Review: Modern Materials

My mother quilts. With a vengeance. She spends most of the hours of most of her days quilting. She makes quilts for everyone: Her children, her friends, people at church, people she barely knows and all of their children. We never wonder what birthdays or Christmases are going to bring us because it is almost always a quilt.

My mother is a fine quilter, and I always appreciate her gifts, but her quilts don’t necessarily get me stirred up and excited. And I don’t usually think of them as works of art. More like lovingly, sweetly made crafts.
A new exhibit at Living Arts, though, has taken everything I thought I new about quilts and turned it upside down.

“Modern Materials: The Art of the Quilt” features the work of 24 fiber artists from across the nation, featuring two Oklahoma artists: Tulsa’s Jean Ann Fausser and Oklahoma City’s Elia Woods.

My initial response to the quilts on display at Living Arts’ still-new space at 307 E. Brady was shock. I was amazed by what these artists formed out of fabric and thread. They completely redefined the words “fine craft.”

Susan Else’s “Above the Boardwalk,” which features a quilted, spinning Ferris wheel, complete with passengers.

Kevan Rupp Lunney has constructed a large “Pod,” inside which sits a pink bud.


Check out the detail. This is an up-close view of only a small section of Jill Rumoshosky Werner’s “Fan Dancer.”

The exhibit, sponsored in part by the recently formed Brady Craft Alliance, debuted at Oklahoma City's Artspace at Untitled Gallery in July 2009.

The director of that gallery said, “Quilting has a unique culture wherein, historically, it has been a traditional craft where the product is utilitarian; versus modern quilting quickly becoming a contemporary art form to be hung on the wall or sat on a pedestal.

“Many quilters tell narratives through their work, while some address social issues through their art. Others simply use quilt art as their chosen medium for self-expression. Quilt artists use a variety of fibers and quilting materials, and some incorporate a range of other materials, from photographic film to tiny plastic suitcases.”

The exhibit remains on display through Feb. 25. Gallery hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5pm, Thursdays from1-9pm and Fridays from 1-9pm. Get more information at www.livingarts.org.

Tonight: Fall Collection

Well, folks, the Battle Royal culminates tonight. I can't tell you how appreciative I am of your support (even if you supported my arch nemesis, Natasha). What you really did was support a wonderful cause, Resonance Center for Women, which works every day to make better the lives of women in Tulsa.

The other thing you did was give two tired old mommies much-needed makeovers. Yeah, I know, only the contest winner was supposed to get the makeover, but since you guys helped us RAISE $1,140 FOR RESONANCE, we figured we both deserved one.

And now, for the unveiling. I liken this moment to one of my son's favorite board books, called Yummy Yucky.


Mommy without makeup is YUCKY.

Mommy with her new makeover is YUMMY!


Thanks, all! And, if you'd like to see Natasha's makeover as well (the only photo I took of her was mid-rinse. See below), come to Ihloff Fall Collection tonight in the Assembly Hall of the Tulsa Convention Center, 100 Civic Center, at 7pm. Tickets are only $15 in advance at either Ihloff location or $20 at the door, and all proceeds go to Resonance. Not only will you see the results of Natasha's and my makeovers, you'll also see Resonance clients made over and strutting their stuff and about 50 local models, decked out in fairy tale garb, with hair designed by the Ihloff Creative Team.

Thanks again for your support, and I hope to see you tonight!

Battle Royal: Pick Your Princess

My friend Natasha is beautiful. She’s got this gorgeous, thick hair, virtually unblemished skin and pouty, full lips.

That’s why she’s going down.

There’s been some speculation that Tasha and I might very well be the same person. We’re both energetic gals about town with babies of similar age. We’re both writers, and we write mostly for the same publications. And we both like giving back to the community — especially when there’s a little competition involved.

Now would be a good time to assure you that Tasha and I are in fact very different people. But we want the same things: To raise lots and lots of money for Resonance Center for Women and to get a free makeover in the process. And I definitely need a makeover more than Natasha.

