This Thing Called Art

The above photo was taken by photographer, Heather Thamm while I was working on some pieces for my upcoming show at Half Moon Creek Gallery. Cool huh?!

Who says I don’t understand the “art of compromise?!” There have been some ongoing issues with the final location of my proposed 1% Public Art Sculpture “Bicycle Bloom.” My proposed sculpture was one of 5 new Public Artworks scheduled to be installed this Spring as part of the Mt. View renewal and beautification project along Mt. View Drive and the new Bragaw overpass. There have been several new businesses and capital improvements taking part in the revitalization –including a new Jr. High School and Credit Union One building. On Wednesday, a site meeting was called for all the core-interested parties to discuss and hopefully resolve the current “issues” with regard to the final placement of my sculpture (there are no site issues with the other 4 sculptures). Though there have already been several meetings and plans drawn up with the landscape engineers and architects, the public art engineer as well as approvals from the Mt. View Road Improvement Public Art Selection Committee, there is still not a final go-ahead for my sculpture –which I need before ANY fabrication can begin. I didn’t select the site for “Bicycle Bloom,” the 6 member Public Art committee decided the appropriate locations for each work. A short

story long is that the architects for the newly constructed “financial institution” feel the already committee approved public art sculpture “Bicycle Bloom” will impede the view of not only the front of their new building but also obstruct window views from within the lobby –though the sculpture is over 20’ tall…

Our site meeting took place during a freak, Springtime snow storm in which Anchorage saw at least 8” of sloppy, wet snowfall! At the meeting on the very busy corner of Mt. View Drive and Bragaw was the Mt. View Drive Road Improvement Coordinator, the “financial institution” representative, a representative from the architectural firm, the Curator of Public Art and myself –the artist. With her arms crossed and not once making eye contact with me, the financial representative who was clearly against placing the sculpture anywhere near their new building bluntly asked “so how tall is THIS THING anyway?!” Just about that time a HUGE semi sped by trying to make the intersection light and completely doused all of us in dirty, slushy ice water -I am not kidding!! With my stomach already in a nervous knot, now soaked, armed with my engineer renderings, site drawings and architectural plans I shared my creative vision as was proposed to the committee last Fall. After a bit of posturing and everyone trying to “best guess” under all of the snow, where the planter and walkways would be placed I listened to their concerns. I offered to have my sculpture arch to the right instead of the left and asked what if it could be taken out of the large Public Works planter and “scooched” (technical engineering term) a bit to the right of their storefront windows down the walkway a bit. It

seemed to work and everyone shook off the slush, nodded their heads in silent agreement and thought that would work just fine. There was some final “have your people call and e-mail my people” as we all retreated to the warmth of our cars. As soon as the confrontation had begun it was over with and appears at least for now, a clear resolution to issues that have been going on for weeks.

During the meeting the only vision I had was when Gus’ adversaries meet, at least they show up with MMA body guards, thick-necked guys in suits and swords drawn! That would have been much more dramatic at the corner of Mt. View and Bragaw –don’t you think?!

Be Positive & Just Keep Swimming

We all turned into pumpkins this morning after our Cinderella-holiday-ski-gluttony came to an end –whew. The big kids and friends went back to Fairbanks (where it is a freezing 30 below zero!) and both Gus and Daddy-O are back to school. I even worked Sunday applying for another artist’s opportunity so

Monday wouldn’t hurt so much. I used to make a bunch of New Years resolutions but haven’t the last few years as Fall has always been more a time of renewal for me. There are always life-stuffs I tell myself I could use improvement on, like my overall beauty/fitness, staying positive and motivated, not swearing etc. and the start of a new year is a good time to recommit I suppose. I broke the not swearing resolution idea on the morning of January 1 yelling “grab that damn dog!” as the puppy squirted out the door shooting for the street! Oh well.

The staying positive and motivated got a jump start yesterday when I received a rejection letter for a 1% for Art project I applied for in October. The stressful mental gymnastics I go through when I apply for a juried show or a percent project sometimes outweighs the sheer euphoria you feel when you do win or get accepted. I’ve never done well with rejection and I’ve learned over the years I’m much more competitive than I care to admit –just ask Daddy-O… So after a “thanksbut no thanks” letter I just tell myself “you can’t catch if you don’t fish” and applied for another project.

For the public art project I applied for yesterday I used the new on-line Café system for the first time. The Fairbanks Airport is seeking artwork for their new terminal with several wall spaces and one hanging venue available. The bulk of the 1% work for the project has already been selected and installed. This opportunity is a smaller, total budget of $40,000 for several locations within in the airport. For the hanging area opportunity I proposed my steel Geese that could be installed in as few as a single pair, or several Geese being displayed as a flock forming a “V” migration pattern.

It took me all day to complete the application but mainly because I wasn’t reading the on-screen error messages when I had uploading issues. I had to edit my resume and letter of intent to their generic cut and paste format. Plus, I needed to convert all of my images to Cafés specifications using Photoshop, which I have thank goodness. The specs were 1920 x 1920 pixels with a black background and no files larger than 1.8 mb. Each image had to include the title, medium/process, sizes, detailed description of the work and value or price. The good news is there was an on-line pdf file that led me step by step as to how the images should be converted for the jury process. I admit there were a couple times I was a bit frustrated and almost gave-up BUT remembered one of my pseudo-resolutions to stay positive and motivated. The rejection letter bummed me out but I know as independent working artists we have to stay motivated and positive, keep making art or be banished to a fluorescent cubical somewhere! Or in the words of Dory from Finding Nemo, “just keep swimming, just keep swimming!”

