Young Women's Caucus

YoungWC is looking for a new Chair!

2012-01-14T17:27:00.003-05:00

This summer the WCA met with the internal caucuses to create a strong structure to support our future sustainability. Begin this year as the new YoungWC chair. This is a collaborative, three year term, with possibility to serve on the board of directors for the WCA. If interested email youngwomenscaucus@gmail.com by Feb 1st. Include a paragraph description of what you hope to accomplish during your term.

It is 2012- Change things.

Online voting will take place in February.

Opportunity for Young WCA Women

2011-05-19T09:52:00.006-04:00

Seeking Youth Panelist for 64th UN DPI/NGO Conference “Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens”

We are seeking an individual, under age 25, who has worked at the WCA chapter, region or national level on an art project, conference or exhibition dealing with the environment. Please email a short description of the work you were are involved in. Also include date(s) of the event, what chapter(s) was involved, and what was accomplished. Please provide your contact information: name, phone number and email. Also provide contact information for one reference.

Eligibility and Information:
-WCA member under age 25
-Must attend the conference and participate in the panel
-Pay her own way to/at the conference. WCA does not reimburse for expenses associated with the conference. Expenses include airfare, accommodations, in-country transportation and food. There is no cost for the conference itself.

Email Submission To: Priscilla Otani at mrpotani@yahoo.com

Deadline for Submission: Tuesday, May 31, 2011.
Notification: By June 3, finalists will be contacted for a telephone interview. The
delegate will be selected by June 7.

To learn more visit http://youngwc.weebly.com/current.html

Yarnbombing the Keweenaw

2011-02-25T17:01:00.000-05:00

On Our Own Volition from Young Women's Caucus on Vimeo.

"Knitting and crochet has deep roots in the history of women as homemakers and textile artists. Often times, women would gather and make the activity a social occasion in which they would discuss topics that were important to them. Graffiti art is a modern form of expression, but is often solitary. Six women came together to express themselves through yarn graffiti and found themselves conversing about many subjects – some silly, some deep. Yarn graffiti ties together our disparate interests with an authentic, whimsical spirit, and in a very real and literal way, it ties us together not only as young people, women, or artists, but as humans. Through the documentation of this process of knot making and the act of installing the yarn graffiti, these six ladies invite the viewer to discover a personal conversation about desires, common threads, and topics uniquely their own."

Finlandia University is lucky to have a group of very active members in the Young Women's Caucus, which is part of a much larger national organization, the Women's Caucus of Art. The WCA is a great network of women artists doing inspiring things all over the country, while the YWC helps bridge the gap between established and emerging artists, by providing opportunities and a community for young people who are just starting to make their way in the art world.

And yep, you read right-- it's a clubhouse with a "Girls Only" sign on the door. Some people are mad about this. I get mad about things sometimes too. Emotions happen.

Anyway, every year the WCA puts on a national conference to bring its members together. This year the conference was in NYC and the theme was "Live Space." Finlandia YWC members had the opportunity to put on a performance piece with the theme "What Women Want" in a NYC gallery.

Wow that's awesome, right?! We were way excited! Only-- none of us identified as performance artists! So we were way intimidated and scared and freaked out too!

And so the talking began, followed by research, improv games, and more talking. Four of our six members are highly involved with or even majoring in fiber and fashion design. These four also knit a bunch. One day Amanda Moyer, who has a higher than average rate of a-ha! moments as it is, outdid herself when she suggested, "What about yarn graffiti?" It's awesome, that's what about it!

During the course of two months, our group spent two to four days a week knitting and knotting and splashing the winter landscape with colorful yarn creations. We documented it all and edited it into a fun short film. In New York, we showed the film and created a yarn installation in the gallery. And then we had some wine and cheese and sat back and enjoyed the other awesome performances. We did it!

When I think back to how unsure of ourselves we were at the beginning and how intimidated we were by the idea of working in a medium we were unfamiliar with, I am grateful we were presented with an opportunity that challenged us. It made us stretch and learn and grow, in many ways that we could not have predicted, even beyond the art-making aspects of the project. Also it turns out that there are elements of performance in much of the art we create, which we didn't realize before, but which we're better able to grasp and use now.

Comfort doesn't do anything except make you fat and lazy, and fix you in the same place, never moving, never changing. Fear is a signpost telling you what actions, people, and places are going to challenge you and lead to growth and change. Do things that scare you, because things that scare you will transform you.

Alternate closing metaphor: Fear is a cloaking device that hides the fun core of life. Do scary things because the only way to remove fear and reveal the true and fun nature of things is by doing them!

A Penny for Your Thoughts

2011-02-08T20:10:00.003-05:00

Will you be in NY this weekend?

Meet us at 9:45 Thursday 2/10 on the 4th floor of the Hilton located on the Avenue of the Americas to participate in:

Through the age-old idiom "a penny for your thoughts," Young Women's Caucus members will engage individuals at the conference through the gift of a penny in order to create a space live with verbalized thoughts and discussion. Once pennies have been given to a person, that person can go and initiate another individuals thoughts; thus perpetuating many to engage and interchange thoughts.

Everyone who participates will get a pink bow to pin on on there shirt and will be catalyst for these discussions.

Don't forget your pennies!

Knot Ninjas strike in downtown Hancock, MI.

2011-01-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

With over a month of winter ahead, even the parking meters need to stay warm. These ones are lucky enough to enjoy snug-fitting grandma square pajamas. How cozy

Young Women's Caucus NY meeting at American Folk Art Museum: Saturday, February 12 2-3:30 p.m.

2011-01-26T18:05:00.003-05:00

American Folk Art Museum

Auditorium

Lower Level

45 W. 53rd Street

New York, NY

Saturday, February 12th

2-3:30 p.m.

RSVP here:

As part of LIVE Spaces: Art + Activism

National Women's Caucus for Art

Young Women's Caucus Performance: February 10 at Raandesk Gallery

2011-01-26T16:08:00.001-05:00

YOUNG WOMEN’S CAUCUS: WHAT YOUNG WOMEN WANT

as part of LIVE SPACE: women + art + activism National Women's Caucus for Art

February 10, 2011

7-9 p.m.

Raandesk Gallery

16 W. 23rd Street, 4th Floor (Chelsea)

NYC

(Artists pictured: Of our Own Volition photo by Stephanie Trevino,Marina Kelly and Megan Katz with performers Michael Eckblad and Andrew Dayton of the Notion Collective, Chanel Matsunami Govreau, Amanda Lovelee, Green Light Arts, Megan Kelley and Suguna Sridha, and Bonnie MacAllister)

PROGRAM LISTING

1) "On our Own Volition"featuring:

Artists: Amanda Moyer, J.R. DeMers, Susie Danielson, Stephanie Trevino, Amanda Mears, Dawn Hiltz

Performance Description:

Knitting and crochet has deep roots in the history of women as homemakers and textile artists. Often times, women would gather and make the activity a social occasion in which they would discuss topics that were important to them. Graffiti art is a modern form of expression, but is often solitary. Six women came together to express themselves through yarn graffiti and found themselves conversing about many subjects – some silly, some deep. Yarn graffiti ties together our disparate interests with an authentic, whimsical spirit, and in a very real and literal way, it ties us together not only as young people, women, or artists, but as humans. Through the documentation of this process of knot making and the act of installing the yarn graffiti, these six ladies invite the viewer to discover a personal conversation about desires, common threads, and topics uniquely their own.