Resonance is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a support system for women facing life’s challenges. The organization was founded in 1977 by Eleanor Hill, who was suddenly widowed by her husband. She established Resonance in a house on the grounds of St. John’s Episcopal Church, and along with a group of volunteers, began offering services that included free listening sessions, on-going support groups and educational workshops.

Resonance provides counseling, substance abuse treatment, career and job services, resources and referrals. In total, Resonance has served more than 250,000 women and families. Each month Resonance receives 1,200 phone calls for information, appointments, or referrals, and serves an average of 350 clients.

Resonance is privately funded and receives no federal or state funding and is not a United Way agency. It is supported by individuals, foundations, corporations, churches, workshop fees and revenue generated by special events.

One of its top supporters is Marilyn Ihloff and Ihloff Salon and Day Spa. Annually, the Ihloff creative team hosts the Fall Collection, a high-energy fashion show that displays the team’s undeniable creativity when it comes to hair and makeup. The show, this year on Oct. 22 at the Tulsa Convention Center’s Assembly Hall, donates proceeds to Resonance and provides Resonance clients, as well as community members, with makeovers.

I want one of those makeovers.

And I’m willing to duke it out with my good friend and colleague in order to get one. But I need your help. (And so does Resonance.) We need you to donate money to Resonance in my name (or, if you like her better, Tasha’s name) between now and Oct. 14. The sassy lady who raises the most money for Resonance gets a makeover and to walk in the Ihloff Creative Team Fall Collection.

To find out the winner of the contest, buy a ticket to Fall Collection (more money for Resonance). The winner will be announced there. And, you’ll get to see whichever of us got the hot new makeover strut our stuff on the catwalk. And the other one crying alone in the corner.

You don’t have to donate a ton of money. $5, $10 or $20 helps. Everything helps. But if you want to give more, do it. Just do it under my name. You can donate via Resonance’s Facebook page here. Tell all your friends.

Follow @hwall, @tashadoestulsa and @ResonanceTulsa on Twitter and visit our Facebook pages to keep up with the competition. It’ll be good, I promise.

Everyone's a Winner!

Well, everyone who entered this contest is a winner, anyway.

Since five people entered, and I have five pairs of tickets to give away, you each get one! So, congrats to Jeff Martin, Matt Nightingale, Jeff Shaw, treygar and Lynda Clopp. And thanks so much for sharing your favorite fables! I hadn't heard any of those except one.

E-mail me at hollyx19 at yahoo.com to claim your prize. Thanks for playing, and enjoy the show!

Get Your Groove On: A Giveaway

When I got the assignment from the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s Intermission magazine (that fantastic glossy book your program comes in when you attend events at the PAC) to cover GrooveLily’s concert on Friday, I had no idea what the heck a GrooveLily was.

I took the opportunity to peruse the band’s Web site and download some tunes, and I ended up spending all day listening to mp3s and watching their videos on YouTube.

The band combines Broadway-inspired tunes with jazz, folk and rock music to create a sound that is completely unlike anything I’ve heard before and is so magical, soothing and inspiring that I wanted to get on Amazon.com as quick as possible and snatch up all the CDs I could find.

GrooveLily is Valerie Vigoda, vocals and electric violin; Brendan Milburn, vocals, keyboard and, it just so happens, Valerie’s husband; and Gene Lewin, drums.

Vigoda is a classically trained violinist who, while pursuing a career as a folk singer, met Milburn in 1994 in a New York City coffee shop. They began to meet regularly, first to discuss music, then began writing music together and, eventually, dating. Later that year they met Lewin, whose background is in jazz and rock.

The really beautiful thing about GrooveLily’s music is that, though lovely melodies and rhythms, the band tells marvelous stories. A large portion of the band’s repertoire is its rock musicals, which turn age-old moral tales on their heads, giving them a new spin, to tell smart, humorous, creative stories.

And even those songs that aren’t part of the rock musicals seem to have a story to tell – an imaginative, intellectual story.

If what I’m writing can’t convey it well enough to convince you that this is a show you want to see, then listen for yourself.

