of local arts.
Chicago throws in a private boat tour. Jackson Hole’s version might arrange a series of educational expeditions into Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, and other regions. Jackson Hole’s exclusive dude ranches and collectors could open their doors. Eco-tours, river floats…you get the picture. Chicago has an official hotel for their event; we have so many great lodges that we might be able to rotate them annually. And why stop here? Let’s reach out to our friends in Cody~~~the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum, Simpson-Gallagher Gallery and other arts specialists would be partners. Schedule artists’ studio tours, arrange pack trips. Dubois is pretty cool!
On the evening of March 9, at 5:30 pm, the Art Association presents its popular fundraising sale, Whodunnit?, at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts Theater Lobby.
An annual favorite, Whodunnit? is a one-night event, exhibiting and selling many dozens (that’s my best estimate) of small works (6 x 6 inches) that sell for $99 each at the close of the evening. The twist is two-fold: 1) Artist identities are unknown 2) Works are sold by lottery to one of the list of bidders listing their name as wanting to purchase the art. Artists’ identities are revealed at the end of the evening, once works are purchased. Bidders might go home with works by well-known local artists, or participating artists from around the country. Some of the finest works are created by folks not necessarily familiar to Jackson’s arts community.
Are you able to recognize many local artists’ styles? Well, you may guess correctly about who created what some of the time…but usually, there are many surprises. Artist names known, artists names not-so-known; it doesn’t matter, the talent and diversity of works speak for themselves. Check it out! www.artassociation.org
