Say What?

The Young Contemporaries 2010 Show opens tomorrow. I've been really excited about it. This afternoon in my Modern American Art class, which is co-taught by the John Hull, the Studio Art Department Chair, John asked if I'd be attending the reception and award ceremony, (yes, there are cash prizes). When I told him that I would indeed be attending and that my parents were even coming up from Florida, he smirked in an "I know something you don't know," kind of way, and told me to remind my parents to bring a camera. My mind automatically went to visions of my painting as some sort of centerpiece, perhaps even an award. I shook the notion from my head not wanting to get my hopes up. Then, at 5:30 this evening I received this email.

Kaitlin,

At noon on April 15 the Friends of the School of the Arts will hold its final Simons Guild luncheon of the year inside the Hasley Gallery. As an award winner in the Young Contemporaries 2010 show, we would love to have you join us.

The members of the Friends of the School of the Arts are obviously supporters of the arts and they really enjoy getting to know the students who create it!

Please let me know by April 7^th if you will be able to join us.

Thanks,

Nelle

Needless to say I freaked out a little bit, especially at the, "as an award winner" part. We'll see if this holds up, as the awards are not supposed to be announced until tomorrow evening. It also exists as a humorous reminder that this college isn't that great with their timing coordination (teehee).

PAX East and Johnny Cupcakes

I got to go to PAX East in Boston this weekend. I really enjoyed playing the indie games created by MIT students and grads. My favorite was this four player combat tetris- like game by Fire Hose Games. It was brightly colored had good art direction and was a blast to play.


Boston was a really cool town. Their downtown was gorgeous and quirky. Driving in we passed a place called Johnny Cupcakes that has this great logo. We anticipated cupcakes as PAX neared an end and strolled over from the convention center to the bakery. We walked in a little confused, as there were no baked goods to be seen only t-shirts and hoodys. The proprietor quickly approached explaining his shop. He's a graphic designer. All of his shirts are built on the idea of cupcakes. The shop is adorable, decorated with old mixers, the t-shirts displayed in coolers. He even listed himself in the phone book under food. Avery was a little upset that there were no cupcakes to be had, but I was quite taken with the idea.

Miscellany: The Literary and Art Journal of the College of Charleston

No.1
24" x24"
Oil on panel

No.8
18" x 18"
Oil on wood

A number of weeks ago I submitted two paintings to Miscellany, The Literary and Art Journal of the College of Charleston. With all the bustle surrounding Young Contemporaries and there being only 5 weeks of school left, I'd nearly forgotten. This morning I received an email from the editor. They'd like to include both of my pieces, one of them for the cover. There will be an opening reception on April 14th where both pieces will be on display.

Young Contemporaries: Accepted Submissions

At 1:00 this afternoon the show list was posted. I got two paintings into Young Contemporaries (No. 17 and No. 14) and my watercolor installation into the Salon des Refuses, which as it sounds is the honorable mention show as it were. Young Contemporaries was juried by Mary Jane Jacob, a public works artist and Sculpture Professor and Executive Director of Exhibitions and Exhibition Studies at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Studio Art Professors here at C of C choose the best of the remaining art for the Salon des Refuses. The show opens on April 1st with a reception and awards ceremony.

Young Contemporaries: Submissions

No.17
48" x 48"
Oil on hardwood ply

No.14
24" x 24"
Oil on board

Diptych
2 10" x 10" panels
Oil on board

Watercolor Landscape Installation
Watercolor on paper

Young Contemporaries is the College of Charleston's yearly juried art show. Art students are permitted to enter three works into each category: painting, drawing, print, photography, and sculpture. I've submitted the above works. I'd feared I'd have to choose between my watercolors and my oil paintings, as I consider both mediums painting. It was John Hull's idea to enter a selection of my watercolors as an installation of drawings. He thinks, and I agree, that these little works are more affective together than apart. Submission results are posted on Monday and I anxiously wait.

Progress: No.23

As a double major, it can be hard to pencil in studio time, as has been the case this last week. However getting into the studio can serve as the best form of procrastination ever. I've got two papers to write this weekend so naturally I've spent the last five hours painting. In my defense this painting which I had planned to be my major entry into the Young Contemporaries show has been the bane of my existence for the last few weeks. You'll notice that it bears no resemblance to its earlier photos. After this afternoon's session, I finally left feeling proud of this piece.

Thanks Mom

Over spring break I made use of my wonderful mother's expertise and her light box. Now time for Etsy shop building!

Progress: No.23

Trouble on the easel this evening. I'm anxious about this piece. The submission date for Young Contemporaries is the week after next. I won't be able to work on it over spring break, there's no way I'm strapping this thing to the roof of my car to take it down to South Florida with me. So I've got about five days left to get this work show ready.

Progress: No.23 Video cont'd

2 hours of studio time compressed down to just under 5 min. I love seeing the finished product and it's terribly interesting for me to actually watch my own process, but I've gotta say that I get a little paranoid when the camera's on.

Artist Lecture: Robert Birmelin

The Halsey has showing up of Robert Birmelin drawings. He was nice enough to accompany his drawings down to Charleston from New York to give a lecture. A giddy and lighthearted old man, Birmelin views the world with levity, brightness, and curiosity. I've never seen a man his age banter so readily with a large group of students. He launched himself into his presentation dropping gem after wisdom filled gem, which my hand hastily scrawled in the dark of the auditorium. You know it's bad when I can't even read my handwriting. Birmelin developed his style during the time of the abstract expressionists, or very shortly thereafter, however he came out a figurative painter. When Professor Phillips ( a student of that era who is still very much an abstract expressionist) assumed that it must have been difficult for him to develop his style under that sort of pressure, Birmelin countered that "everything is going on all of the time." Who cares if the style your working in isn't currently in vogue. It probably will be in 10 years or so. It matters much more "to be true to your own being." That's something every art student loves to hear.

Progress: No.24