GrooveLily plays the Williams Theater of the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St., Friday, Sept. 25 at 7:30pm. Tickets are only $28, but five – FIVE – lucky winners will get a pair right here for free. Just leave a comment with your favorite fable or moral story, and I’ll select the winner at random tomorrow morning. You have until 8 a.m. tomorrow to enter. I’ll choose the winner tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Good luck, and happy listening!

Tonight: Next/Now

Tonight is Tulsa Young Professionals' fourth annual Next/Now art show, from 6-9 p.m. at Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road. Through the event, TYPros celebrates local artists between the ages of 21 and 40 and presents live music by Dead Sea Choir and improv performances by actors from Crayons Improv.

The event is free and open to the public. Light appetizers will be served, and there is a cash bar.

See you there!

Park and Play

I've always suspected that I'm not (I can't be) the only Tulsa who doesn't think this city needs more parking lots. Two years ago, a local architecture firm came up with a concept of “providing temporary public open space... one parking spot at a time,” transforming concrete into an unusual combination of park and art.

PARK[ing] Day in Tulsa, hosted by AIA Eastern Oklahoma, IIDA, McFarland Davies Architects and Tepera Hood Design, is a non-commercial project intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, social interaction, generosity and play.

Originally created by REBAR, a San Francisco art and design collective, PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day global event during which individuals and groups transform parking spaces, parking lots and other areas of the landscape built to store stationary motor vehicles into places for people to congregate, socialize and play – to the exclusion of motor vehicles.

Four installation projects are open throughout the day and feature special events in Brookside, the Brady District, Cherry Street and on Route 66 during the times shown.

The ballPARK: On the northeast corner of east Archer and north Boston in the Brady District, sponsored by AIA Eastern Oklahoma's Young Architects Forum.
Open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests can purchase hot dogs from downtown Tulsa's most recognizable food cart, the Dog House. Better yet, the first 50 guests to register online will receive a FREE hot dog.
At noon, Bob Jack with Manhattan Construction and a representative from the Tulsa Drillers will present a preview of ONEOK Field, scheduled to open in April 2010.

Mad Hatter's Tea Party: 5-6 p.m. at 3638 S. Peoria Ave. in the Brookside Design District, sponsored by IIDA (International Interior Design Association).
IIDA will transform Urban Furnishings' concrete patio into an inviting outdoor tea room. Enjoy unusual tea blends provided by Dragon Moon Tea Company and garden art supplied by Garden Deva while vying for great prizes.

Home Run Derby: 6-7 p.m. - back to the northeast corner of East Archer and north Boston in the Brady District, sponsored by AIA Eastern Oklahoma's YAF. Guests will compete in an old-fashioned Home Run Derby with prizes awarded to the best sluggers.

CHOCS: From 7-8 p.m. at 1502 E. 15th St. at Coffee House on Cherry Street, sponsored by AIA Eastern Oklahoma's Committee on the Environment and McFarland Davies Architects.
Located at the corner of east 15th Street and south Rockford Avenue, this installation features two 30-gallon trees on a Zoysia grass lawn and Cherry Street giveaways.

Route 66: From 8-11 p.m. at 1347 E. 11th St. on Route 66. The installation, sponsored by Tepera Hood Design, features a unique installation transforming a former gasoline island into an urban park setting complete with a "forest canopy."
Owners Shane Hood, Assoc. AIA and Mary Jones, Assoc. AIA invite you to celebrate the grand opening of their design studio on historic Route 66 with music and food served throughout the evening.

T-Town Trolley will carry passengers between downtown Tulsa, Cherry Street, Route 11, and Brookside from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

In 2007, Selser Schaefer Architects organized Tulsa’s first PARK(ing) Day installation in a single parking space in an uptown Tulsa parking lot.

In 2008, AIA Eastern Oklahoma’s Young Architects Forum and SR Hughes converted parking spaces in the Brookside Design District into an outdoor living environment. In 2009, the installations multiplied the number of temporary parks in Tulsa through the combined efforts of artists, activists, and citizens drawing attention to how the city’s urban space is allocated and used.

