Square Foot Show 2010

Last night was the closing reception for the Square Foot Show at ArtDimensions. The reception showcased the art, live music and a pasta dinner and provided an opportunity to sneak preview the new gallery space on Cherokee Street.

The new space is quite nice. There is ample room for performance & live art and they are even planning some film screenings, including Who Does She Think She Is? coming on February 28. There are several artists' studios with high visibility from the main gallery space and others that are more tucked away and off the beaten path. There are also several installation art spaces in which Davide Weaver has created elaborate evolving environments incorporating his work and works by other artists. The Flax Gallery has its own space and there is also space for solo and curated exhibitions, currently featuring A Baker's Dozen by Britt Tate.

The show was hung well and filled out the space nicely, with works hung on the large main gallery wall in three rows and then throughout the space in single and double rows as suited. Unlike last year, artists were invited to produce their work on whatever surface they wanted and were not encouraged to work on specific canvases. The specificity of the size, 12" x 12" still tied the show together and it was nice to see the varied approaches as I think the freedom of materials and presentation drew in a more varied assortment of artists than the more structured format last year. I also liked the inclusion of the children's art on its own wall as part of the show.

All in all, I was impressed with the new ArtDimensions space and think it will serve them very well. (I've always loved Third Floor Gallery, but I think this is a better fit for that group as a whole, and the Cherokee Street area also seems to suit them well.) I had participated in the Square Foot Show in 2009 as well - check out what I had to say about it then.

This Week

The closing reception for the Art Dimensions Square Foot Show is this weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing the show and their new space, though I probably won't get there until late in the evening.

Square Foot Show
Art Dimensions
Cherokee Street Gallery
2720 Cherokee St., 2nd floor
St. Louis, MO
Jan. 2010
Reception:
Friday, Jan. 29, 7 - 11 PM
Suggested donation: $10

Art of the Week: After the Apocalypse

I haven't posted any art lately, so I'm going to post the drawing I made in my Art Saint Louis crit group's session. It should come as little surprise that I'm the one who brought the model skull and gas mask.

This Week

I don't have anything going on locally this week, but I do have a couple of artworks in the Creative Inquiries show, opening this week at Eastern Kentucky University as part of the Chautauqua lecture series.

Creative Inquiries
Chautauqua National Lecture Series Juried Exhibition
Giles Gallery
309 Campbell Art Building
Eastern Kentucky University
521 Lancaster Ave.
Richmond, KY
Jan. - Feb. 2010
reception:
Friday, Jan. 29, 5 - 7 PM
Unfortunately I won't be able to travel to see the show in person, but I am honored to be included in this national exhibition.

A myriad of masterpieces

I was recently among four artists featured in Aarik Danielsen's Columbia Daily Tribune review of Sense of Self at the Columbia Art League. Please feel free to check it out.

Columbia Daily Tribune: A myriad of masterpieces

Mimetic Labors review

I've been sick with a cold all week, so I've been horribly unproductive. But I did write another review for Art Saint Louis blog, this time on the Mimetic Labors show of Karen Hodgin Jones' kinetic sculptures at Good Citizen Gallery. Please feel free to check it out here.

Art of the Week: Cafe Press Store

I have been doing a lot of research this week in anticipation of a big installation project in April, and though I've finished some "outfits" (more like fashion faux pas) for an upcoming fashion show, I haven't had a chance to photo them.

So this week, I'm going to promote my Cafe Press store, which I set up in December. I ordered one of each of my products to see how they turned out. I only kept those that turned out well and discontinued/pulled any that didn't, so I'm pretty pleased with what is there.

Please feel free to check it out - there are several items featuring my plein air paintings, some of my Claude works and a further exploration of Art Is Everywhere.

http://www.cafepress.com/jenniferweigel

Over Head

It's been awhile since I've written any reviews or responses on my blog, in part because I've been too busy to see anything while it's still new and fresh. But tonight I got a chance to check out a couple of wonderful exhibitions on my way to Unparalleled Fiber at Soulard Art Market (also fabulous, but I won't gush about that since I'm in the show), so I will take the opportunity to review one of them here.