Susie Danielson will graduate from Finlandia University with a degree in Fashion

Design this spring. Optimism, playfulness, and delight are expressed through the artwork the Danielson creates.

J.R. DeMers, an Illustration and Fashion Design Major in her senior year, draws

inspiration for her artwork from music, dance, and various cultures. DeMers plans on traveling to Japan to pursue her passions in teaching and art in the coming year.

Dawn Hiltz is a second year Graphic Design student, originally from Dover, Delaware. Hiltz joined the YWC to network, have a good time and make lasting friendships.

Amanda Mears is a junior at Finlandia University working towards a BFA with

concentrations in Ceramics & Sculpture. She is also starting to focus on Fiber/Fashion Design. Mears’ work revolves around an obsessive love for anything geeky, cute and childish. She finds inspiration from the games, movies and stories of her childhood and creates with a focus on the visual aesthetic.

Amanda Moyer, a senior in Integrated Design at Finlandia University, draws inspiration from the materialist suburbs she has experienced since youth. Environmental, social, and economic sustainability as well as gender roles are the driving forces of her multi-media artwork and upcycled designs.

Stephanie Trevino is a photographer whose current work focuses on portraiture that explores the individual's relationship with natural places and imaginary worlds. She graduates in May with her BFA from Finlandia University. Her senior project is the conversion of a short school bus into an art classroom on wheels to bring art education and experiences to places that lack art resources.

2) Spoken For

Artists: Megan Katz and Marina Kelly with performers Andrew Dayton, Michael

Eckblad, Jason Bahling and Jonathan Wohl of the Notion Collective.

Spoken For features women's intimate stories of want, using live performance and video in a multi-media exploration of women's desires as expressed via male voices.

Artists

Megan Katz is an anthropologist-turned-artist with a particular interest in how feelings, thoughts, words, and language shape the visible and concrete parts of our lives. She works in documentary film, video, performance and installation--always with an eye on points of intersection between the physical world and interior landscapes. She has her MFA in visual art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MA in Anthropology.

Marina Kelly is a multi-media artist who works in the fields of performance, video and installation. Her interests include the remediation of public spaces, site

specific performance and intervention, screen-dance and video art. Marina is a founding member of Dear Heart Dance collective based in Madison, Wisconsin and is currently working on her Masters of Fine Arts degree in the Art Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Performers:

Jason Bahling is a videographer, installation, and time based artist. While his video

production experience spans the gamut, Jason prefers to collaborate with choreographers, musicians, and theatre companies. He is co-director of contemporary dance company LizZieMoVeS Co (SF), and co-founder of Notion Collective(NYC). Jason's video projections revel in the physicality of time, light and space to create moving landscapes, altered realities, and evocative textures that conceptually augment and visually enhance live performances of many genres.

Andy Dayton is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. He got his start making videos, but his work has coursed through a range of different media; from performance, to sculpture, to illustration, and often somewhere outside and in-between. Recent appearances have included work at the Walker Art Center's "Open Field" and the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn, NY. Andy received an undergraduate degree from the InterArts and Technology program at the University of Wisconsin - Madison and is a founding member of The Notion Collective.

Michael Eckblad is a New York City-based artist whose work ranges from the

performative to the visually formal, often incorporating light emitters through video, photography, installation and environments. He responds to the local through work that evolves in both time and space, and frequently collaborates with dancers and actors. He also shares much of his work on michaeleckblad.com.

Jonathan Wohl is a New York-based interdisciplinary artist working primarily in new media and sound design. Currently involved with The Notion Collective and the Astoria Creative Group, his work incorporates concept-driven performance and experimental instrument design. A new piece by Wohl will be featured in the upcoming show EXPRESS | LOCAL at the Queens College Art Center.

3) "Requesting Access"

Description: Requesting Access is collaborative photo shoot performance by Chanel Matsunami Govreau (played by Asian Barbie), photographer Martin Solheim and makeup/hair artist Tamara Qabazard. This performance layers the exaggeration of cultural costuming over questionably (un)real storytelling. This is combined with the friction and vanity of flash photography to explore multiracial identity and gender in interracial relationships as it combines with expectations of sexuality and its possible profit.

Performers:

Chanel Matsunami Govreau/Queen Gidrea uses her body, face, regalia, and word as a site of performance storytelling. Her work is inhabited by neon luxury artifacts, fabulous character exaggerations and futuristic prophecies based on her experiences as a queer, multiracial, and Asian-American woman. In her practice, she utilizes a combination of humor, glamour, and self -exposure to engage in dialogue about ethnic stereotyping and hypersexualization. She seeks to extract and confront her own internalized oppressions by disrupting patterns of racism, sexism and homophobia while indulging herself completely.

Matsunami-Govreau has worked as social activist, arts educator and community organizer for nearly ten years. She is currently in the last year of the BFA program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has lived in Japan, Chicago, Madison, and New York City.

Martin Solheim is an internationally published and galleried voyeur based out of Chicago and New York. Even though Martin has a background in product and fashion/commercial photography, his main interest is documenting the process of raw human emotion centered on physical and emotional pain, pleasure, and power roles specific to the subject to reflect the common denominator despite the differences in people’s time-honored labels. He has a talent of capturing moments with precision and odd timings, which stems from musical technicality and theory. Martins use of colored lighting is a paradox due to his inability to distinguish both

blue and red, which is one of the rarest forms of color blindness. He frequently goes back to his roots of “ninja-style” street photography to juxtapose socioeconomic hierarchies and the common man’s collapse thus allowing untold stories to be seen.

Tamara Qabazard is a published model turned stylist: hair, make up, and wardrobe. Her use of highly pigmented palates reflects her experiences with synesthesia. As a recent biology graduate, her experimentation with structure, volume and technicality using hair as well as wardrobe design draws inspiration from the shapes and functions of the body and her Middle Eastern heritage. Tamara enjoys collaborating with other artists and is based out of Kuwait, Lebanon, Chicago, and NYC.

4) 45th Presidency by Alex Dilks Pandola and Green Light Arts (Philadelphia)

Starring Natasha Lee Martin

Description: It's January 20th, 2013 and you're invited to the inauguration of the 45th President of The United States of American, America's first woman President, Sarah Louise Palin. If you don't think it can happen, please see the 44th President. Is this the last thing women want? What women? Join Green Light Arts as we listen to President Palin's Inaugural Speech and see how she intends to turn the Mama Grizzlies loose on Washington. Keep your car doors locked!