Tell Tale: A Conversation with Joe Andoe

I've been elated about Joe Andoe's return to Tulsa for some time. Not only is he exhibiting brand-new, commissioned work, but he's doing so for the benefit of Tulsa Girls Art School Project, a phenomenal non-profit organization that provides underprivileged young girls with an opportunity for arts education.

At Dwelling Spaces, 119 S. Detroit, tomorrow evening, from 6 to 8pm, Andoe will sell 100 hand-painted t-shirts for $100 each, and the girls of TGAS will sell 100 original flower paintings for $100 each. You can probably do the math on your own, but that provides an opportunity for TGAS to earn $20,000, which would be monumental for the school.

Read my story in Urban Tulsa Weekly here.

And below is a trsncript of most of the interview I did with Joe Andoe. He's a genuinely nice guy and surprisingly easy to talk to — so much so that we spent more than 40 minutes on the phone, chatting not only about the benefit exhibit but also about the possibility of Jubilee City, his autobiography, being made into a film and the past, present and future of Tulsa.

At the end of the post is additional information on how tomorrow night's exhibit will go. E-mail tulsaartblog@yahoo.com with any questions.

HW: How did you first hear about Tulsa Girls Art School Project?
Joe Andoe: When I showed up at the (Aberson’s Exhibits) show (on June 24), I was kind of late, and someone handed me a diploma-looking thing from the mayor that named June 24 “Joe Andoe Day.”

I took it to my mother’s house to show to her, and we took it to Ziegler to have it framed so she could hang it on her wall. Someone in there said we should go across the street and see Matt Moffett’s little girls school. It sounded cute, so my mother and I walked across the street.

My mother was so impressed with the girls; they were all so well-behaved, just sitting there painting, and so polite.

At the school they have this peg board, a gallery space, where the girls could sell their work. And half of the proceeds from the paintings went into a scholarship for them and the other half went to the school. So I was looking at it, and I picked out one, and said, “I’ll buy this one.” Then I looked at the painting next to that one and thought, “She’s going to feel bad if I buy this girl’s painting and not hers.” Then I looked at the next girl and said, “Matt, just sell me one of each.”

The girls were so cute, they brought them out to the trunk of my car. And they’re such good painters. They’re so unafraid. Matt’s a good teacher.

HW: So how did you arrive at the idea to do a benefit for the school?
JA: Later, the next day or that night, I talked to Mary Beth and she asked if I’d ever do a t-shirt or something for her space. And it just came to me: “How about we do this?” Just that quick. It’s just another example of my mouth writing a check my ass can’t cash. I thought I’d draw a little flower with a marker or something on each one and sign it. But I got wrapped up, carried away. Whoever buys these things for $100 apiece will certainly get their money’s worth. I sell things for $25,000 that I don’t put this much work into.

HW: Why flowers?
JA: Flowers reminded me of the little girls. They’re the right size to paint. It’s just one consistent thing that could be similar on each of the shirts.

HW: Who decided there’s be 100 of them?
JA: Oh, that was my big idea. You hang around me long enough I’ll make a mistake like that.

When I got back to the city, I was listening to the public radio station, and some guy was on who wrote a book about childhood development and the benefit of teaching children music at younger age. He said they grow up to be more sensitive adults, that it tanslates into human interaction later in life.

I got to thinking, I bet art is the same way. Anytime they’re sensitive to the fact that this color next to this color makes you feel certain way, then they can control things, the way they feel. Art is about empathy anyway. At the root of it all, people relating to art is something akin to, in nursery, when one baby cries and then they all cry. Or when one person yawns then it makes you yawn, too.

When you’re an artist, if you feel something and put it down on a canvas, there’s good chance you can make someone else feel the same way without words. I figured, if these girls could paint and they had this, the ripple effects would be real positive in their community.