Let it Snow in 99587

We were right. While we knew Anchorage was getting walloped by snow, it DUMPED in Girdwood! This is a picture of our street. The trees were so heavy with snow they formed arches for us to drive under! There was so much snow we couldn’t get up our stairs to the front door (do you like my $1.50 wreath I bought at the Thrift store this week hanging on the front door?!) without shoveling a path. Thankfully Bob with his front end loader had visited our house and the drive was clear. Over a foot in the last couple of days has left our neighborhood looking like a heavily frosted Gingerbread village and with four-wheel drive it’s lovely.

oXo

For my friends in Anchorage wanting some FRESH art, my friend Katie Sevigny just told me that she and the Upstairs Studio Artists at 406 G Street, between 4th & 5th Ave. -the stairs are located next to Pils Deli. are having an open to the public studio sale this Sunday from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. For more information give Katie a call at 258-ARTS (2787).

CaFÉ Help: If you’re an Alaska artist (other artists may find this site informative as well because it is a National data base of Artist Opportunities) interested in participating or applying for % for Art projects, don’t miss this teleconference! The Alaska State Council on the Arts has just started using the paperless CaFÉ online application process for Calls for Art and other art projects. *This is not to be confused for applying for the Municipality of Anchorage 1% For Art Projects which is still a paper application process.

CaFE Teleconference for Alaska Visual Artist

Tuesday December 22, 2009 12:30-1:30 pm

Or

Tuesday December 29, 2009 5:30-6:30 (repeat of Dec. 22)

The goal of this teleconference is to familiarize Alaska artists with the CaFÉ online application form and the application process for ASCA’s % for Art projects.

Please RSVP:
By phone to ASCA at 907-269-6610 or 1-888-278-7424 or e-mail andrea.noble@alaska.gov <mailto:andrea.noble@alaska.gov> before 9am on Monday December 21, or Monday December 28 (for the repeat offering of this session). You will receive the conference code when you RSVP.

Our neighbor's car waiting to be dug out after a "light dusting" of snow in Girdwood where "We HEART Snow!"

xOx

A Very Fraunk-en-steen Hall-o-ween

We got a jump on Halloween and had an all Fraunk-en-steen weekend with going to the theater and attending Gus’ school Halloween carnival (or being P.C., "Harvest Festival" as it is now called). Friday night we saw the production of "Frankenstein" by the Alaska Theatre of Youth at the Performing Arts Center’s Syndey Laurence Theater. It felt good to change out of our jeans and carhartt’s and seek a little live theater to feed our soul, and good on Derek for seeing the advertisement in the paper and wanting us all to go. Our near front row seating provided added excitement when the “creature” came to life! After the production we had a chance to meet the cast and Derek realized that the lead, Victor Frankenstein was played expertly by one of his past students! Gus is completely enamored with all things Frankenstein, and you'll never guess what he was for the Carnival? His costume was totally thrift store finds including a perfect fitting pair of Doc Martin boots(!) and was thrilled when he won the judges choice award in the costume contest. I went as a Spenard Artist looking for that big phat commission. The Rasta-dreadlock hat was a cast off of Will’s from Mexico (I didn’t dare go near any open flames!) and the hot pink button I made for the top said “Will Do Art For Work.” Daddy-O was a Viking and our costumes helped blend in when we volunteered to help with various booths at the Carnival. This weekend we're going to Alyeska Resort's party (a photo of the Hotel they are using on a poster for the event is at the top -spooky cool huh?!), and just when I was finally getting last weekend's green face paint out of Gus' ears!

Monday night while having dinner we got a call from our daughter in Fairbanks. She was upset and said that one of her good friends had just hit a moose North of Wasilla (about an hour away) and could we go and pick her up?

Kristen's friend thankfully was not injured and her Jeep Grand Cherokee not totaled. Kristen’s friend was returning to the University (about 6 hours North of Anchorage) after gathering some gear from a research vessel and recent trip in Seward (about 2 hours South from Anchorage). She was able to slow down enough before the impact that the large cow

moose rolled up onto the windshield and “only” caved the window in but the shattered glass stayed mainly intact. She said she was fearful that the moose was coming through the window! After the impact, the moose jumped up, limping but ran off into the woods. Good Samaritans waited with her on the dark and wet highway and called the troopers for her car to be towed to Wasilla. The windshield would need to be replaced the next day. We readied the guest room, made some mint tea and reheated the lasagna 

dinner for her. She was shaken up but one tough cookie. Taking her to her repaired car up in Wasilla yesterday I was able to visit an elementary school that has a new 1% For Art RFP out. I missed the formal project tour but was glad to have another reason to drive up to Wasilla and be able to see the new Fred and Sara Machentanz school. There are 3 possible sites for artwork but I’m interested in submitting a design for proposed art for the Multi-Purpose Room walls. Wow, was I impressed! I would have never imagined from the architects drawings that the school was so cool. I was inspired, happy Kristen’s friend was OK and drove home (carefully) as the season's first big fatty flakes of snow started falling.