Monday, October 31, 2011

This Week

I am honored to be participating in the Women's Caucus for Art's groundbreaking Man As Object: Reversing the Gaze exhibition at SOMArts in San Francisco for which I created my Manhood piece. Please check it out - this is probably the biggest show I've been in to date and features works by numerous women artists whose works I studied in college.

Man As Object: Reversing the Gaze
Women's Caucus for Art
SOMArts
934 Brannan St.
San Francisco, CA
Nov. 2011
Reception: Nov. 4, 6 - 9 PM
Other events include a Peep Show Drawing Circle & Performance on Nov. 13 and a closing reception on Nov. 30.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Inspirational Words & Personal Goals

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.
~ by Flavia Weedn ~

Although I've been kind of down lately on and off, I've been slowly emerging from it and am starting to reassess my life and what I want from it. I strive to be one of those people that lingers and inspires. I am becoming more and more determined to live my live following two basic principles. I am posting them here as a reminder to myself.

- I try as best I can to follow The Golden Rule of treating others as you wish to be treated yourself.

- I also seek to fearlessly pursue my art without compromising my integrity, idea or vision, without apology, and to encourage others to think & see things in a new light, spawn conversations, and promote creativity.

I realize that these are lofty sentiments, but they are core principles that I hold very dear. I only hope that I can live up to them and shall do my best to do so.

Friday, October 28, 2011

On Nurturing & Supporting Each Other

I am very passionate about art and want to connect with artists from diverse walks of life and artistic explorations because I simply love it. It is my life. In doing so, I try really hard to be supportive of other artists because I am genuinely interested in their well-being so that they can continue to make art, even despite (or perhaps because of) adverse circumstances.

That said, I find that a lot of people, not artists but in general, take advantage. I don't think that all of them intend to; a vast majority aren't even aware of their doing so and are just too self-focused to see their impacts on others for whatever reason. But it is sorrowing to me nonetheless. This was sort of summed up in a recent discussion I had with my husband in which he pointed out that I have to choose whether to let other people walk all over me or to be another asshole myself. But that is not a choice I want to have to make, because I find it disheartening that every option accepts "asshole-ness" as a given.

It is just my nature to want to help, but I find it unfortunate that being cast in a "nurturing" role isn't more appreciated or valued. A lot of people seem to treat me as though I am myself unimportant, like my existence is always tied to a supporting role in the shadows and that I am personally not important enough to get my own chance at the spotlight or to even deserve to be so supported or nurtured myself. But I cannot change my empathy, and to me it reflects upon the Golden Rule of treating others as you wish to be treated. Overall I would like to see more people supporting each other so I strive to live my life by example.

Perhaps I'm too much of an idealist, but I would rather live in a world where we look out for one another and support one another and leave the "asshole-ness" behind us. So work with me on this. Go out of your way to notice or do something outside of your routine. Say something nice to a stranger. Open a door for someone. Call or visit a friend or family member to let them know you care... Engage in making a difference!

Even a simple act of kindness can be a ray of sunshine in another person's life. If it seems like you can't make a difference just remind yourself that every action counts, for better or for worse and no matter how insignificant it may at first seem. Most everyone is familiar with the starfish parable in some way, though few are aware that it was adapted from a book by Loren Eiseley, but please feel free to check out one version here.
The Starfish Story: http://muttcats.com/starfish.htm

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

This Week

My Midwest folding screen will be included in the upcoming Tenor of Textiles show at Soulard Art Market, opening this Friday, so please feel free to drop by and check it out.

Tenor of Textiles
Soulard Art Market
2028 S. 12th St.
St. Louis, MO
Oct. 2011
Reception: Friday, Oct. 14, 7 - 10 PM
Includes textile-inspired artworks by:
Kacey Cowdery, Carla Duncan, Addoley Dzegede, Robyn Ferraro, Sharon Kilfoyle, Jacqueline Pruitt, Lynn Robey, Perla Segovia, Jennifer Weigel, Elizabeth Wilcox

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Expired Reception



Thank you to Alexis Weigel for taking these great photos at the Expired reception tonight at Gallery Visio. It was a blast dressing up for the show opening while also getting to go to The Addams Family at the Fabulous Fox Theater in costume!

Monday, October 3, 2011

This Week

I have works in a couple of Halloween-themed shows opening this week. I am looking forward to the Expired zombie-themed show at Gallery Visio - please feel free to drop by and check it out. I will be showing my fashion Barbies for the first time. I am also honored to have work in another show at Altered Esthetics; Insomnia will be on display there.

Expired

Gallery Visio
University of Missouri - St. Louis
170 MSC (Millenium Student Center)
One University Blvd.
St. Louis, MO
Oct. 2011
Reception: Thursday, Oct. 6, 4 - 7 PM

Fear Itself

Altered Esthetics
1224 Quincy St. NE
Minnesota, MN
Oct. 2011