HW: Did the fact that most of these girls hail from the same part of Tulsa where you’re from, the north side, increase your desire to hold this benefit for them?
JA: It didn’t hurt. The fact they’re underprivileged meant more to me than anything. They’re not getting it as easy as most kids in Tulsa do.

HW: What did you do with the 24 paintings you bought?
JA: I gave them to my family, all my nieces and nephews. I kept two for myself, gave my mother one, gave my brothers one.

In case you were wondering...here is how it's going to go down Thursday night at Dwelling Spaces

Joe Andoe Hand Painted T-shirt Art Exhibit 2009

Register at desk outside of shop to get a number if you want to purchase a t-shirt
Doors will open at 6pm
6:30 we will call #1, #2, etc.
You will have 1 minute to pick your t-shirt
PLEASE BE READY…you will only have 1 minute to choose
Once you have chosen your t-shirt
Pay at the counter
Keep your receipt to pick shirt up on Saturday or after
This is an Art Exhibit
$100 each 100% goes to Tulsa Girls Art School
Anytime during the event you can purchase the flower paintings by the girls at TGAS which will be on display on the back wall. The paintings by the girls are $100 each 100% to TGAS.
Donations are also accepted directly to TGAS.
Dwelling Spaces
119 S. Detroit Ave

www.dwellingspaces.net
www.tulsagirlsartschool.co

m
www.rsfineart.net
www.joeandoe.com

WE WILL BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS THURSDAY AM FROM 10:30-1PM
CLOSED FROM 1-6 TO PREPARE FOR FLOWER FREAKOUT

Call to artists: Momentum Tulsa 2009

OK, so I'm super, duper excited about being on the planning committee for the 2009 Momentum Tulsa event. The event highlights the work of Oklahoma artists aged 30 and under and provides a wonderful example of the degree of talent we have in our state.

I can't tell you any details of the event yet, but I can tell you that artists will be involved in every aspect of the event, from its planning to its execution, in addition to being the stars of the show. So, go ahead and get to work. The call for entries is below.

Open to Oklahoma artists age 30 and under to exhibit their work in a fun and exciting atmosphere featuring interactive art and live bands. The sixth annual Momentum Tulsa will be Saturday, October 10, 2009 at Living Arts new location at 307 E. Brady, Tulsa.

Performance artists, filmmakers, 2D and 3D artists are encouraged to submit up to 3 entries. Submissions must have been created in the last two years and can not have been included in previous Momentum's.

Curators are Scott Perkins, curator of collections and exhibitions at the Price Tower Arts Center in Bartlesville, and Frank Wick, artist and Momentum Spotlight Emerging curator. More info at 405-879-2400 or www.MomentumOklahoma.org.

More than $1,000 in cash prizes will be awarded.

Deadline for entries is September 26 and 27.

Visit www.MomentumOklahoma.org for the full call for entries.

One Hot Night

Tulsa-based artist JP Morrison presents a preview party for her latest body of work “Beguiled: The Folklore of Women” before taking it to The Base Gallery in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, July 29.

“Beguiled” is an exhibition of seven new mixed media works exploring the roles of female characters in fairy tales and allegory.

According to the artist, “The work deals in particular with personal empowerment, which is a novelty almost entirely overlooked in traditional tales. The women in my retellings understand that there are many ways to achieve ‘happily ever after’ without being rescued.”

The preview is at Pearl Gallery, 1201 E. Third St., from 5-8pm in conjunction with the closing of the gallery’s “The Long Hot Summer Show.”

The event is free and open to the public. For more, go to www.pearlgallerytulsa.com.

Call to artists: Next/Now Art Show

From the horse's mouth:

TYPros is looking for talented Tulsa artists ages 21-40 to participate in the fourth annual Next/Now art show. Selected artwork will be displayed at the Gilcrease Museum Sept. 18-28 with a special reception on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Below is information about artwork submissions. The deadline to enter is Friday, Aug. 7. For questions about the show or submissions, contact Chris Oden, executive director of TYPros, at 918-560-0286 or chrisoden@typros.org.

