Reader story on Pulp move
Figured I’d give my loyal readers a little preview of my Pulp story. Read an excerpt here now, but catch the full version in the paper, along with my column, Thursday.
It’s hard to keep things quiet in the Omaha arts community.
So that’s why, a few weeks before she’d planned, Brigitte McQueen, owner of Benson’s Pulp Gallery, began to confirm the rumors: she’s moving to the Old Market this spring.
“It’s such a bittersweet situation,” McQueen said on a recent Saturday afternoon. “The move is as much a surprise for me as anyone else.”
McQueen said the new space – on the lower level of the Old Market passageway, across from V. Mertz and below Omaha Prime – fell into her lap. “I’m sad to be leaving Benson,” McQueen said. “The neighborhood has given me an amazing first year, and the community has been so supportive of what I’m doing. I will miss it here a lot.”
She’ll be in Benson until the end of March, and the current exhibition in the space, Spring Break 4-Ever! featuring the work of Tim McEvoy, will be the last show there. She’s already got a nearly full schedule for the new space, which will begin in April, after the move and a short break for reorganization.
Before the move downtown, though, she’s holding one last event in Benson. Art & Soul: A Funky Lil’ Fundraiser for Pulp will begin with a $100 art sale in the Benson Pulp featuring work donated from all around the community. After the sale, guests can go to the Waiting Room for the Sweet Soul Spectacular dance party, where DJs Tim Shew and Tim McEvoy, along with some guests, will spin, and McQueen will provide vittles from Dixie Quicks Magnolia Room. The partial list of artists participating so far is going to make this some sale. A few of the participating artists include Wanda Ewing, Larry Ferguson, Mark Gilbert, Bill Hoover, Joey Lynch, Renee Ledesma Hoover, Seth Johnson, Dana Damewood, Jess Benjamin and Tim Guthrie – and that’s just an abbreviated list.
The first show in the new space will feature all emerging artists – called Sprout! A Fresh Crop of Emerging Artists, it seems perfectly timed for her new beginning.
The above image is by artist Lena Wolff and will be featured in the first Pulp show in the Old Market space.
Pulp Gallery is Moving/Review of Spring Break 4-Ever!
I just got back from a meeting with Pulp Gallery’s owner Brigitte McQueen, who talked to me about her Benson gallery’s impending move to Omaha’s Old Market. It’s a bittersweet decision to leave Benson, she said, but she’s got some exciting plans for the new space, which will be opening this spring in the Old Market passageway space across from V. Mertz Restaurant. I’ll have a full story about Brigitte’s move in the Reader on Thursday.
While I was there today, I checked out the final show in the Benson space, Spring Break 4-Ever! featuring the work of Tim McEvoy. Anyone who’s seen his work before knows what to expect walking in. He’s irreverent in the best way. This small show includes what he does best: images of hot dogs, giant hamsters, skeletons and robots in everyday scenes like on a boat, in front of a house or in a wedding photo. Taking these everyday objects and placing them in new contexts gives them a new meaning, and usually makes the viewer laugh, too. The overwhelming sense of humor is really one of the best parts of McEvoy’s work. He never takes it too seriously.
This sentence, from the press release announcing the show, sums it up well: Tim’s work may not tackle the larger issues plaguing society, but his paintings shine a light into the darkened corners of our billboard culture, the rising junk piles and our ever-changing definition of the American Dream.
Bedroom Eyes with Graveyard Demeanor, a photograph of an 80s bride in full regalia next to her painted-on skeleton husband was one of my favorites. (Maybe it’s because I have weddings on the brain.) I also liked Postcard No. 1: Wish You Were Here, showing a suburban couple standing in front of their white split entry house with a giant hamster, a collie and a robot. Spring Break: We’re Going to Live Forever showed a man, in Hawaiian shirt, waving from the dock to a boat filled with robots and a water skiing hot dog. McEvoy also showed five rock show posters he designed and screen printed, and they were a nice addition. The poster for a Black Lips show was my favorite.
The final show at Pulp Gallery’s Benson space runs through March 16.
Scout Dry Goods
My readers know by now that I consider clothing and fashion an art form in its own right (and I spent the better part of my morning looking at stills and videos from New York Fashion Week, which started Friday.)
After a morning gorging on fashion and a delicious lunch at La Buvette, I had just enough time between meetings and deadlines for a quick swing through Scout. Up to this point, I’d not had a huge amount of luck buying in the store. I have had heaps of luck selling my old clothes to the store – re-sale is one of my favorite things. But today my luck in the purchasing category changed, and I found three really special pieces.
