ART
PUBLICATION
RESULTS

At ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, I spend a lot of time preaching about the benefits of Art Publication and why you should enter art shows.  So, it only seems fitting that I publish my occasional results that address both.

In June, ArtAndArtDeadlines.com posted a blog about The Flaneur, an Independent Art & Culture Newspaper.  I followed my own advice and submitted one of my favorite pieces called Pieces of Me: Fat.  Below is the front page of the latest edition of The Flaneur along with the page on which my piece appears.  Click the image below to go to The Flaneur!

Are you tired yet?  Me too.

Nonetheless, I submitted work to this Independent Arts & Culture Newspaper because they made it SO easy.  Check it out:

Here’s the call…HURRY!

Final Call for Arts and Writing magazine submissions

The next issue of The Flaneur (click here for the name origin) is publishing as a newspaper and as an iPhone app.

If you are a writer or artist and are interested in being a part of this project please submit reviews, short fiction, flash art, cartoons, articles, poetry, short fiction.

They are interested in anything cultural. Take a look at their What We Publish Page if you have questions.

Please email your work to editor@flaneur.me.uk with ‘Flaneur submission’ in the title.

Please note that contributors are not currently paid.

Me in W.D.'s kitchen circa 1989...interesting island wear, eh?

It is rumored that when I was younger… I had a wild streak full of bigger-than-life stories, life-altering experiences and risk-taking adventures.

I’ve met a lot of colorful characters with eccentricities too odd to explain and some too cliched to repeat.

When the Dominican Republic’s earth-shaking tragedy happened this year, I had a flash back to my past…a wild two-week romp through the sugar cane fields of Puerta Plata in 1990.  Was the place I cling to when I need to remember something other than bills and responsibilities now a pile of debris? 

I had no way of knowing.

I came to visit the Dominican Republic in an odd sort of way.  It started in the US Virgin Islands where I decided to show up at 17 with a one-way ticket and $100 cash wearing 4″ heels and a snow white sundress. 

My luggage was lost for 11 days. 

My hotel turned out to be a motel that was in a bad section of town.

And, the US Navy dumped untold thousands of sailors off an aircraft carrier shortly after I arrived.

Headed out with W.D...as a sailor, I suppose? Ha.

I suppose it could have been a shameful comment on my honor if I hadn’t run in to one of our country’s finest soldiers that was concerned about the volume of free drinks that were constantly headed my way. 

Further, he had the good luck to run across a local cabbie that had been watching idiot 17 year old girls make this same hackneyed journey for an untold number of years. Sadly, I was not his first rescue effort.

Let’s just say I woke up the next morning safely in my seedy motel room with everything intact…including my 4″ heels.  That cabbie was W.D…later known to me as “Uncle Bill.” 

After that, W.D. became my frequent dinner companion, designated driver, and little devilish conscience that kept me out of extreme trouble while still enjoying watching me flounder in the shallow end “uh oh.”

After the romance of the islands wore off…I finally got a permanent case of Rock Fever and left for the States for good.  Over the next few years, I would hear from W.D. occasionally when he was in the States…a phone call here and there. 

One day he called me in Atlanta and said, “What’s Up?”

“Not much,” I replied.

“Wanna go to the Dominican Republic for a couple of weeks? I know a guy that knows a guy with a hotel.”

“Separate rooms, right?”

“Hehehe.  You always spoil the fun.  Yeah.  I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

And we were off.  I speak three words (literally) of Spanish.  It was an adventure.  I came back renewed and nostalgic for the islands but ready to get off my butt and make something out of my twenties.

Today, I received a love letter to my youth. 

Well, a postcard to be exact.  No sweet words.  No mushy sentiment.  Just a postcard signed “W.D.”  A reminder, if you will, that my youth is still alive and well in a sugar-cane field in the Dominican Republic.

Thanks, Lovey.  I needed that.

The name of the game is:

Trust your gut

Don’t be overwhelmed by flattery…no matter how badly you need to hear it…

and BE CAREFUL.

Here’s a great article about How to Spot a Bad Art Gallery or Dealer from ArtBusiness.com . Thanks to my friend Michaela Pilar Brown for pointing it out to me!

On ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, I preach the wisdom of not getting complacent…of continuing to enter shows.  However…I have been working on my show Psychomachia for more than a year now with Arizona artist Jerry Portelli, and I have worked on it to the exclusion of almost everything else.

So, I really need to take my own advice and decide that it is time that I at least enter a couple of shows.

NO MORE EXCUSES.

I PROMISE.

It has ceased to be about cash prizes for me.  It is all about the ability to show in new places.  Here is one of the shows that I’ve chosen for June:

Sylvia White Juried Show–Entry Deadline June 19th

This summer, the Sylvia White Gallery will be awarding two exhibition opportunities in our gallery space in Ventura, California’s New Art City.

