The Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, seeking volunteers

The Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival is looking for volunteers for the 2009 festival (Oct. 16-25). We need volunteers to usher, set up and break down events, staff will call and merchandise tables and assist with other event related duties. Volunteers earn coupons to see movies for free and have a great time helping out with the event. All volunteers should plan to attend the Volunteer Orientation on September 28, 7:00 PM, at Northwest Film Forum. For more information send email to the Volunteer Coordinator, Kevin Fansler at kevin@threedollarbillcinema.org.

Seattle Teen Print makers Woodblock Workshop

The Georgetown Art Center presents Seattle Teen Print makers (STP) Woodblock Workshop.

Get an Early bird discount and sign up today!!
September 26th – October 17th
Non-toxic printmaking workshops for Teens ages 13-18
Closing art reception Saturday October 24th 6- 9pm

Instructor – Printmaker and Director of GAC - Angielena Chamberlain
Pricing – The cost for this four-week workshop is $150 including materials
Payment after Monday Sept 14th is $170 inc. materials
Scholarships - Two full Scholarships will be available for low–income or needy families (Please request paperwork early)

Pay methods – Pay pal / check -payment must be made by Sept.21st

Workshop goals
This beginner’s class in non-toxic printmaking with a focus on creative expression and identity. A brief overview of the history of print will set teens up for an enjoyable and fun experimentation process. Introductions to traditional and modern techniques will broaden the language of expression each student can achieve. Students will create a finished project that will be showcased during the final exhibition of student works October 24th 6-9pm.

About The Georgetown Art Center:
The Bertoldi building, which is the historical name of the building which now houses the GAC. It was built in 1904, and used as a ballroom for many years.While no longer used as a ballroom, it has been turned into one of Seattle’s more cutting edge Arts education facilities. Founded by Artist Angielena Chamberlain in 2007, the Georgetown Art Center now hosts teaching artists and diverse cultural events. All levels of artists are welcomed and a variety of classes are available. If you are interested in learning more about the GAC please feel free to call or see our blog for class updates and pricing.

georgetownartcenter.blogspot.com or Angielena (206) 851-1538 sponsored by Special thanks to contributors and supporting artists – McClain’s Printmaking Supplies , Jim Kurihara , Julie Kadingo , United Artists of Georgetown (UAG), Amy Pleasant and Jethaniel Peterka

ON THE CUTTING EDGE: West Coast Artists Using Collage and Assemblage

For Immediate Release:

ON THE CUTTING EDGE
West Coast Artists Using Collage and Assemblage
CALL TO ARTISTS:
Deadline is October 9th

December 11, 2009 – February 13, 2010
Opening Night Reception & Awards Ceremony
Friday, December 11, 2009, 5-7 p.m..
Coos Art Museum, 235 Anderson Ave, Coos Bay, OR 97420

A JURIED EXHIBITION
Scope

Collage, an artistic concept associated with the beginning of Modern Art, entails much more than the idea of gluing something onto something else. The names that stand out among the pioneers are: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Marcel Duchamp, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Hoch, Joseph Cornell, Louise Nevelson, Romare Bearden, Ray Johnson, Edward Kienholz and Robert Rauschenberg. Collage and Assemblage combine two- and three-dimensional images and materials to create original art. Utilizing various adherence methods, the process combines often unrelated items and other media to investigate public and private issues, some seriously, some "tongue-in-cheek."
Eligibility

Open to all artists - painters, sculptors, and printmakers - over 18 years of age residing in the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. Artists are invited to submit up to three collages or assemblages on any theme. Works selected by jurors from submitted entries will be chosen on the basis of creative excellence and quality of execution. All works must be original and completed within the last two years. "Digital Collage" is not eligible for this exhibition, although collages and assemblages that incorporate digitally created elements are eligible. Coos Art Museum's "On the Cutting Edge: West Coast Artists Using Collage/Assemblage" committee will be the final authority on eligibility. Accepted works meant for wall hanging must be ready with all necessary hardware in place.

For the pdf entry form and to find out more details about the rules, go to:
http://www.coosart.org/cutting-edge/cutting-edge-prospectus.html

Packaging design junkies, come get your fix...

Absolut Vodka Rock Edition design by Natalia Brilli


If you're as much of a packaging design junkie as I am, you'll love this as much as I do.

http://abduzeedo.com/10-awesome-package-designs

What exit is your artwork?

Representing Route 35- Allen Barnett, Asbury Park NJ

As a former Jersey boy, the joke is that folk in the Garden State all ask what exit are you from? Personally I think George Carlin's observation that we "park in the drive way and drive on the Parkway" (what they call the highway in Jersey) is a lot funnier. Well now you can ask what exit is your art exhibition.