Theme
Open

Specifications
Artwork will be submitted via e-mail (only one piece of art per e-mail). All media is welcome for submission. To be considered, please provide artist name, phone number, e-mail, title, media and price (if applicable) with each submission. Artists may submit up to five pieces for the show.

Hanging pieces should be no larger than 4' X 4' with a weight restriction of 25 pounds. Sculptures should not exceed 3' in height with a maximum base dimension of 20" X 20" and a weight restriction of 25 pounds.

When artwork is delivered, each piece must be ready to hang with wire or d-rings and framed if appropriate. Any special equipment must be provided by the artist. Pieces should also be prepared for transport.

Submission Information
Please send an e-mail with information and picture of artwork (maximum file size: 1 MB) to chrisoden@typros.org.

Important Dates
Aug. 7 - Deadline for submissions
Aug. 18-20 - Jury will review
Aug. 24-26 - Notification of selected works (via email)
Sept. 9 - Selected art provided to TYPros, 5-7 p.m., at Walsh Branding, 300 East Brady
Sept. 22 - Reception, 6-9 p.m., Gilcrease Museum
Sept. 29 - Artists pick-up artwork, 5-7 p.m., Walsh Branding, 300 East Brady

Details
TYPros and the Gilcrease Museum are not responsible at any time for the loss, damage or theft of artwork. Submission of artwork constitutes an agreement on the part of the artist to the conditions set forth in this prospectus and shall further include permission to reproduce work for publication. All art will be judged by a panel of experienced jurors.

Inclusion in the Next/Now art show does not constitute an endorsement of the artists' work by the Gilcrease Museum.

If someone is interested in purchasing your art piece, you will be contacted. The artist will be responsible for the sale including getting the artwork to the purchaser; however, artwork must be displayed at the museum for the duration (Sept. 18-29).

Eligibility
In order to enter, you must be 21 to 40 years of age and a member of TYPros. To sign up for free membership, visit www.TYPros.org.

Feel free to forward this call for entries to other YPs that might be interested.


Editor's Note: Local artist Grace Grothaus is involved in putting this on, and I know she's really trying to amp up the quality of the event. While I sometimes tend to disregard functions organized by TYPros, this one should be good. God, I sound like a jerk. Ha!

Wanna see my boobs? (A call to artists)

For some reason — I can't quite figure it out — Judi Grove, an amazing woman, breast cancer survivor and founder of Breast Impressions, thinks I'm a celebrity.

I think her judgment should be questioned, but whatever.

Her organization donates casting kits to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and face a mastectomy. By making a cast of their breasts before they're removed, the women are left with a memory of their bodies before they're altered by the effects of their cancer.

The idea was sparked when Grove found a lump on her nipple and learned she'd have to have a mastectomy. She made a cast of her own breasts before surgery.

Two years ago, Grove began hosting an annual event to raise money for Tulsa Project Woman, a nonprofit organization that provides no-cost mammography, diagnostic procedures and surgical services for women with no health insurance and limited financial resources.

Grove asks local "celebrities" (typically people much more famous than I am) to lend their bodies to a casting. The casts are then painted by local artists and auctioned off at the gala event. This year's annual gala and live auction is October 25 at Woodland Hills Mall. Grove would like to have the casts on display through the month of October.

I am more than thrilled to be a part of this event and to lend myself to two organizations who do so much for women's health. My aunt and my grandmother, both on my mother's side, are breast cancer survivors, and I find them and all of the other women who've beat the disease, awe-inspiring.

Grove is still looking for five or six artists who are interested in painting/decorating casts to be auctioned off. It is a great way to have your work seen in an unusual setting and to do something really wonderful for the community as well. Grove said she'd especially like to have the involvement of some younger, burgeoning artists who could stand to benefit from the exposure.

Plus, no one's signed on to paint my cast yet. And I want someone really, really good.

Finished casts are due September 1, so we need to find artists quickly. If you're interested, please e-mail me at tulsaartblog at yahoo.com or contact Judi at breastimpressions at cox.net or 691-3874.