Natasha Lee Martin (Performer)

Natasha has appeared in television and film roles on FOX, TLC, DISNEY, NIPPON TV JAPAN and many stages. She is also an adjunct professor of theatre, teaches workshops in New York City and is a private acting coach. For more info please go to www.natashaleemartin.com She is thrilled to be performing and collaborating with Alex for such a vital event!

Alex Dilks Pandola (Writer, Director)

Alex is the founder and Artistic Director of Green Light Arts. Since 2003, she has created and produced performances and plays that explore the role of women in society including GLO and The New Light Series. For more info please go to www.GreenLightArts.com. Alex has a BA in Theatre from Amercian University and an MFA in Producing and Theatre Management from Columbia University.

5) Title: Trading Flowers for Love Stories

Artist: Amanda Lovelee

Free wild flower (photo) for your love story. I have gathered images of wild, uncultivated plants. I would like to trade a photograph for a hand written love story. Simply show up write down your story and then you can pick any picture. You can keep it anonymous or you can include names, dates, times, locations. The stories will be gathered and compiled to form an archive, a historical record, and a book. You will receive the link to the print on demand book if you would like a copy.

Amanda Lovelee is interested in how people connect and the spaces in which they do so within contemporary society. Her work, mainly video and photography, weaves together data, stories and personal experience to create non-linear narratives about the fragility of human relationships. Her recent work has explored a myriad of topics: family history, the lives of beekeepers and ice fishermen, strangers’ love stories and the sociology of square dancing.

5) Film: "I am the doubter and the doubt"

Artists: Megan Kelley and Suguna Sridhar

"Shadow and sunlight are the same, the vanished gods to me appear, and one to me are shame and fame;" this poetry, smoke, mirrors, gathering darkness, light, and a pair of selves are invoked to explore the discontinuity and interdependent nature of a routine carried out in Trenton, NJ. Post-industrial slums, a World War II memorial, and the artists' live and workspaces are reinvented to transmute the quoted Emerson poem, "Brahma" (1856).

b. 1983 in Wilmington, DE; Megan Kelley is a multidimensional performance artist. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Art History degrees from Rutgers University—concentrating in drawing, painting, and non-western art practices. Her work has been exhibited at Art House, New Brunswick, NJ; the Mason Gross Galleries at Civic Square, New Brunswick, NJ; Willis Hardware via the Salem County Arts Alliance, Penns Grove, NJ; the Roebling Wire Works, Trenton, NJ; the Psychology Suite Graduate Exhibition Space at Caldwell College, Caldwell, NJ; and VWVOFFKA, Philadelphia, PA. Megan Kelley works in psychiatrics and is an Art Therapy Specialization graduate student at Caldwell College in NJ; she lives in Philadelphia, PA. She encourages contact and may be reached via mgnklly.net.

Suguna Sridhar graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Women & Gender Studies. As an activist throughout college, writing became a respite to explore similar ideas, but via metaphor. She also engages in mediums of theatre, video, and performance art. Suguna recently worked as a farmer in South Korea, and is currently based in Mumbai, India.

6) Film: “Deconstructed Breath Verse”

The film features MacAllister’s Pushcart prize nominated piece “Rosary” (2007). “My very Catholic mother/Who says her penance weekly/Gave me the device/When I asked her/ Why the elderly lady wore the necklace/So tightly around her crinkled wrists /While whispering at the bus stop.”

Bonnie MacAllister is currently Young Women’s Caucus Performance Chair for the National Women’s Caucus for Art 2011 Conference LIVE SPACES which emphasizes new media and activism. She is a member of the International Committee of the Women’s Caucus for Art. As a member of the Women’s Caucus for Art, Bonnie has collaborated with her fellow members to organize touring exhibitions with Afghan women, launched an exhibition to fundraise for the Girls Gotta Run foundation for teen marathon runners whom she visited in Ethiopia on a Fulbright-Hays grant, curated an art show for an International Women’s Day celebration exhibition in conjunction with a citywide literacy project based on the graphic novel Persepolis, and she is currently coordinating an exhibition on Women and Water sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, Women's Center, South Asia Center, Middle East Center, United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia, Women's Campaign International, CARE, Philadephia Global Water Initiative, and Engineers Without Borders. She will show this year at the Delaware Art Museum and her multimedia performance work is featured at festivals and through Green Light Arts at the Shubin Theatre. She is the author of Some Words Are No Longer Words, Coptic: Ethiopian Mysticism, and several artist books in collections at Barnard, the Brooklyn Art Library, Utopia Museum (Italy), and la Galeria del MEC (Uruguay).

Save the Date: Young Women's Caucus, 2/10/11, Raandesk Gallery, NYC

2011-01-10T15:54:00.001-05:00

YOUNG WOMEN’S CAUCUS: WHAT YOUNG WOMEN WANT

as part of LIVE SPACE: women + art + activism National Women's Caucus for Art

February 10, 2011

7-9 p.m.

Raandesk Gallery

16 W. 23rd Street, 4th Floor (Chelsea)

NYC

(Artists pictured: Chanel Matsunami Govreau, Amanda Lovelee, Megan Kelley and Suguna Sridha, and Bonnie MacAllister, Marina Kelly and Megan Katz with performers Michael Eckblad and Andrew Dayton of the Notion Collective)

hosted by Bonnie MacAllister

Live Performances and Films by the Young Women's Caucus Members

1) "on our own volition" featuring:

Artists: Amanda Moyer, J.R. DeMers, Susie Danielson, Stephanie Trevino, Amanda Mears, Dawn Hiltz

Description: Women have traditionally gathered to discuss their desires, their passions, changes they want in the world, and their lives. Women have congregated around watering holes, in kitchens, in bathrooms, over quilts, and at tea tables, just to name a few. Six ladies from Finlandia University will be gathering together in the Raandesk Gallery to discuss their wants and desires for their lives and the world through narrative movement and sound.

2)."Spoken For"

Artists: Marina Kelly and Megan Katz with performers Michael Eckblad and Andrew Dayton of the Notion Collective

Spoken For features women's intimate stories of want, using live performance and video in a multi-media exploration of women's desires as expressed via male voices.

3). "Requesting Access"

4) Title: 45th Presidency by Alex Dilks Pandola and Green Light Arts (Philadelphia)

starring Natasha Lee Martin (FOX, TLC, DISNEY, NIPPON TV JAPAN)

5) Title: Trading Flowers for Love Stories

Artist: Amanda Lovelee

And in the film room:

"I am the doubter and the doubt"

Artists: Megan Kelley and Suguna Sridhar

and

Title: “Deconstructed Breath Verse”

Artist: Bonnie MacAllister

for all press or inquiries, please contact macallister.bonnie@gmail.com.

Sooo much is going on!

2010-10-18T12:53:00.003-04:00

Stay posted here to learn about the great events we have going on all before March. Interested in learning more or how to get involved- email us at YoungWomensCaucus@gmail.com!