This amazing half rainbow zebra half normal zebra print scarf is huge. You can’t really tell from the photo, but it covers the span of most of my living room floor. I cannot wait to wear it. Price: $12.99.
This is such an amazing 1960s groovy piece, I had to have it. It reminds me of spring, but I won’t wait until then to carry it. It’s got a lovely silk outside and even has a matching coin purse inside! Sadly, the coin purse is off white silk, like the inside of the bag, instead of the groovy print like the bag. Price: $16.
Jane, one of my favorite fashion bloggers, oft wears a lovely, softly sparkling lace dress on her blog, Sea of Shoes. I’ve been looking for something similar since I saw her wear it, and this is as close as I’ve come. The skirt is sheer, but with a vintage lace slip or a vintage crinoline underneath, or even a skirt to wear over the top, problem solved. I’ll pair this with a wide vintage belt and some over the top shoes. Price: $26.
If you haven’t been to Scout, it’s at 5019 Underwood Ave. They’re always looking for new clothes and they pay cash on the spot or give you store credit if they like what you bring in. Scout also sells goods on Etsy, and you can check out its page here.
Happy hunting!
Bancroft Street Art Space event
I just got back from a visit to the Bancroft Street Art Space, on 10th and Bancroft streets – let me just say, first, that I love this space and the spirit that goes along with it. Now, on to more pressing business.
On Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 7-9 p.m., Joel Damon, curator of “Unwashed,” the space’s current exhibition, will be hosting an open forum and networking event. “It’s for people who want to create,” Damon said.
The first part of the event will be devoted to talking about ideas – any sort of idea – but with the overwhelming theme of continuing to improve Omaha’s underground art scene. Damon said he hopes to make connections with other people who want to be part of a space like Bancroft Street, or to just generally create discussion. “This is a chance to start moving,” he said.
The event is free and begins at 7 p.m. So far, about 100 people have signed up to attend, Damon said. Hope to see you there.
The loves.
I subscribe to an e-mail newsletter called Flavorpill, and I really like its content. Recently, Flavorpill started a service called “Daily Dose,” and each day I get a little tidbit in my inbox about style, art, music, film – something cultural. I really liked the one from today.
Today’s tidbit in the “print” category talked about a new book chronicling the loves of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. My dad, an architect, exposed my sister and me to Wright’s architecture from the time we were old enough to understand what it was – his clean lines, beautiful stained glass and use of rich woods still color the design aesthetic I’d choose to live in today.
The book, called The Women, by author T.C. Boyle (the previous author of books about Alfred Kinsey and John Harvey Kellogg), examines Lloyd’s life in “intimate detail,” the Flavorpill email tells me.
“The writer sees every angle. Rather than churn out a one-dimensional narrative, Boyle reconstructs Wright’s life through the perspectives of four women who loved him — a smart move, considering that the architect was almost as famous for his romantic entanglements as for his organic architecture,” writes Flavorpill reviewer Chelsea Bauch.
And an interesting tidbit: the author lives in Wright’s only prairie style house on the West Coast, the George C. Stewart House in Montecito, Calif.
Flavorpill also provided the below links: Read an excerpt of The Women, buy the book online, check out an interview with Boyle, and explore Ken Burns’ documentary about the architect.
To subscribe to Flavorpill, click here. Image of the George C. Stewart house courtesy bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.com.
Art Talks
I’m a little slow on posting this, but I attended the monthly Bemis Center art talk last Thursday with the intent of blogging about it. I used to be an art talk regular, but got out of the habit. After last week – and the thought-provoking post-talk conversations I had with some of the other attendees – I think I’ll do my best to get back into going regularly.
If you’ve never been to a Bemis art talk before, here’s the skinny: two (or sometimes three) of the Center’s resident artists give a slide presentation and short talk about their work, and the talk usually ends with some insight into the project they’re planning to complete while in Omaha. It’s one of the best ways to become familiar with Bemis’ artist residency program, which is at the heart of what the Center does. It’s also really cool to see what these Omaha transplants are bringing to the city; when they leave, their residency requires them to leave one piece, which sometimes pops up later in the Bemis Art Auction.
