Big money, come on.......

So, just got back from L'Ville, and had a brief meeting with an art gallery manager associated with an arts/fine craft museum I'm currently showing in, and he took three of my Sexpot Icons (look @ the site @ www.jenniferareis.com to see only one - didn't get time to photo the 4 new ones) for a trial basis. I still have to go through the standard juring process in July, but they'll be up during the American Craft Council SE exhibition, which is what I wanted anywho.

Also while in L'Ville, went to Baer Fabric, which is the bestest fabric and notions store EVER so far as I'm concerned. The 2nd floor with the quilting fabric and dance trims was closed off because of a big seminar, but was able to get some more silk duponi and more thread. And made a contact I'm following up on re: the teaching artist gigs, because they do host lots of weekend workshops there and none in hand sewing/quilting/embellishment (or at least the non-trad type) so I might have a good chance. Or they just want to sell embroidery and sewing machines, and therefore they couldn't give a rat's ass about hand work. Six one way, half a dozen the other.

This week have to bust major butt to get exhibition and workshop proposals out. Faith Ringgold took up most of last week. But, she was a dynamite speaker and a delight to drive around. We had a hoot. It was a terrific experience for me, and reminded me of when I used to work in art museumland, and got to meet a fair amount of people.

Best go. Gotta nap.

Exhibition update, or why networking + digitals images are da bomb

So, between my web site and networking and also the traditional methods of paying moolah and sending slides, will be in three shows this summer already, two @ museums (which is next big goal).

InSight @ the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
An embellished textile show @ the American Quilt Society Museum
The National Prize 2006 Exhibition, in Boston (har-vard square, darling)
(oops, actually four because I forgot about the CraftSummer @ Miami University of Ohio Faculty Show).

This week, have to get out a few exh prospecti, in between schlepping Faith Ringgold to and fro the airport. That's exciting - having her lecture - but part of me will be glad when it's over to have life somewhat back to normal.

Also, need to update web site re: workshop section because it looks like hell currently.

Last week sent out the second project grant proposal I've done as an artist. Written and received a fair amount as an arts administrator, but now trying on a different hat if you will, and trying to get the moolah as an artist, with some success. Here's hoping this one works out, because in my budget, I put in an Epson printer and digital camera, both of which I sorely need.

Ciao!

I am so proud of you, sticking in there and going all through the web site to find this or perhaps you tracked it down via blogger.com, dispatches containing ramblings and rants re: my work, trying to get exhibition & teaching gigs, and other general art/art admin commentary. I'll try to keep the snarkiness to a minimum.

Lately, just finished a visiting artist residency at the University of Kentucky, in their Fibers Program, to whom I am indebted to Arturo Sandoval to being so kind as to invite me and schlep me around for the week. Despite the occasional 14 hour day, it was loads of fun: great students, lots of good food (being that it's free makes it taste better), and time to loll around the visiting scholar apart on campus working on a new smaller series called "Sexpot Icons" that I actually began as a sample project for this workshop and another teaching residency up at Miami University's (of Ohio) CraftSummer Program for this summer. The UK teaching gig has forced me to do several things re: the teaching gigs which were sorely needed: project handouts which illustrate the 8 or so sequential steps for the textile icon, textile technique handouts, and a large sampler on which I employ all the techniques I teach. While I will not jump up and down and holler about how much fun the creation of those peripheral materials was, it was necessary and of course, I needed much prodding to do it.

I like these opportunities to informally hang out with students, regardless if they're college or my more typical student artist demographic of 30 - 60 yrs old. Also, it was my largest crowd for an artist lecture ever: 300+. It was intimidating, but went really well, or at least they laughed at all my snarky and self-depreciating digs. And, I received e-mails from the students about how it was the first lecture they got anything out of from a visiting artist. Nice ego stroke.

This coming week, bringing in Faith Ringgold to MSU. She's the biggest artist that's been on campus for quite some time. We had Howard Zinn come in about 3 years ago, as far as a "big" person on campus, but not much as far as artists. I bring in quite a few visiting artists in association with the Claypool-Young Art Gallery, but they're not really big names like Faith. Should be pret-tay interesting.

Listening a lot to Sufjan Stevens lately. The UK students really liked the CDs

That's it for the first entry. Not sure the frequencies of this postings, but visit when you can.