COMPETITION DETAILS:

Juried by: Sylvia White.  Sylvia White is founder and director of Contemporary Artists’ Services. She has been advising artists on matters related to career development since 1979. Sylvia White Gallery opened in 2008 and has exhibited artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Graham, Ed Moses, Dale Chihuly and others. Take a virtual tour of our gallery , please visit our website at http://www.sylviawhite.com/ .

PRIZES: One solo exhibition and one group exhibition.

EVENT SCHEDULE:
June 19 – Entry Deadline
July 3 – Notifications sent out
August 4 – September 4 – Group Exhibition (Solo exhibition dates to be arranged with winning artist)

ELIGIBILITY:  Open to all U.S./Canadian resident artists at least 18 years of age.  Eligible entries include paintings, mixed media, works on paper, photography, sculpture, installation art and performance.

ACCEPTANCE:  Accepted work may be refused if it does not conform to the image entry, at the Juror’s discretion. No substitutions of accepted works will be allowed. All accepted work must remain in the gallery for the duration of the exhibit.

Artists will be responsible for delivery and return shipping of all their artwork. Sylvia White Gallery will assist in providing e-mailing lists and press contacts.

SALES:  Unless otherwise specified, accepted works will be considered for sale at the price indicated and 30% of the selling price will be retained by The Sylvia White Gallery. A purchaser may not remove work until the end of the exhibition.

INSURANCE:  Great care will be taken with all work, but artists are responsible for insuring their own pieces if they wish. The Sylvia White Gallery will not be responsible for any loss or damage to work while on the premises or in transit to or from the gallery. Artists are advised to get their own insurance.

DELIVERY & RETURN:  All work must be suitably framed, wired and ready for hanging, or installation. Graphics, prints, watercolors and pastels must be framed under Plexiglas. NO GLASS.

Shipped work must be packaged in a reusable container. NO STYROFOAM PEANUTS. A prepaid waybill for its return must be enclosed. Please make shipping arrangements through the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, FedEx, or UPS. COD returns are not acceptable. The gallery accepts no responsibility for work not retrieved on the pick-up date and will charge the artist $5.00 a day thereafter for storage. After 30 days the gallery may dispose of the work.

APPLICATION PROCESS:  To apply you need to email all of the following to juriedshow@artadvice.com.

1. Link To Website with available work (if available)
2. Three (3) Digital Images of Work – Digital Images should be submitted in JPEG format and the images’ dimensions should not exceed 1600 pixels in any dimension and should have a maximum file size of 5 MB. Please label each JPEG image as follows: Lastname_Firstname_title.jpg
3. Details of submitted work: Title, Medium, Dimensions, and Price.
4. Contact Details of Artist: Name, Email Address, Phone Number
5. Entry Fee $40 (US Dollars only)

If you have any questions, email Sylvia…she’s always quick with replies.

As I get older, I seem to be going further out on the fringe. 

I’m not reusing plastic wrap yet, but I’m cheap nonetheless.  I have dreams of moving off the grid and living with solar panels and wind power…growing my own vegetables and making my own goat cheese. 

I not a child of the 60s.  I love 4″ heels and modern architecture.  But more and more, I am conscious of the cumulative effect of my environment on the quality of my life. 

Over the past 14 months, I have removed most processed food from my diet as a function of shedding an excess 65 pounds.  And, I have kept the weight off for half a year now by committing to whole foods.

So, where is this all going?  My point is this…I seem to be motivated to do things healthy and green for all the wrong reasons…but I at least I am doing them.  I have been motivated, once again, to take action.  I am going green…well, maybe just celadon, to reduce my electric bill.

I am going to reduce my family’s energy consumption at home by 30% by October 31st of 2010 (approximately 6 months).  I lived in Winnsboro, SC for around 3 years where I received a single utility bill for electric, gas, water and sewer because the city owned the utilities. 

My utility bill was consistently $300 – $400 per month or more despite efforts to make my historic home more energy efficient.  At the time, I was grateful for the bill because it was reduced from the bills I paid in Columbia, SC.

When I moved to Gatlinburg, I was shocked when my first electric bill in May of 2007 was less than $100.  I moved into a smaller house with more energy efficient appliances, but the real difference was attributed to the Tennessee Valley Authority by all of my neighbors.

My electric bill has gone up over the past 3 years, but it usually falls between $100 and $160.  Extreme weather occasionally adds $20 to this number.  I pay approximately $65 per month for water and $0 for sewer because  I have a septic system.

I have taken measures over the years to keep my bills low by removing the energy-sucking outdoor hot tub as well as the water-sucking indoor jacuzzi.  Many of the bulbs in my house are compact flourescents, and we only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they are full (due to laziness–not energy conservation).

Well, it is time to take better measures to reduce my utility expenditure.  Here are the steps my family has agreed to take over the next 6 months:

1. Turn down the temperature on my hot water heater.  FREE. I don’t know where it is set, but I regularly scald my hands–that can’t be good.

2. Insulate my hot water heater.  APPROX. $40.  It is easy to tell that I am losing heat due to the excessively high temperature in the closet where it resides.