After I got my free glass of red wine (always a necessity) I settled in for an hours worth of art. The normal crowd of about 30 to 40 people filled one Bemis gallery for the talk, and Pablo Rasgadostarted the night by telling the crowd about his installations that deal with stopping time and space. The work he’s creating at Bemis uses a technique of removing paintings from their original spot – most look like they were once signs or street art – and bringing them into the studio. The labor-intensive technique he uses to remove the art from its original home dates from the Renaissance, he said, but today isn’t so respected, because art thieves have used it throughout time to steal masterwork frescoes and sell them to private collectors on the black market. Once he gets the paintings in his studio, he cuts and folds the paint, creating a new surface out of what was there before. The earlier work he showed plays with the idea of freezing time. He creates sculptures, from molten lead that, with sometimes dangerous scientific means, he “splashes” and captures with a photograph. The sculpture itself only exists for mere seconds; the documentation is what he shows. He also created a large installation of glasses filled with water and ink. Over time, the water evaporated, but the ink left traces of its presence. The piece, which sat on a light box, created an interesting picture of time, as some glasses, on the lamps, evaporated faster than those in the less intense areas of light. The questions and answer session was challenging. One audience member asked him if he thinks of the molten lead pieces as sculpture or photography; he said sculpture - after all, the real work her is the sculpture. The photograph is mere documentation of the moment in time, which is his true interest.
Next up was Susan Lee-Chun, who closed the night with a presentation of her visual/performance piece called “The Suz: They’re Faux Real!” She’s plays three parts: herself, Susan; “Sue,” a sort of goody-goody dressed all in plaid who usually plays the part of the person trying to “fit in” through age-old traits like good manners and meekness; and “Sioux,” a violent, nasty girl aiming to go against the grain. In one piece, “Sue” wears a plaid dress that blends in with the wallpaper behind her. In another longer performance piece, “Sue”, over time, becomes completely obscured by her plaid outfit that covers more and more of her body, and blends in with the hand-sewn plaid wallpaper, curtains and big plaid rocks around her. “Sioux,” the other character, is more of a snarky warrior with a big, plaid horn on her head. In many pieces, she destroys visages of “Sue,” and she is clearly the other half of the artist’s personality, acting out violently versus trying hard to fit in and become invisible. The most intriguing part of Lee-Chun’s presentation was her absolute insistence during her presentation that “Sue” and “Sioux” weren’t her, but instead that she is only herself, and the other two are different people altogether. A few audience members pressed her hard to break out of the mold during the question and answer session, and though she smiled and chuckled – it was clear she was in on the joke – she never broke form. Some found this amusing, others were clearly aggravated.
I’ve seen work like this before – where an artist pretends to be more than one person but won’t talk about why. I’ve seen this type of work done better, and more convincingly, than Lee-Chun; some former Bemis residents, in fact, have done this type of work quite convincingly. The people I spoke with post-performance all concurred: it would have been a much more interesting talk had Lee-Chun broke character, after her formal presentation, and given some insight about why she chooses to create this type of art, versus sticking to the shtick and refusing to answer any of the questions with much substance.
The next Bemis Center art talk is slated for March 5 at 7 p.m. and features residents Kate Tessa Lee, who makes maps from her own scars, blemishes and spots; and Joel Seah, who appropriates historical work to explore gay identity. The talks are always free. I’ll see you there.
Jewelry.
I’ve taken up a new hobby: jewelry. I’ve always had a thing for it, but because I’m saving my pennies instead of spending so many of them, the timing on this hobby couldn’t have been better. My very thrifty friend Krynn got me started and I’ve been making so many things that I’m going to try and sustain my hobby by selling some of it online. I’ll post a link when my store on Etsy opens, hopefully on tomorrow or Monday.
Artsy Valentine’s Day Gift List
I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day. It’s sad, but true. I really like flowers. I like getting dressed up and going out for dinner. I like eating Godiva chocolates without feeling one whit of guilt. Last year, my significant broke the bank on Valentine’s day: flowers, an obscenely expensive dinner at one of Omaha’s nicest restaurants and a gift, too. I wore an amazing vintage Geoffrey Beene dress – a gown, really – that I’d bought at an estate sale and held in my closet, just waiting for the perfect moment. At the end of the night, I suggested that this Valentine’s Day, we go to the opposite extreme: eat on the cheap, play video games at Family Fun Center and bowl a few rounds over a pitcher of cheap beer. So that’s what we’re doing next weekend. I’m totally excited.
Below, I present you with a list of artsy Valentine’s Day gifts: some are for the break-the-bank style, some the beer-and-bowling style. Enjoy, and whatever you do, have a happy Hallmark holiday.
I covet art for, well, most every holiday. This piece, called The Road by artist Mary Ann Strandell, is available for purchase via Bemis Center Art Sales. If you’re looking for something grandiose, over the top and sure to make your lady or man swoon, well, this is certainly it.
