Exhibition Opportunity

I thought of a great idea for an exhibition the other day, and now that I am opening The Eclipse Gallery I can make it happen! So this is a call to all you artists, designers, and craftspeople out there.

50 States, 50 Artists, 50 Mediums

One artist or designer from each state in the USA will represent a different medium, bridging the gap between the traditional fine art world and other arts disciplines, including craft, design, architecture, performance art, etc.

Open to all professional artists living or working in the United States. Open to any and all mediums in the art, craft, and design communities. See below for examples of accepted mediums.

How to submit: Send a short biography (including your address & e-mail), artist statement, a few words about why you want to be in this show, 10-20 images & information (including medium, dimensions, & price), and any links to your work on line to sarah@theeclipsegallery.com. Important: You must write “Submission for 50 Show” in the subject line of the e-mail or I will think it is spam. Attachments are fine. E-mail submissions are preferred.

Deadline for submissions: April 15, 2009. Show is scheduled for October 16, 2009 – March 8, 2010 at The Eclipse Gallery. Location: 507 Fourth Street (Hwy 42), Algoma, Wisconsin, 54201.

Mediums accepted, but not limited to:
Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Digital, Ceramics, Mixed Media, Knitting, Jewelry, Metals, Found Object, Glass, Plastic, Photography, Crochet, Paper, Quilting, Felt, Wearables, Architecture (such as models, plans, photos), Graphic Design, Film/Time Based, Installation, Furniture, Baskets, Typography, Sand, Rock, Performance, Music, Spoken-Word, Text, Artist Books, Zines, Mail Art, Encaustic, Watercolor, Sewing, Mosaic, Fresco, Graffiti, Illustration, Altered Book, Printmaking, Silk Screen, Product Design, Wallpaper, Textiles, Etc.

Any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Thanks :)

More Love for Faythe: Handmade Nation

The Craftivism show was awesome, and Faythe happened to take some great pictures of the installation and opening, so check them out on her Flickr.

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to buy a book (and get it autographed) that Faythe co-wrote with Cortney Heimerl. Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design is an intriguing look at a slice of makers from the USA, and I read the entire book in one sitting. Find the book here. But to get it autographed you will have to find Faythe--you might catch her at Paper Boat Boutique & Gallery if she isn't traveling.

The book is based on a documentary that Faythe filmed, which is coming out soon.
Click here to watch the trailer!

Craftivism: Reclaiming Craft & Creating Community

This show opens today at the Lawton Gallery in Green Bay, WI. I helped set the show up as part of my degree in Gallery/Museum Practices. It is guest curated by Faythe Levine, the owner of Paper Boat Boutique & Gallery in Milwaukee. It just so happens that she know my artist friends Paul and Tashana Kjelland, which was super cool. The Paper Boat Blog is also a great site and I would highly recommend checking out Faythe's projects.

I was, of course, very excited to see this show come to Green Bay, because Craftivism and DIY culture directly influences my artwork and my vision for The Eclipse Gallery. To read more about that, click here to visit my gallery's blog.

It is so exciting to live in the midst of this culture, and to contribute. I know a lot of my readers are not local, but if you are--don't miss the gallery opening tonight at 4:30.

A quote from the show catalog: "I believe this is just the beginning of something much larger. I think that through the emergence of the DIY, art, craft and design community, we will continue to see growth and exciting developments. For me, craftivism is about the desire to produce change through the passion of creating..." --Faythe Levine

A few highlights of the show include Kate Bingaman-Burt's Zines "What Did You Buy Today?"
Mellissa Vogley Woods Sun Bonnet Quilt Squares
Stephanie Syjuco's Counterfeit Crochet Project
Photos of Jennifer Marsh's International Fiber Collective Wrapped Gas Station
Betsy Greer from Craftivism.com
And more...

Make sure to visit the International Fiber Collaborative website. Their new project for the 2009-09 year is constructing a life sized Fiber tree, the theme being "Interdependence". The project is open to Kindergarten--Adult levels, artists and non artists. Jennifer Marsh will be collecting up to 30,000 leaves made from people all over the world. The leaves must be 2 1/2 inches at the widest point, to 4 1/2 inches from end to end. Leaves must be fiber related and are due by March 20th, 2009. For more info visit the website link above.