New Calendar Submission Deadline

2010-09-22T09:37:00.004-04:00

The YoungWC is moving our 2011 Calendar Publication submission deadline!

The Female Perspective “The Bedroom”

- Young Women’s Caucus 2011 Calendar Publication -

Open Call for Entry

The Young Women’s Caucus is publishing a 2011 Calendar on the theme of the bedroom. We hope to incorporate a variety of responses on the topic from the female perspective. Proceeds from the calendar will be sold to help fund the Young Women’s Caucus and their events.

Artwork will be chosen for the calendar to fill 12 full monthly pages and a cover. Artists chosen for the calendar will receive national recognition with their artwork and artist statement.

Organized by:

The Young Women’s Caucus (YoungWC) is an internal Caucus of the Women’s Caucus for Art (WCA). The mission of YoungWC is to provide resources, connections and support for all young women art students/artists. It is a national network for exchanging ideas, sharing opportunities, and promoting reflection and discussion about women’s issues in a fun and creative way.

About the Women’s Caucus for Art

The Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) is the leading national nonprofit organization for women in the visual arts professions. Founded in 1972, WCA is dedicated to the cultural, aesthetic and economic value of women’s art. WCA has 27 chapters across the country (six in California) and is an affiliate of the College Art Association. Visit www.nationalwca.org.

Eligibility

Open to all women artists between the ages of 16 and 35.

Entry Deadline

Postmarked by Saturday, November 15th!

Entry Guidelines

· Each artist is limited to submit 3 pieces of artwork. If you are submitting a three-dimensional piece, two images per a piece are allowed.

· Artwork image submissions must be sent ready for publication as high-resolution jpegs with at least 300dpi.

· Please make sure to have all images labeled with the title of the piece and the artist’s name. Ex: JohnSmith_Artwork.jpeg

· 150 words about each specific art work you submit

Download Application Here

(Click File and you choose how ou want to download it!)

The Aprons have made it to Saint Louis!

2010-09-16T11:26:00.007-04:00

The Traveling Apron Exhibit has made it to Saint Louis!

Please stay posted for more details that will be coming soon!

travelling journal project

2010-09-14T17:46:00.003-04:00

the travelling journal project! check out our blog for more information:

http://www.travellingjournalproject.blogspot.com/

The Female Perspective "The Bedroom" Calendar- Open Call for Entry

2010-07-12T15:34:00.007-04:00

The Female Perspective “The Bedroom”

- Young Women’s Caucus 2011 Calendar Publication -

Open Call for Entry

Artwork will be chosen for the calendar to fill 12 full monthly pages and a cover. Artists chosen for the calendar will receive national recognition with their artwork and artist statement.

Organized by:

About the Women’s Caucus for Art

Eligibility

Open to all women artists between the ages of 16 and 35.

Entry Deadline

Postmarked by Friday, September 24^th 2010

Entry Guidelines

· Each artist is limited to submit 3 pieces of artwork. If you are submitting a three-dimensional piece, two images per a piece are allowed.

· Artwork image submissions must be sent ready for publication as high-resolution jpegs with at least 300dpi.

· Please make sure to have all images labeled with the title of the piece and the artist’s name. Ex: JohnSmith_Artwork.jpeg

· 150 words about each specific art work you submit

Download Application Here

The Apron Show in Madison?!

2010-07-06T19:46:00.001-04:00

The Apron Show Exhibit is at the Center for Research on Gender and Women in Madison Wisconsin!

The exhibit has been there since May 12 and will continue to August 6! So if your in the area why not take a visit?!
For more info on the Research Center visit there website at Web site at http://www.womenstudies.wisc.edu/CRGW/art/artists/ArponShow.htm or contact them at 263-2053/wsrc@mailplus.wisc.edu

2010 National Young Feminist Conference

2010-03-21T22:49:00.002-04:00

This is a video from an annual conference in Washington DC, check it out...

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5621247

WHAT WOMEN WANT

2010-03-05T22:49:00.003-05:00

Women are sometimes afraid to proclaim WHAT WE WANT because "it isn't polite" but wanting can also set our goals, and give clarification to what we want to accomplish.

So we are requesting to know WHAT WOMEN WANT!

As young women artists we have specific wants and needs and I challenge all of you to tell us what YOU want and how the Young Women's Caucus can help! Check out our discussion on Facebook and add you input!

Women's Last Stand

2010-02-22T22:50:00.004-05:00

Here is a little video Stephanie Trevino posted on our facebook today. I was very impressed when I saw it. I hope all of you are as well.

Muejeres de Juarez

2010-02-20T17:35:00.002-05:00

Recently the Young Women's Caucus had the honor to go the Women's Caucus for Art conference in Chicago. We had a great weekend of information, gallery openings and symposiums. One of the galleries we had the privilege of visiting was the National Museum of Mexican Art. Here there was a emotionally moving exhibit titled Rastros y Cronicas: Women of Juarez. Below is the statement of the exhibit that can also be found on the Museum's website.

"Since 1993, more then 500 women have been killed
in Ciudad Juárez in the northern Mexican state of
Chihuahua. For some time now, Mexican and Mexican
American artists have been sensitive to the subject
of Women of Juarez and have worked on diverse
projects to share their perspective on this disturbing
situation. The thought provoking pieces throughout
the exhibition serve as a chronicle of the struggles of
Mexican women and the grievous deaths in Ciudad
Juárez. By generating awareness, the artwork supports
the cause of the victims’ families who search for justice
and truth. The artists of Rastros y Crónicas compel the
viewer to comprehend and sympathize with what the
victims endured and what the living continue to face.
In this way, our generation and future generations will
not forget or ignore the loss of life in Ciudad Juárez."

These Femicides have been going on now for 17 years. The news coverage of these murders has been minimal. In 2006 President Vicente Fox claimed that the majority of the murders had been solved and criticized the little press that did exist for exaggerating the story. In 2006 with the continuation of the murders gave rise to movies such as "Bordertown" and "The Virgin of Juarez". These movies were made to bring attention to the conflict, yet even with the increase of publicity, these murders seem to continue. Below is a video of the exhibit thanks to Truthful Enthusiasm and Matthew Cunningham.

Women of Juarez from Matthew Cunningham on Vimeo.

The Apron Show Opening

2010-02-07T12:36:00.005-05:00

Here is a little slideshow we put together showcasing all of the aprons and the opening reception! Thank you again to everyone who participated and thank you to the community for such a great turn out!

Aprons Galore!

2010-02-04T22:55:00.002-05:00

The apron show was a huge success!

All aprons can be viewed by visiting:

Young Women's Caucus Apron Show Photo Album

Thanks to all the artists and people who came out to see the show and show support! You all are amazing!

2 More Days and Three More Aprons

2010-01-19T14:36:00.004-05:00

The first two aprons shown here are from the The Badder Homes and Gardens ladies.

Thanks again to everyone who is participating, and don't forget this Thursday at 12 the reception will be at the Reflection Gallery, 200 Michigan St, Hancock MI 49930.

