Arty arty art art on Cherokee

I don't get out enough—despite trying to keep track of art-related goings-on on Cherokee Street for my other blog, one project or obligation or another always seems to get in the way of my actually going to the goings-on.

But today I was all "to hell with it, I'm going to go look at art."  Lucky for me Snowflake was open this afternoon, so I got to see the super show there right now, which is recent work by Clint Baclawski (photographs) and Caleb Taylor. (Along with Gabriel Slavitt's installation at Drive-By.

It probably goes without saying that photographic work gets my attention, and Clint Baclawski's lightbox photos are really exceptional.  Make time to go see these if you can. All three artists have done some impressive work. The show is up until June 6. Snowflake has open hours on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Location information below. Drive-By is on view 24-7, so you've got no excuses!

Snowflake

Drive-By

Then I hopped across the street because I noticed that Fort Gondo was open. There I found "Marks of Absence," works by Lily Cox-Richard and Lori Larusso (Caleb Cole has a companion exhibition at Good Citizen Gallery on Gravois.) More information on all three artists and their work can be found here.


I lucked out seeing this show—both artists at Fort Gondo really put up fabulous pieces.  I'll have to try to make it by Good Citizen to see Caleb Cole's work soon. (Sculptures are Lily Cox-Richard's and shaped panel acrylic paintings are by Lori Larusso.) Go see these! This show will also be up until June 6. Fort Gondo will be open Saturdays from noon-5, so you can make an afternoon of it with a visit to Snowflake. (And have lunch or dinner or snacks or drinks at Tower Taco, also right in this little stretch of Cherokee. Yum.)  

 Fort Gondo

And then, and then! I headed across town for a few more galleries and an unexpected visit with an old friend, but that post will have to wait for another day.


Snowflake
Location: 3156 Cherokee Street (at Compton) • St. Louis, Missouri 63118
(Drive-By is on the side of the building, on Compton)

Fort Gondo
3151 Cherokee St., St. Louis, MO  63118


(All of the exhibits at both galleries have received support from The Santo Foundation. Check it out!)

Soulard Art Market Photography Invitational 2 -- Opening this Friday

Have you been to Soulard Art Market?  If you haven't (or heck, even if you have), you should totally go.

Affordable art, a diverse collection of artists and styles and media represented.  Catty-corner from McGurk's.  What else could you ever want from a place?

This Friday is the opening party for Soulard Art Market & Contemporary Art Gallery's Photography Invitational II.  I was super surprised and excited to be invited to participate -- I'm in some great company!  -- and can't wait to see everyone's work hanging.

Wanna come?

Here are the details, as provided by Soulard Art Market.  Hope to see you Friday!:

May is National Photography Month, so to celebrate we invited over 15 of the area's top photographers to display a selection of their works. Artists in the exhibit include:

- Ariana Bauer
- Hilary Hitchcock
- Bob Crowe
- Jane Linders
- Thomas Shepherd
- Scott Ernst
- Greg Kluempers
- Tony Schanuel
- Mark Fisher
- Greg Barth
- Jennifer Roberts
- Laura Filiatreau
- Holly Schroeder
- Melissa Schramm
- Ferd


Opening Reception (public invited):
Friday, May 14, 2010 - 7 to 10 pm
Exhibition: Through Friday, June 4, 2010

Admission is free.
Refreshments will be provided, featuring Schlafly beer

'Roid Week + 'Roid Month

Over the weekend I put up my new show at Urban Eats, "Right this instant," which features images I've made with Polaroid film.

You might have heard that Polaroid film has been discontinued. It has been, for the most part, although Fuji still manufactures some instant film, and there is a new project that is bringing back some of the integral Polaroid films.

Unfortunately there don't seem to be any plans to revive Type 89 film, which was just about my favorite. Its vivid colors are a great match for the wacky Holga camera—when they're paired together there's no telling what they'll come up with. The photo above was taken with my Holgaroid (as the Frankenstein-ish combination of the Holga with a Polaroid back is affectionately known.) I've got a little bit of the film left, stored in my fridge a vault under heavy surveillance.

I only get it out for special projects now, onaccounta I don't have much left. When I decided to do the Urban Eats shows, I knew I had to get a photo of this building with the Holgaroid. I pass it every day on my way to work and always mean to snap a photo. It's so so so blue. Finally on a day that the skies were looking extra sky-ish I remembered to pack the Holgaroid and took this.