My significant loves reading the New Yorker. So what better gift for a literary type than a framed New Yorker cover with a love theme? The New Yorker store has lots of these to choose from, and if you can’t quite swing a framed cover, they also sell sets of note cards featuring the love covers that would be perfect for penning romantic (or thank you) notes.
I spend two Sundays a month working at Trocadero, and the store has some sweet gifts just in for Valentine’s Day. I tried one of these Recchiuti fleur de sel caramels the last time I was there. Yum. They are truly the perfect marriage of salty and sweet. So if you have a Godiva lover in your life, get her a box of these instead for a surprising treat. ($9-$28.)
My sister and I already have a set of these, but if we didn’t, I’d totally get this one for us. And considering Valentine’s Day is about love – not necessarily couple love – this is perfect for your sister or your best girl. Find it in accentcreation’s etsy store for only $12.99.
I love notebooks. The act of writing is so romantic, so what better way to say I love you than with a red Moleskine notebook. If it was good enough for Hemingway and Picasso, then its’ good enough for me. Find one at Barnes and Noble for around $10.
Finally, I covet one of these Erica Weiner Herkimer diamond solitare rings from Bona Drag. The rings – cut and set to look like giant rock diamonds – are actually made from worthless quartz crystal, and its a visual joke I love. And at $100, they have a lotta bling for just a little price tag.
On Films…
I’ve had movies on the brain the past week or two. My friend Alice Kim gave me a list of her favorite “recommended films” that she loves and thinks everyone – especially people she knows and works with – should see. (In fact, she just wrote a blog post about movies, too.) Alice runs Trocadero, a boutique in Omaha’s Old Market, so appropriately, most of the movies on the list have big fashion moments, mirror the cutthroat world of the fashion industry or feature some of the most iconic actresses of our time, of course wearing beautiful clothes. It’s a list I really like. Last week, I’d seen sixteen of the 28 movies on Alice’s list. Yesterday, I watched “Working Girl” (which was conveniently playing on AMC) and this week I’m going to watch “Auntie Mame” via my Netflix subscription on my laptop. So after tonight, only ten more to go.
A few of my favorite movies of all time are on Alice’s list: “Casablanca,” “Belle de Jour,” “Clueless” (even though when I first saw it, I was clueless as to what an Alaia* was) and “Annie Hall.”
If I were going to make my own recommended film list, I’d add Woody Allen’s “Manhattan,” which steals my heart with its opening credits every time; “Citizen Ruth,” which I love for both its Omaha ties and its fearless subject matter; and “La Vie En Rose,” the first movie I saw at Omaha’s Filmstreams, and one that simply blew me away. I also love art films. Luis Bunuel’s “Un Chien Andalou” and L’ Âge d’or are two of my all-time favorites. So is Hans Namuth’s film of Jackson Pollock painting in 1951.
I could go on and on, reviewing movies of different genres that I like – or love – for many different reasons. But I digress. Have you seen any of the films on Alice’s or my abbreviated list? Which are your favorites? And what movies would you recommend, if asked? Please, comment!
Alice’s Recommended Movie List: All About Eve, Annie Hall, Auntie Mame, Belle de Jour, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Casablanca, Clueless, Darling, The Devil Wears Prada, Dr. Zhivago, The Great Gatsby, Funny Face, La Dolce Vita, Love Story, North by Northwest, Out of Africa, The Philadelphia Story, Pretty in Pink, Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Shampoo, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), To Catch a Thief, Unzipped, When Harry Met Sally, The Women, Working Girl.
*”Totally Important Designer” — Cher Horowitz
On the road again
Tomorrow marks my first business trip of 2009. Though its a short trip – only two nights – and not that far – North Platte – it makes me aware that I need to get in travel mode again. I’ll be going on two other business trips this year (so far) to Kansas City and Miami. While I’m in Kansas City, I’m hoping to stay over for the city’s super fun First Friday openigns. And of course, there’s got to be some art time in Miami. I’ll look forward to posting more about those come May, when I’ll be packing my bags and hitting the airport.
My job is fun beacuse it does let me travel. I’ve been back and forth across Nebraska a few times now, and I feel glad to have gone on those trips – they gave me an appreciation for this place I didn’t have before. I’ll bring my camera to North Platte. There’s a new attraction there I’ll for sure check out, so you can look forward to some photos.
Later this week, I’ll be writing a few show reviews for the blog only. Times are tight at the Reader, and space is less for art news, so I’m going to try and do some of my writing here exclusively now. I hope you’ll come back and read.
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