"My Eggs Cant Be Beat" detail by Krista Hogg

"Pearls Of Wisdom" by Sarah Weigl

"Red Tulip Dancing" by Lanni Lantto

Three Aprons a day till Thursday

2010-01-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

Three more Aprons....

"Consumers" by Kathy Meliopoulos (part of a triptych)

"Aprons On A Clothesline" by Freyda Miller

"Arctic Domesticity" by Phyllis Fredendall

The Apron Show

2010-01-17T20:34:00.002-05:00

"The Apron Show" opening reception is at the Reflection Gallery this Thursday 12pm.

Everyday until the show Aprons will be posted for all to enjoy!!

"No Easy Thing" by Bonnie Peterson

"My Devourer Waitress Apron" by Ellen Delbourgo

"Passive Agressive" by Timothea Canny

Opening Reception for the Apron Show at the Reflection Gallery!

2010-01-08T12:25:00.004-05:00

Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time:	12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location:	The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery
Street:	200 Michigan Street

Description

Young Women’s Caucus
- an internal Caucus of Women's Caucus for Art -
The Apron Show to Exhibit at Reflection Gallery
January 11 to February 3

The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery, Hancock, will host an exhibition of altered and handmade aprons from January 11 to February 3, 2010. An opening reception and artist talk will take place Thursday, January 21, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., at the Reflection Gallery. The reception is open to the public and all are welcome.

The exhibit, organized by the Finlandia Young Women’s Caucus (YWC), is titled “The Apron Show.” It is centered on the idea that aprons have a long history of association with women. The YWC and the Reflection Gallery hope the exhibit will prompt viewers to reflect on their own personal history and memories associated with aprons – and the women in their lives who wore them.

The exhibition includes aprons made by individuals in Canada, England, New Jersey, San Francisco, Chicago, and several other states. Many local artists created handmade aprons, including local fiber artist and Finlandia University art and design associate professor Phyllis Fredendall. Fredendall says her apron entry was created while she completed a recent residency at the Felt Center in Petäjävesi, Finland. She says, “the apron represents for me all of the wonderful experiences I have had in the far north.”

YWC president and Finlandia art and design junior Laura Lakanen states that, “in the world in which our mothers and grandmothers grew up, the universal expectations included getting married, bearing children, and cooking, cleaning, and ironing – in an apron. Because these pre-1970s women fought to give the women they bore (us) more choices, we are free to reinterpret the symbol of the apron as we see fit.”

Lakanen continues that while in the most simple terms, an apron is defined as a protective garment worn to keep clothing clean, by creating this exhibition of aprons, individuals were invited to express their own interpretations of what “the apron” means.
She hopes that the exhibit pieces will spur viewer reflection and discussion about women’s issues in a creative and fun way, and encourage a dialogue through which we can more fully understand and appreciate where we came from and what may be ahead.

This show is especially important to Reflection Gallery staff because gallery curator Jaimianne Ammicucci is an officer of the YWC, and gallery director Amanda Moyer is an active member of the organization. Ammicucci and Moyer explain, “We are very excited about the YWC’s first exhibition and we hope to see all of you there to support this great show. You will see aprons made by Finlandia University faculty and students, community artists, and individuals from other states. This is an exhibition you do not want to miss!”

Following its exhibition at the Reflection Gallery, “The Apron Show” will travel to St. Louis (Missouri) Community College, the University of Wisconsin, and other states.

The Young Women’s Caucus is an internal caucus of the National Women’s Caucus for Art. The YWC, started at Finlandia University, is committed to providing resources, opportunities, and support to young women artists. Through art and community involvement, the YWC seeks to remind women of how powerful and influential they really are. Visit the Young Women’s Caucus blog at http://youngwc.blogspot.com.

The Reflection Gallery is located on the second level of Finlandia’s Jutila Center campus, 200 Michigan St., Hancock.
For additional information, please contact Yueh-mei Cheng, Finlandia University associate professor of studio arts, at 906-487-7375 or yueh-mei.cheng@finlandia.edu.

A Little Apron Action

2009-12-02T04:24:00.001-05:00

A sneak peak at my Apron Show entry.

I plan to have some big fun with these little aprons in the weeks to come.

How would you wear an itsy bitsy teeny weeny apron with extra long white strings?

ATTENTION APRON SHOW PARTICIPANTS

2009-11-28T13:34:00.004-05:00

If you are sending your entry fee of $5 with a check or money order, please make that out to Jaimianne Amicucci.

Thank you, and we're looking forward to seeing everyone's entries!

Badder Homes and Gardens are making aprons

2009-11-26T14:07:00.002-05:00

Twas two nights before Thanksgiving, when all through the place
Not a man was laughing, after being put in his place.
The Badder Homes and Gardens was drunk with no care,
In hopes that there next blog entry would fall from the air.

The YoungWC was lost in what they consider fun
While visions of aprons had slowly begun.
They were drawing and sketching and making a mess
When one member said "I have something to confess".

When out from the web there rose such a chatter,
We all leaned to the screen to see what was the matter.
And what happen next was truly surreal,
The Badder Homes and Gardens were in with zeal.

We were all so thrilled, they were going enter our show,
But this bunch of writers would have to remember how to sew.
Just as I now have to remember how to write,
But who the hell cares, this is such an excite!

Now the friendship will continue for ever more,
And trust me our antics will be anything but a bore.
All together we find ourselves cheery and smug
"We all love the love. Now let's all hug."

Mustaches everywhere!!!

2009-11-24T15:26:00.002-05:00

I ran into this blog about a week ago, and just loved what they were doing (especially since they have the same charm as the YoungWC!!). Anyway I then came across these GREAT mugs they posted.... what fun!!!.....

Next Mission: To find out if these ladies are artists themselves, and if so to get them to makes aprons for the show!!

New Apron Show Guidelines

2009-11-21T20:06:00.004-05:00

The Apron Show is now open to men and women of all ages! Due to this change, we've also extended our entry deadline to December 15. So you've still got time to enter! Please direct any questions to youngwomenscaucus@gmail.com.

You can help promote the show and the Young Women's Caucus by sharing the above image on your blog, facebook, etc, and with your friends!

The old entry forms are still valid, so if you have one or sent us one already, don't worry. You can print our new entry form and complete call for entry details from the following link:

Apron Show Call for Entries

Putting the "Fun" back in "Fundraiser"

2009-11-21T19:08:00.002-05:00

Click here to check out the photos from our fundraiser last week!

Thanks everyone for coming out and helping make our fundraiser a success! Special thanks to Karen Johnson for publicity, to Pedro Trevino for music, and to our pie judges Renee Johnson, Kitty Loukus, and Peter Van Pelt. Also special thanks to Max Nault and Ashley Jilek.

It was a blast and we raised enough money to fund our apron show!

The Press Release is Out!