Palisades Insurance recently sponsored a competition for the state's first-ever Highway Art Gallery. The gallery consists of 13 billboards lining New Jersey's highways. The winners were selected based on votes received on a web site set up for the competition.

I can't say I like all the artwork but the idea of a roadside art gallery is a great one. For more info, check out http://drivewithasmile.palisades.com/highway-art-gallery/the-winners/

2009 East | West Emerging Artist Exchange

Artist's Reception | Panel Discussion: Thursday, August 13, 4 - 9 pm

Panel: Dealer | Curator | Critic | Consultant
Key Challenges | Opportunities Confronting Emerging Artists Today

Show Runs | August 10 - September 12, 2009 9 am - 5 pm,
CoCA Ballard, 6413 Seaview Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107

In a groundbreaking exchange of art + ideas between recent BFA and MFA graduates, CoCA will showcase the work of 28 emerging artists form East and West coast schools including Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), University of Washington and Cornish.

Participating artists are recent BFA and MFA graduates, and works presented span an array of media. The exhibition opens with an artist's reception on Thursday, August 13th, 4-9pm at CoCA's Ballard gallery and runs through September 11th. The opening reception will feature a panel discussion by members of the local arts community (including gallery directors, curators, collectors, art consultants, artists, and critics) on the opportunities and challenges confronting emerging artists today.

East Gwen Oulman-Brennan | Esteban del Valle | Nicholas Dertien | Gigi Gatewood | Yong Joo Kim | Timothy Kadish | Caleb Larsen | Rosalind Murray | Noel O'Connell | Maurie Polak | Gabriela Salazar | Nora Salzman | Issac Wingfield
West Seb Barnett | Alicia Basinger | Heather Biermann | Angielena Chamberlain | Bo Choi | Brit Bele Exworthy | Haley Farthing | Robert Gardner | Tyler Kolhoff | Bret Lyon | Arun Sharma | Sierra Stinson | Ian Toms | Tobias Walther | Laura Ward

Silly name, great tool

I recently had the privilege to learn about a great new tool from Microsoft that could be of great benefit to artists. Microsoft Live Lab's Seadragon offers the ability to quickly open and show full resolution photos and offer a near limitless ability to zoom in to see more detail. It's a feature rich application but I'm only going to discuss one feature in this post.

As someone that processes most of the submissions that come into CoCA, its fairly common for artists to supply detailed close up photos of their work in addition to an overall photo. Seadragon allows you to do offer both in a single photo. Let's say your camera takes 6 mega pixel photos, instead of reducing the file resolution down to 72 dpi, you upload the full resolution photo, it opens as quickly as that 72dpi version but you can zoom in to see detail that normally required a macro photography photo.

If you're not totally confused at this point, take a look at the examples below. They are from CoCA's Heaven and Earth exhibition at Carkeek Park. I selected wide angle shots so that you can zoom in and see the detail that is captured but not normally visible because web based photos are low resolution.

Seadragon has great potential and I'm hopeful that Microsoft addresses some of its short comings, but for a first rev, it's impressive. Its fairly simple and straight forward to implement on both your web site or blog. I love its potential, let me know what you think.

Give it a test drive, use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out.




Photos, copyright William Brody

"Threshold"

Photography by Julia Bruk


Threshold, by Allison Urban explores opposing epochs in human evolution, past and future, using architecture and language design to create an environment that at once feels archaic and futuristic. Drawing aesthetic reference from universally emergent patterns in our geological, biological and computational histories, Urban crafted a structure that seems to span from our earliest days as cave-dwellers, to the future worlds of our Utopian science fiction.

Lines of lights emanating from a hidden source wash onto the installation room walls, amplifying the geometric aesthetic of the two main structural components positioned on either side. The negative space between the structural components implies a pathway, heightening the viewer's natural inclination to investigate the source of the light. Urban utilizes this inclination, sending the viewer on an exploratory arc, ending with a reveal of the light's source as esoteric patterns.

Although written in an impenetrable language of light patterns, the series of backlit inscriptions seem to suggest an embedded communication system, a re-evaluation of our communicative origins, as if our early history was re-mediated through technology; a past future or future past. The overall result is a space that resonates with a sense of fractured temporality and esoteric acuity.

"Threshold" was completed for Urban's BFA thesis. It was on display last month as part of a student exhibition for the University of Washington’s
Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media.

Allison Urban graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Experimental Media, where she studied experimental video, digital sound synthesis and mechatronics. She is interested in exploring the fusion of experimental literature, architecture and cinema in art and design.