It was hanging in Urban Eats in my last show ("Sign Language") and it's still there (although not in a starring role) for the May show. 

Anyway.

We are in the midst of 'Roid Week 2010. This is an unofficial celebration of Polaroid film on Flickr (and elsewhere? not sure), so I'm busting out some recent Polaroids, which are on my mind due to working with them a lot in the past few weeks for "Right this instant."

My artist's reception for "Right this instant" is Sunday, May 23, 11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.  Come grab a bite to eat and say hi!

Urban Eats shows

My first event at Urban Eats is this Sunday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.  There will be food and drink for sale in the cafe side, and art for looking at in the Urban Arts Collective side (enter through the cafe.)  My show this month is "Sign language", photographs I've been taking of signs over the last few years.  (And while you're there check out work from Angie Griffith, UMSL's PPRC Project, Thomas Shepherd, and Naomi Silver.)


A week after this event the sign show comes down and up goes the May show, "Right this instant", which will be a collection of images I've made with Polaroid film.  The Polaroids will be up all throughout the month of May at Urban Eats, with the meet-the-artist event on Sunday, May 23, 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 


And in June I will put up my final show at Urban Eats — the theme is still being ironed out, but it will more than likely include at least a few photos of Globe Drugs, on my beloved Cherokee Street.


So the photo above really fits with all three shows ... I knows what I loves, and I loves that sign.


Hope to see you at Urban Eats!

"Sign Language" show at Urban Eats

I hung up my first show at Urban Eats this past weekend.  I've got a lot of new work in it.  There are matted photos and postcards for sale, in addition to the framed pieces* that are hanging.  I'm very excited about this show and the other artists' work as well.  (Download a flyer here for information on the other artists.)

The show will be hanging throughout April, after which we will rotate in our next shows for May.**

I am having a come-see-me event on Sunday, April 25, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.  Urban Eats will have tasty food and drinks for sale.  So come have br/lunch and say hello!

Oh, to whet your appetite for the show, click on the video below to see a little preview video made by one of the participating artists, Naomi Silver of Culture Surfer.



And one more thing ... I had postcards made for the show and I would love to send you one.  Just message me your address and I'll pop it in the mail to you.***  With a check for $15,000.****


*Did I mention that usually framed 8"x10" photos are $125 but for this show they are available for the low low price of $80?  I didn't?  Well, I did now!
**Mine will be Polaroid photographs and images made with Polaroid film.
***Free, no-obligation, nobody will visit your home, even if you are unable to come to the show you may keep the postcard as my free gift to you.  So you out-of-town folk, request away.  I want to use these!  While supplies last.
****Checks will not be honored.

The medium is the message

... or something like that.

I certainly think signs are super interesting to look at even when I am not absorbing what it is they are trying to convey to me. 

There are so many signs visible at this corner that I almost don't know where to look; no matter, it's the greater whole that draws me in. 

I have a show next month Urban Eats Cafe in south St. Louis on Meramec Street.  Have you been?  They have drinks called boozies.  That's smoothies + booze.  What more could you need to know? 

Back to the show:  It's called "Sign Language".  I will have photos of signs.  All kinds.  Little, big.  Metal, neon.  Maybe even paper.  Man, there will be some materials that I haven't even mentioned yet, I'll bet.  You don't want to miss this!

I don't know if this photo will be in the show yet.  You'll have to come see.  The show is going to be full of all kinds of crazy surprises like that.

A few details are here.  More to follow, I'm sure.

back to life for black and white

I loved my old camera.  I took some of my favorite photos with it.  It did well with closeups, and its black and white setting was just so nice (neither are qualities shared with my current camera, even though it does other things very nicely.) 

It began having troubles a couple of years ago and only worked sporadically.  The viewfinder kept going out and that just wouldn't do.  So I replaced it with the new guy and have rarely had occasion to pick it up since then. 

Yesterday I was looking at the light as it came in the window and the way it was gently highlighting the plants above my bed and I wanted to capture it so I tried to fire up the old camera because it seemed like a shot that was perfect for it -- something that needed a little close-up detail, and that I was envisioning in black and white. 

At first the camera didn't work but I tried different batteries and jostling this and tugging on that and it finally kicked into gear and took the photo above.  I am happy to have it revived; it's like an old friend I've been missing.