2009-10-31T14:49:00.000-04:00

Young Women’s Caucus to Host 1950s Theme Dinner

HANCOCK, MI – The recently-formed Finlandia University chapter of the Young Women’s Caucus will host a 1950s theme dinner Saturday, November 14, starting at 6:00 p.m., at the Finandia Hall Café, in the university’s residence hall on Summit Street, Hancock.

The menu for the buffet-style 1950s housewife-themed dinner is inspired by food from that era. The community is encouraged to participate by baking a pie for a pie contest that evening, or by sporting 1950s attire.

The Young Women’s Caucus is dedicated to providing opportunities for emerging artists and designers. The theme dinner fundraiser will help the young women organize “The Apron Show,” a traveling art exhibit, and support annual membership fees in the national Women’s Caucus for Art.

At the dinner, the members of the Caucus will wear aprons that they have designed and created in order to encourage additional entries for The Apron Show, a traveling exhibit that will start at Finlandia’s Reflection Gallery then travel to Saint Louis and Denver. The call for entry for “The Apron Show” is open to all women ages 12 to 39. All aprons must fit in an 11-½” x 14-½” envelope.

“The Young Women’s Caucus hopes to have your support for our first fundraiser,” says Jaimianne Amicucci, a senior art and design student from New York and an officer of the caucus. “Come to enjoy the meal and learn more about this profound new organization.”

Tickets are $15 at the door, and $10 for students and those who contribute a homemade pie.

For more information about the dinner, The Apron Show, or the Young Women’s Caucus, visit http://youngwc.blogspot.com, e-mail youngwomenscaucus@gmail.com, or call 906-487-7375.

Farewell Minty

2009-10-25T22:18:00.006-04:00

Not too long ago, my friend Ren and I worked on a very important project. Her cat Minty, whom she had been with for fifteen years, passed on to wherever cats go when they die (We think it's something like a resplendent meadow with ponies).

Needless to say, she was sad about this, and so we wanted to make something special to remember him. Ren said Minty was always very proud of the deposits he made in his catbox, and she had been unable to bring herself to scoop up the last one.

We decided to gold leaf it, and keep it forever.

Ren kept the last deuce hidden away for awhile to let it dry out. It was in pieces, but that just meant we had more treasures from Minty, and there was no worry about messing up. We treated them with a basecoat of rich red paint, then covered them with a red variegated gold leaf. Ren also had a couple his claws, and we think they may make a nice pair of earrings.

Currently we are searching for some kind of vessel (which we may embellish with ponies) that will serve as a reliquary for Minty's treasure. Let us know if you have an idea.

Apron Show- Call for Entries- Deadline:12/04/09

2009-09-29T20:42:00.000-04:00

Call for Entries

The Young Women’s Caucus is proud to present

THE APRON SHOW

(A TOURING EXHIBITION)

This exhibition will start in Hancock, MI. It will travel to St. Louis, MO and Denver, CO - spending a month on display in each city.

Aprons are protective garments worn to keep clothing clean. Before the 1960’s, aprons were very popular for women to keep their “delicate” clothing from getting soiled. Aprons are also associated with women because of their “domestic, homemaker responsibilities”.

QUESTIONS AND SUBMISSIONS? Email us! Youngwomenscaucus@gmail.com

How to Participate: Make an apron or alter an old one!

Details:

Open to males and females, all ages.
Open to all media.
The apron should be mailed in a flat envelope, sized 11 ½” x 14 ½” or smaller.
There is a $5 entry fee to defray shipping costs.
If you want your piece returned, please include a SASE with sufficient postage to ship your apron.
The YWC holds 10% for any sold pieces. For pieces not for sale, please clearly mark them NFS.
The Young WC has the right to not include a submission due to complication of shipping or hanging.
Photographing rights are required for promotional purposes.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Entry Form

Name:_________________ Price:_________________

City:___________________ Medium:_______________

State:__________________ Entry fee: paid pending

Email:__________________

Title of Art:_____________ Entry Deadline: 12/04/09

Ship to: Apron Show c/o Reflection Gallery

200 Michigan St Hancock, MI 49930

Mustache Love

2009-09-26T23:36:00.000-04:00

The YWC would like to thank our professor, artist Greg Green, for gifting the club with this pack o' 'stashes. There's one for every day of the week, so we need never leave the house bare-faced. Like any respectable mustache, each of these has its own personality. I'd like to think that Friday's mustache will bestow upon its wearer a healthy swagger, and Tuesday's "square" mustache will lend some serious concentration on the day between being a hero and beating the pulp out of people.

Thanks to Karen Johnson for taking this photo at Brian Parmeter's reception in the Reflection Gallery early this month. Pictured from left to right: Jaimianne, Lana, me, and Laura. Don't be fooled by our innocent smiles. This photo was made between bouts of pillow fighting.

Postcard Party

2009-09-24T14:57:00.001-04:00

Jaimianne, Lana and I attended a sewing party hosted by Amanda Moyer at the dorms recently. While we were there, we made postcards for the UN Postcard Show On Peace. Here are some of the results.

Women's Caucus for Art- Saint Louis

2009-09-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Saint Louis Chapter and Roxanne Phillips for promoting the Young Women's Caucus in Saint Louis!! (Roxanne is the contact in Saint Louis for interest in starting a younger committee, check their newsletter at http://wca-stl.org/PDF/News909.pdf for more information!) We encourage any younger women that are currently part of the WCA or outside to send us an email and to follow this blog. Events for this year include a traveling exhibition and a themed fundraising dinner, complete with cliche stereotypical female attire!!

We are really a group of young spirited individuals networking, and defining boundaries between fun and professionalism. We use our philosophies to encourage the young in those around us, while promoting level headed future planning. We are a great fun contradiction who would love to hear from you!

A discussion on women artists.

2009-09-05T11:37:00.000-04:00

Recently I read an article in The Art Newspaper titled "The Mamas Take Their Place With The Dadas". It was an interesting article talking about Ruth Hemus' goal to further explore Linda Nochlin's question “Why have there been no great women artists?” Ruth Hemus goes on to name five women artists that are connected with the Dada movement including Emmy Hennings, Sophie Taeuber, Hannah Höch, Suzanne Duchamp and Céline Arnauld. Of course I do not expect any of you to have heard of these artists. The argument is that in the past women were forgotten because of male dominated press coupled with male art historians. Yet this article poses room for argument since it never addresses the suppression of women's actions. It never brings up the idea that women artists may be rare because they were expected to take care of the home instead. So is it the recipe of little press, no historical documentation and women's alternative expectations that cause our lack of a more vibrant past or does one of these factors tip the scale?