3. Replace my thermostat.  APPROX. $30.  My thermostat is around 20 years old.  It is time.

4. Insulate the back of my thermostat.  APPROX. $10. The wall that comprises closet that houses my hotwater heater also houses the my heat pump thermostat.  It is not a brilliant design, and I can’t fix that as a non-owner; however, I can build an insulated box to prevent the excess heat given off by my soon to be insulated hot water heater from making it run unnecessarily.

5. Replace west-facing window coverings with thermal curtains.  APPROX. $200. My house faces west, and the back wall is all windows.  I suspect that adding insulated curtains to the 48 square feet of window in the apex of my partial A-frame chalet will go a long way to reducing my AC energy expenditure.  In addition, I have two sets of sliding glass windows and two additional windows in my art studio.

6. Finish replacing all bulbs with compact flourscent bulbs. APPROX. $50.

7. Only use lamps and light fixtures when NEEDED. FREE.

8. Quit leaving the TV on as background noise for people OR pets.  FREE.

9. Reduce use of the diswasher.  APPROX. $2.  This one is hard, folks.  Because we cook almost every meal at home, we produce lots of dirty dishes.  We run the diswasher at least 7 times per week…sometimes 9.  Ouch.  I am going to try to reduce the use of my diswasher to 3 times per week.  First, I have to buy a stopper for my kitchen sink so I can revisit hand-washing, ugh.  In addition, I must only run the dishwasher when I am home so that I can open the door instead of running the dry cycle.

10. Reduce use of the washing machine & dryer.  FREE.  We do about 5 loads of laundry per week.  I could rewear more clothing…or quit being too lazy to hang it up, and probably reduce my loads to 4 per week.  The biggest drain is the dryer, though.  By removing clothing when it is done and not rerunning it 3 times to remove wrinkles, I imagine I can conserve a considerable amount of energy.

11. Seal doors and windows.  APPROX. $20.  I can see outside under my front door and the draft around my sliding glass doors and windows is shocking.  Weatherstripping and an addition to the bottom of my front door should do the trick.

12. Shorten showers.  APPROX. $10.  We take approximately 21 showers per week at my house–3 people x 7 days, and that isn’t going to change (although my 11 year old would love to give that a try).  We are going to buy a water-proof clock with timer for the shower to find out how long our showers are now, and reduce that number by at least 25%.

Okay folks, that it the list for now.  I know this blog is supposed to be about my art, but I’ll keep you updated on Project Celadon and the result.  Wish me luck!

My move toward being more energy conscious has been motivated by my stinginess…but not my stinginess alone…

…Thanks to Toni’s Treehouse for Green Living Tips of the Week
and a HUGE COMMITMENT to being kinder
to her family by being kinder to the environment.

Michael Mitchell Interiors hosts Art For Charity, May 19 to June 13, at 438 King Street, Charleston. The gallery will be open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“I saw a way I could use my contacts and talents to help the community,” Michael Mitchell (pictured right), owner of Michael Mitchell Interiors, said.

“I look forward to working with each of the non-profit groups to raise money for their very special causes this year and in future years.”

Through regular gallery hours and special invitation-only receptions, artwork sold from local and national artists raises money for local non-profit organizations including:

• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center
• Charleston Breast Center
• MUSC Children’s Hospital
• Five local Habitat for Humanity affiliates
• Ronald McDonald House
• American Red Cross
• South Carolina Aquarium
• Roper Saint Francis Ryan White Program. 

Art For Charity features a wide variety of artwork from local and national artists. Artists include:

• Carol Kamm
• Marty Biernbaum
• Deanna Bowdish
• Terry Brennan
• Joe Byrne
• John Crum
• R.L. Gibson
• Heidi Darr-Hope
• Toni Elkins
• Rex Hunter
• Jon Ives
• Kim Keats
• Karen Keen-Day
• Stephen Kishel
• Alicia Leeke
• Elena Madden
• Debbie Martin
• Betsy McDonald
• Easter Melton
• Bruce Nellsmith
• Betsey Stevenson
• Darlett Stone
• Carl Turner
• Marlies Williams 

The style of the work ranges from traditional to modern, is both two and three dimensional and encompasses a variety of media.

Ashley Wieters Redmond, Director of the Ryan White Program, said, “The Roper Saint Francis Ryan White Program looks forward to their new partnership with Michael Mitchell and his Art for Charity event this year.”

“I believe the event will help bring awareness to the community on HIV/AIDS and services the Ryan White program offers while supporting Lowcountry artists. It’s all for a good cause.”

The Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (McGhee Tyson Airport) and the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville are pleased to present “Arts in the Airport Spring 2010,” a new exhibition featuring selected artwork. “Arts in the Airport” was developed to allow regional artists to compete and display work in the most visited site in the area.

The selected art features contemporary 2-dimensional artwork and will be exhibited in the secured area behind McGhee Tyson Airport’s security gate checkpoint.

This call for entry was featured on ArtAndArtDeadlines.com and had NO ENTRY FEE!  Get to work–No excuses!