Long-distance runner. Maker of art, pasta, and the in-between.
Artworks Trenton, the amazing place where I work, has a matching fund challenge. Can you help us reach our goal of $5,000 by donating WHATEVER you are able using this link? Then message me to let me know (we’ve got some Board member and Staff competition going on here and you know how competitive I am). In return you will get the comfort of knowing that you’re helping an incredible small roots arts organization and possibly a foot massage from me.
Last night I saw the Knife at Terminal 5 in NYC. It was one of the stranger shows that I’ve been too. They took the idea of a concert and then took the concert out of that idea. It was a strange abstract dance performance. I enjoyed every minute of it. Though I didn’t like it as much as Fever Ray, my favorite show of all time, this show still is one of my favorite and most memorable performances.
Here are some pictures and video that I took. In order of appearance in the performance.
Opening reception at Artworks Trenton this Friday, April 11th, 2014!
Artworks Trenton presents an exhibition of fresh work by advanced students from The College of New Jersey. Entitled, “young galaxy,” this show will run from April 11 to May 3, 2014. Meet the artists at the reception on April 11th, 6-8pm.
“young galaxy” is a free-wheeling, jostling, exuberant, compelling, and wild collection of fresh works. As this cohort of advanced visual arts students at The College of New Jersey moves into artistic maturity, the results are a cocktail of newfound creative independence stirred with technical acumen. ‘young galaxy’ asks questions of how a young artist perceives the world around him/her and how do those perceptions become art.
The exhibition is a mash-up of drawing, painting, video, installation, sculpture and large-scale murals. In each work, the young artist has taken on the task of creating something ‘new’, often by excavating the past or by exposing personal experience to the world. To witness this point of creation is like witnessing the birth of a galaxy; it is explosive, and rapidly expands to fill the space around it.
The False Mirror – Surrealism Forward and Back
Curated by Frances Heinrich
Exhibiting in the Artworks Main Gallery from January 11, 2013 through February 22, 2014
An opening reception will be held on January 11, 2014 6-8pm (Snowdate Jan 18)
Almost a hundred years have passed since classical Surrealist works were first shown, and their irrational “snapshots” of the impossible were surely quite shocking back then. Today, however, we appear increasingly attracted to similar oddities: computer-altered talking babies, life-sized combative tacos, and flying cars probably now seem both plausible and trendy.
The False Mirror will present a wide variety of top works by a group of highly professional artists; Tom Bendtsen, John Goodyear, Benjamin S. Jones, Alan Kesselhaut, Paul Leibow, Jim and Lynn Lemyre, Adam Niklewicz, Sarah Petruziello, Frank Rivera, Anita Thacher, and Andrew Wilkinson.
Drawing, painting, sculpture, video, and installation will all be on display. Some of these artists might deny being Surrealists, but their work demonstrates, for curator Frances Heinrich, the ideas, sensibilities, and visual freedoms originally granted by historical Surrealists and Dadaists.
At 6pm on the night of the opening reception, curator Frances Heinrich will also present a short Powerpoint talk which relates famous historical works to the current “special effects” now surrounding us in film, tv, advertising, and fashion. This will truly be an engaging event for anyone interested in their media environment.
My favorite albums of 2013 in order from most favorite.
1. Kanye West – Yeezus
2. Forest Swords – Engravings
3. Darkside – Psychic
4. Dirty Beaches – Drifters/Love Is The Devil
5. Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven
6. Tim Hecker – Virgins
7. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
8. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away
9. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest
10. Savages – Silence Yourself
11. Holy Ghost! – Dynamics
12. David Lynch – The Big Dream
13. Majical Cloudz – Impersonator
14. Austra – Olympia
15. Katie Gately – Katie Gately
16. Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus
17. Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol 3: See More Light
18. Deafheaven – Sunbather
19. Zomby – With Love
20. Burial – Rival Dealer
21. Haim – Days Are Gone
22. The Haxan Cloak – Excavation
23. Four Tet – Beautiful Rewind
24. Gesaffelstein – Aleph
25. Kavinsky – Outrun
26. James Blake – Overgrown
27. Autechre – Exai
28. London Grammar – If You Wait
29. Matmos – The Marriage of True Minds
30. William Basinski – Nocturnes
31. M.I.A. – Matangi
32. Arcade Fire – Reflektor
33. The Knife – Shaking the Habitual
34. Factory Floor – Factory Floor
35. Jon Hopkins – Immunity
36. The Field – Cupid’s Head
37. Matt Elliott – Only Myocardial Infarction Can Break Your Heart
38. Suuns – Images Du Futur
39. Foetus – Soak
40. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
41. oOoOO – Without Your Love
42. Sleigh Bells – Bitter Rivals
43. Phosphorescent – Muchacho
44. Charli XCX – True Romance
45. Au Revoir Simone – Move In Spectrums
46. Grouper – The Man Who Died in His Boat
47. Lorde – Pure Heroine
48. Adult. – The Way Things Fall
49. Atoms for Peace – Amok
50. Depeche Mode – Delta Machine
I started watching the HBO show Treme not too long ago. It’s about post-Katrina New Orleans and it’s culture and inhabitants. What I’m most amazed about is the whole Mardi Gras Indian culture. The tribes take the entire year to make these elaborate costumes and then on Mardi Gras they “battle” other Indian tribes. I find this scene from Treme absolutely beautiful and I had to watch it 4 or 5 times before I finally got it. It’s hard to understand what they say with their pseudo-African language but you get it. It’s all quite beautiful and the fact that the battles are non-violent and really based on creativity and art makes it that much more wonderful.