We invite to read the article and tell us your opinion

The Mamas Take Their Place With The Dadas

Sketchbook Project

2009-08-28T20:56:00.000-04:00

So this is a great Call for Entry for everyone to get involved in! This may be the Young Women's Caucus' next project. For more info check out http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject/about

New Blog

2009-08-27T22:36:00.000-04:00

Please come check out our new blog!!!!! http://youngwc.blogspot.com/

UN Postcard Show

2009-08-24T17:26:00.000-04:00

Take a Minute and Send Your Postcard for UN Postcard Show on Peace Today –
Request from WCA’s International Chair, Priscilla Otani – Deadline -
September 1, 2009

“Over the last two months I have been curating postcards that speak out
against nuclear weapons and advocate for peace. These postcards, documented
on http://wcaartwavesinternational.blogspot.com/, will be exhibited at the
United Nations Mexico City conference from September 9-11, 2009. I will also
discuss this postcard project at a conference workshop. The premise of this
project is that civil society all around the world can speak out about
social justice through art. Hand-made postcards are perfect vehicles for
delivering such messages openly and succinctly. For those who have
created and mailed a postcard to me, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
For those who haven't made a card yet, there is still time. The deadline is
September 1, 2009, but I will continue to accept cards until I leave for
Mexico City. So far, 131 cards have been collected - I would love to reach
or exceed my personal goal of 300 cards. It would be wonderful to
demonstrate the power of the simple postcard.”

For all Women

2009-08-23T21:09:00.000-04:00

Homage to my Hips

BY LUCILLE CLIFTON

these hips are big hips

they need space to

move around in.

they don't fit into little

petty places. these hips

are free hips.

they don't like to be held back.

these hips have never been enslaved,

they go where they want to go

they do what they want to do.

these hips are mighty hips.

these hips are magic hips.

i have known them

to put a spell on a man and

spin him like a top!

Calls for entries

2009-08-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

TVAA Gallery: Self Portrait Exhibition

DEADLINE: 8/15/09

Fee: $5.00/piece + membership

Dallas TX

CALL FOR ENTRY. The self portrait is the window into one’s self. It shows the outside world your inside world. I have always believed that looking into the eyes always shows something of the inner self. Portraits are landscapes of the psyche of someone else. The self portrait is the psyche of the artist. It can be truthful and it can be deceiving.The artist shows only what he or she wants the viewer to see. Please send 3 jpg to: z_jr@sbcglobal.net

Art St. Louis XXV, The Exhibition

DEADLINE: 9/8/09

Fee: $40.00

St Louis MO

CALL FOR ENTRY. This exhibit is open to artists 21+ in the St. Louis metro area and surrounding 200-mile radius. Open to original artworks in all media*, all themes, and all styles. *Works that rely on the internet for display or ceiling suspended artworks are not eligible. Limit 5 artworks created/completed in the past 2 years (2007-2009).This exhibit is juried by jpegs on 1 CD. The CD must be Mac and PC compatible; jpegs only; RGB color; minimum 800x800 pixels and not to exceed 1200x1200 pixels. Entry form required. Entry fee: $25/current ASL members; $40/non-members; or $10 with new $50 membership = $60.

Surface Graphics and Design Within Reach Announce Call For Entries to Philadelphia Designers for Removable Wall Decal Competition

DEADLINE: 9/10/09

Fee: $0.00

Philadelphia PA

CALL FOR DESIGN. Philadelphia-based designers are invited to submit their work for development into a removable wall decal for display during DesignPhiladelphia at the DWR Philadelphia Studio. Designs will be selected based on originality, ability to develop as decals (see below for details), and alignment with the enduring principles of modernism. The top five designs will be displayed at DWR Philadelphia during DesignPhiladelphia 2009. The winning design will be sold online by Surface Graphics, with all proceeds supporting Philadelphia Charter High School for Architecture + Design.

Call for entries: The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Art Show

DEADLINE: 9/14/09

Fee: $20.00

Indianapolis IN

CALL FOR ENTRIES. I am putting this event together to help raise money for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This is an awesome cause. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a fatal lung disease that primarily affects children and shortens their life expectancy to an average of 37 years old. The foundation is a privately funded by events like this! Please read the details below and let me know if you or anyone you know might be interested in participating. Also, if you would rather not be in the show but would like to donate a painting please let me know and I will be more than happy to accommodate.

Call for Entry: Functionally Informal

DEADLINE: 9/15/09

Fee: $30.00

Santa Ana CA

CALL FOR ENTRIES. The Myers Gallery at Muddy’s Studio presents Functionally Informal. This juried show seeks to explore the new hybrid relationships between form and function; especially function as an informal canvas for innovation and expression. Ceramic artist and teacher Randy Au will be the juror for this show. Randy’s own art reflects his passion for the combination of the organic form and highly decorative luster glaze.

The 5th Annual Art Surviving Art Show

DEADLINE: 10/18/09

Fee: $5.00/piece

Richmond VA

CALL FOR ENTRY. We are seeking artists who have survived breast conditions that would like to share their experiences and stories through their works of art during Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October 2009. Call for Entries will be on Friday and Saturday, September 18^th & 19^th from noon – 4:00 p.m. in Studio 125 at Art Works. Artists may submit up to 2 entries and the cost per entry is $5.00. This will be an all media juried show. Art may be of any subject matter that is considered healing to the artist. Artwork may be for sale or for showing only. Artists are encouraged to attend the opening of the show.

The 6th Annual WCA International Video Shorts Festival

DEADLINE: 10/15/09

Fee: $30.00 for non-members? $25 for members

Chicago IL

CALL FOR ENTRIES. Open to all women artists. All genres will be accepted: experimental, narrative, documentary, animation, collage, etc. Entries must not exceed 15 minutes in length, should be in DVD format ONLY and cued to start. Please do not send

original/master copy. The works must be created by women videographers, or directed/co-directed by women.

Sole•purposeTWO

DEADLINE: 10/18/09

Fee: $25.00

Denver CO

CALL FOR ENTRY. Looking for works that are created using a minimum of 50% clay combined with a maximum of creative inspiration from the concept of footwear! The exhibition is being curated by evb•studio & Sellars Project Space. All accepted artists will be included in a catalog of the exhibition and maintain web presence for one[1] year.

Things That Are More Interesting Than The Internet, Part 3

2009-07-29T20:23:00.000-04:00

Stephanie and I made hand-dipped candles. They look kind of like carrots.

This stuffed turtle was inspired by this real turtle that the dogs were harassing one afternoon. The soft version (that was a gift) can tuck his appendages into his shell, too! I made him with scrap fabric from the thrift store.

This is a woodpecker.

Cindy Sherman

2009-07-16T13:56:00.001-04:00

Hey ladies, I came across this artist in one of MoMA's contemporary art books, and instantaneously thought that it would pertain well. Cindy Sherman is a photographer most famous for stills of herself, posing as old cliche movie stars. The image I had seen was of a sex doll, which she placed in a crude sexual position. I linked her page below so you can get a better feel for her work, but here are a couple of images....

http://www.cindysherman.com/index.php

I think it is slightly ironic that she usually uses the heroine of a movie, yet exposes the more sexual scenes they are shown in. I think this ironic nature is explored in her work and reflects the ideology of our culture....

thoughts?.........