Nicole Stevens' Over Head opened as the inaugural exhibition of of Beverlyear 2010, a year of women artists at Fort Gondo. This installation, featuring animation and sound work, reflects upon the economic crash of 2008 utilizing audio clips from NPR of Ann Taylor introducing the Dow and NASDAQ results and reanimated footage from the NYSE's bell-ringing archive. Stefene Russell writes some about the work on St. Louis Magazine's Look/Listen blog. (Included are links to some of the audio, some more information on Beverlyear at Fort Gondo and an interview with the artist, so check it out.)

What struck me most about this work is the sense of religious ritual. The back area of the gallery, which has been walled off by Stevens' herself, takes on a seemingly spiritual zone with the repetition of the words ringing like a chorus or mantra over and over, echoing through the partitioned space. The repeated words rang out like a litany and reminded me of many Sundays spent in church. The bell-ringing ceremony by its very nature also feeds into this feeling, and Stevens' reanimation of it as a repeated action further drives this point home.

Though I hate to draw a comparison to popular culture, Stevens' installation hearkens to some of the same commentary explored in South Park's Margaritaville episode from their thirteenth season. Stevens got me thinking about how we view the economy, how many of us feel that we don't fully comprehend it and are incapable of influencing it, how rituals play into aspects of our everyday lives and how our ideas surrounding the economy and religion are formed and understood. I recommend that you experience her work for yourself to rekindle and relate to some of these same musings.

Opening This Week

I've been laying low for awhile with the holidays and everything, but now I've got some artworks out there in two different group shows, so please feel free to check them out if you get a chance.

Sense of Self
Columbia Art League
207 S. Ninth St.
Columbia, MO
Jan. 2010
reception:
Thursday, Jan. 14, 6 - 8 PM
I won't be able to attend the reception for this show at CAL but am looking forward to checking it out later on. Included is my new Evidence of My Existence piece.

Unparalleled Fiber
Soulard Art Market
2028 S. 12th St.
St. Louis, MO
Jan. 2010
reception:
Friday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 16, 7 - 10 PM
I will be displaying some of my collaborations with Jessica Kopitske from the Third Degree Glass Factory Common Threads show in September, so here's a chance to see them if you didn't make it by there then.

Seeking Approval

I've spoken time and time again about dealing with rejection in the arts and submitting to shows (in fact the subject could practically have its own label), but now I want to address another factor that comes into play. Why is it so easy to take not getting into a show personally in the first place?

One reason is that sometimes an artist submits art to a show in order to seek approval. Essentially, by submitting an artwork to a show and having it be accepted, that can act as a form of validation. But this stance can be a very self-destructive way to see oneself and one's value as an artist (or as a person for that manner).

I recognize that being juried into a show can be seen as a means of validation because it holds up those accepted artworks as a standard of sorts. And some people even go so far in seeking approval as to think that their artwork isn't worthwhile unless they're winning major awards with it. But, no matter who you are, getting into shows and winning awards isn't always going to happen, especially in a blind jury process or when venturing outside of one's comfort zone.

Whether or not an artwork gets in or wins an award depends on many many factors. It doesn't simply break down into whether it was good or bad. A lot of amazing art doesn't get accepted because it doesn't seem to suit the theme from the juror's interpretation, doesn't flow with the rest of the work, doesn't physically fit due to limited space... And what wins awards relies on even more factors, including that juror's likes and dislikes, the wow factor, and what else was submitted. It just isn't a cut and dry issue.

Most of all, it can be extremely hurtful to rely on others to validate oneself. True peace of mind comes from self acceptance and self love, not others' praise. So many artists I know are so harsh on themselves and their own artwork. We can be our own worst critics. But we need to turn that around. I'm not saying that we should indulge in excessive ego-stroking or think that we're better than everyone else, as some people do. That attitude wreaks frustration and an inaccurate sense of self too. But I think it is best summed up by the magnet that has graced the front of my fridge for years: Never apologize for your art. Especially not to yourself.

Art of the Week: Ariadne's Web

I was having some fun drawing this week and created this collage piece.

Ariadne's Web
11" x 8 1/2"
ink on paper, collage, tape

Happy New Year

It's hard to believe it's 2010 already. I have been so busy that 2009 just seemed to flit by. I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, as one shouldn't need the push of a year change to decide to better oneself or to stop procrastinating. I hope that this year brings continued success, support and connection with others as I continue to pursue my aspirations.

Thank you to everyone who supported me and helped me in 2009. I appreciate all of the wonderful opportunities that I have had and the people who have had the faith in me to help me realize them. Especially, thank you Chuck for your continued support and for putting up with me when I'm overextended.