There is footage of real Mardi Gras Indian battles on YouTube and it’s not much different than the depiction in Treme.
In September a few members of my team and I competed in the Spartan Race World Championship at Mount Killington, Vermont. NBC was there filming a special documentary that airs tomorrow, December 7th 4pm on NBC Sports. I hope you all tune in to watch!
Thousands of top-ranked Reebok Spartan Race athletes, Olympians, and amateur athletes alike from around the world converged on Killington Mountain, VT in September 2013 to compete for $250,000 in cash and prizes. NBC Sports filmed the athletes as they competed side-by-side. Catch the action on December 7, 2013 at 4 – 5 pm EST on NBC Sports.
There is still plenty of time in this year for me to change my mind but here are my favorite music tracks of 2013, starting with my most favorite:
Artworks Announces the Third Annual
10×10 Red Dot Benefit
Art Exhibit & Sale
December 7 – 28, 2013
Reception and Benefit, Saturday, December 7, 2013 5 – 8pm
Red Dot + Artwork = Support. The Red Dot shows support of Community Arts in Trenton. Come to the Artworks Red Dot Fundraiser and put your red dot on the art that you love.
Over 100 Trenton area artists created artworks on 10″ x 10″ canvas. The work is dynamic, diverse and all created especially for Artworks. Professional, teacher and student artists created works in oil, acrylic, mixed media, photography, pastel, watercolor and more.
Each artwork sells for $100 with the funds raised going to support Artworks.
It is a chance for the novice to test the waters of the world of original art and an opportunity for the collector to build their art collection.
Art All Day
November 9, 2013 Noon – 5pm
Art lovers from around the region are invited to take a self-guided tour of the capital city’s artist studios, gallery spaces, grass roots art collectives, workshops, public art, and a host of breathtaking creative spaces largely unknown to the public. Special Art All Day trolley and guided bicycle tours will also take place.
Over 65 artists will participate, at open studios and creative venues throughout the city. This is an opportunity to not only see art, but to also talk to the artist about his or her creative process, watch them work, and see their workspace. Artworks is proud to offer an event that showcases the remarkable creative diversity of Trenton.”
How does it all work? Art All Day is FREE to attend and open to the public. The self-guided tour begins atArtworks Trenton (19 Everett Alley, Trenton, NJ), where guests can pick up a map/brochure and view a group exhibit featuring participating artists on the tour. Following the self-guided tour attendees are invited back to Artworks’ expansive gallery space for a celebratory reception.
Interested in participating as an artist, group studio or community partner ? Click Here
Art All Day schedule on Nov. 9
Noon to 8 p.m. – Exhibits (FREE)
Artworks Main Gallery: Participating Artists Show,
Community Gallery : To be announced
ARTLab: “Just For Kicks: Sneaker Art Exhibit”
Noon to 5 p.m. – Trenton self-guided open studios/public art tour (free)
All Day – Trenton Art Trolley Rides ($10 suggested donation)
12 noon and 3 p.m. – Special edition OnaRoll BikeCarts bicycle tour (free)
5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Artworks Exhibits Reception (free)
Free parking is available all day and evening at Artworks, 19 Everett Alley, Trenton (off South Stockton Street, across from NJ Motor Vehicle Commission building)
Public Art is accessible in Trenton all year round!
2012 Map (2013 will be available on November 9)
Download the Art All Day Public Art Map! or pick one up Free at Artworks.
Keep up with the latest news! LIKE Art All Day on Facebook.