Things That are More Interesting than the Internet, Part 2

2009-07-07T00:47:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Laura, who endlessly inspires me. :)

It's been awhile since I've blogged. This is because, like Laura, I've been preoccupied with things that are more interesting than the internet.

Such as...

...a childhood dream coming true...

...staring contests with goats...

...buckwild dance parties...

...being a tourist...

...making art...

...seeing old friends...

...making new friends...

...standing on top of the world...

...and getting home and having a photo exhibit at the best coffee shop in town.

(it's Fifth & Elm in Calumet, of course)

To be honest, friends, sometimes I wonder how it's possible to sit at a desk at all.

And yet, here we are. :)

Some of my artwork

2009-07-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

Here's some stuff I don't believe you ladies has seen, but who knows???

Summer Artwork...so far...

2009-06-18T14:42:00.000-04:00

This summer has been hit and miss so far in regards to my art...so I have been trying something to get myself going. A sketch a day....

June Artwork

2009-06-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

So, I made some stuff and here it is.

My dad found a bird skull at the mine. He says it's probably a raven, as they are all over the place there. I silver-leafed it, and am trying to find a way to mount it.

I've been reminded recently of a word I had forgotten, that is, virago. According to the wikipedia, it means, "a strong, brave, warlike woman." Oftentimes, it is used in a derogatory way, meaning, "a noisy, quarrelsome woman." Personally, I rather like the first definition better. I've been thinking about this word, and this head is the first virago I've made.

WCA call for entries

2009-06-13T10:49:00.004-04:00

WCA fiber media exhibit.

July 22nd is the deadline.

Exhibited in St. Charles, MO.

http://www.wca-stl.org/PDF/News09.pdf

Things That Are More Interesting Than the Internet, Part 1

2009-06-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

I don't know what kind of wood this is, but I love it

I didn't know trees could do that

worm-eaten wood

Hotei sleeping through his shift on guard duty

apple blossoms

I don't think I really need to say a lot here. As much as I love the wealth of information the internet provides, it's very hard to leave the woods lately and sit on the computer.

Laura Profile

2009-06-08T12:13:00.001-04:00

Everyone has a true voice, and for some people it's not their voice at all. The things I create are more me than me, I think.

2009-06-05T13:20:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to congratulate Stephanie on the artist in residence program she has just been accepted into!!! Steph you should put a link on here or tell us a little about it!!!! I'm so happy for you!!

Women and Art in Tanzania

2009-05-31T18:25:00.000-04:00

So I thought I would write a little something of my recent journey to Tanzania.... Africa has been a place I have wanted to travel to my whole life. I have always wanted to go and help the people in whatever way I could.... The last month I have been able to travel across tanzania, meeting the people, seeing the animals, and experiencing the climate. In the first two days I also had my introduction to the artwork. Art is all over Tanzania, but is not looked at at art. It is decorative or functional products. Stores like Wall-mart are scarce, if they exist at all (I didn't see any?) and so the products you may buy there for your home are replaced by these hand carved ebony figures and hand woven baskets. There is coiled pottery. Hand beaded items. Sewed clothing on hand died fabric. The ebony carvings are by far the most impressive.

One day we were at a market filled with carvings when my friend was about to faint. A lady led us behind the market storefronts where there was numerous men, sitting on the ground shirtless carving away. That was the closest I've have ever been to a sweat shop. I met a college aged student who was working at one of the stands. He introduced me to his father. I shook his rough beaten hand as he looked up from the ground, where he was working on the latest piece. My new friend then took my hand and unveiled a piece his father had been working on for two years. It was an intricate carving of daily scenes layered, standing about 7 feet tall. It was carved all from one tree. It resembled a carving I had once seen in a museum, yet there it lied. That piece will never sell for what it is worth. I asked my friend the word for artist in swahili, instead he told me the word for worker.

Another topic I would like to address briefly is the gender roles in Tanzania. I will not get in to detail, because I will just give myself a headache but I think it is something important to be shared here. As you know I am a pretty strong female- I don't like tradition much and I don't think a society should tell me my "duties" in life. In Tanzania women do not have the option of living by that philosophy. Women there have expectation put on them, and societal disadvantages to keep them "where they belong". For example, a wife may be abused, so she may leave her husband and return to her family. Her family may tell her to go back to him and work things out. It is believed to divorce is disobeying the bible, so it is almost out of the question. The woman wants to leave but has nowhere to go. She thinks of getting a job, but can not because she has little education, once again due to her gender. Schooling is expensive, so she is stuck with no option but to take care of her husband, and try to not make him angry. It is appalling.

I came back to america with this desire to cook. Not because I am a female and belong in the kitchen, but because I can but do not have to. This seems odd, but in America feminists of the past have removed us so far from what is our gender roles that we have the privilege to choose what we want to do. There are still hurdles to be crossed but honestly I encourage women in America to realize how far we have come, to not go against the grain just because they can, but instead use that energy for all of the women in the world who do not know there is other options. They may discover our ways and not agree. That is fine, but to live without knowing any other way is such a tragedy.

Sorry that was so long.... I really just brushed the surface....

....If only brain transplants were possible...

2009-05-21T22:19:00.000-04:00

Are you serious? Organ Donation?!

I am all for witty and black humor in advertising...but that goes too far.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control

2009-05-15T22:26:00.000-04:00

Why? Because its freakin Karen O and insanity we all can enjoy.

The Nameless Woman of the Trees

2009-05-10T15:37:00.000-04:00

This week I spent three days with Laura at her camp in the woods. As part of my camping gear, I brought along an afro and a prom dress. Grover insisted on wearing the afro.

For a moment we considered that Hotei might be destined to wear the prom dress. However, we soon realized that the wearer of the dress should not be confined to the earth. She should be free to float through the forest at the edge of camp. With string, ribbon, tulle, sticks, and leaves, Laura and I sketched her shape between the trees.

Though he was sad he couldn't wear the dress, Hotei helped by dragging a skein of ribbon along the ground, tangling it with the leaves, and knitting a lovely shawl to match the dress. He was proud of his work.

We strung her high above us, so she could see further in every direction. Then we sat on the forest floor and basked in her presence.

We thought of names. Her limbs reminded me of Titus Andronicus' unfortunate daughter, Lavinia. Laura and I sat quietly with her, watched, and realized that she was no Lavinia.

She didn't need to be bound by a name, any more than she needed to be bound by the earth. Thus she became The Nameless Woman of the Trees.

2009-04-30T01:10:00.000-04:00

falling victim to fear culture

I've been trying not to freak out over this swine flu deal, but sometimes it's hard when every time I log out of my email there's another story about it. As a result, rather than finish my homework, I was compelled to create this image today. I really don't feel that fatalistic about it, but I guess I needed to take some time out and react. I hope this doesn't mean I'm contributing to people's anxiety.

WCA Blog

2009-04-26T09:21:00.000-04:00

This is great that we can all connect here. I found the blog for the WCA and thought I would share it... http://www.nationalwca.org/wordpress/