Panda sighting

Hybrid catus panda, Calder panda, and Stephanie on the base on 3rd Friday at the Urban Culture Project’s Parntership space.

This is Stephanie and my third born. He’s a little startled. I have more new work listed on the images page.

Art is not a crime

TO SIGN THE PETITION, CLICK THE LINK BELOW

http://www.petitiononline.com/ques2009/petition.html

Art is not a crime!!!!

Just found out about Angel Quesada and Lannea Brooks being arrested for working on a mural in the Govalle neighborhood. Please read below about the arrest and the resulting petition, calling on APD to drop the vandalism/graffiti charges on this charitable act of neighborhood beautification.

Angel Quesada and Lannea Brooks were arrested recently working on a mural at 2828 Lyons Street on Saturday, October 24th. They are both being charged with a “Class A” misdemeanor for Graffiti, which carries a punishment of up to $4,000 and/or a year in jail. Angel is an accomplished artist and community muralist and has served for the City of Austin as consultant for the Terrazzas Branch Library – Ceasar Chavez Memorial when appointed by Councilmember Mike Martinez during his 3 year artist residence at Mexic-Arte Museum. His most recent position as an educator for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Mexican American Cultural Center allowed him to serve the greater Austin Hispanic & Latino Communities by providing adult educational programming as well as championing Latino Artists statewide. Lannea Brooks has recently moved to the Govalle Neighborhood and frequently engages with the art community in East Austin. The mural in question was created in the spirit of generosity and is a donation towards the beautification of the Govalle neighborhood. The permitting process is currently underway and, once approved, the mural will be under city care for up to nine years after the approval process is completed in 2009. Angel was detained in the Travis County Jail about 18 hours with Graffiti charges before being released on his own recognizance; his pre-trial is on Monday, November 9th and has posted a $2,500 bond. Lannea was detained at the Travis County Correctional Facility in Del Valle for four days before posting a $2,500 bail and awaits her pretrial on November 12th. We need your help! By signing this petition, you can help prevent Angel and Lannea from being unjustly punished for beautifying our neighborhood. They sincerely appreciate your help. To the Attorney’s Office of Travis County; We, the undersigned people of Austin, call on the Travis County Attorney Office to drop all charges against Angel Quesada who was arrested for and charged with Graffiti as they were engaged in painting a mural at the embankment wall / bridge 2828 Lyons Street October 24th, 2009. Our community and the members thereof are important to us. While we commend the Austin Police Department for ensuring that our neighborhood remains safe and we encourage them to continue to do so, we also recognize that art is an important asset for our communities and do not consider the acts of either Quesada or Brooks criminal in nature. Rather, we appreciate having an accomplished artist like Angel Quesada increase the aesthetic value of our neighborhood by painting murals on unsightly surfaces. These acts, we strongly believe, are not acts of intentional property defacement or tagging. In fact, we hope that the artwork will be completed.

Sincerely – in Solidarity, The Undersigned TO SIGN THE PETITION, CLICK THE LINK BELOW

http://www.petitiononline.com/ques2009/petition.html

You make my heart sing…

Where The Wild Things Are opened at Red Star Studios Friday night!

And so many of my friends came!

What makes this group of artists unique, beyond the subject matter, are their incredible surfaces. Lovely labored over objects in an array of color. All of the artists working in different temperature ranges and clays. Kansas City had summer evening this November First Friday. It was a great show at Red Star and there was lots of interest in the work.

It was profound to see my animals in the gallery. In five months I have completed my first body of work since graduation. I have new questions I want to ask and I’m seeking stories.

Come visit Oedipus Rex and Me at Red Star on 821 West 17th St.

November First Friday at Red Star

Where the Wild Things Are

Opening tonight at Red Star Studios

Featuring Bernadette Curran, Shanna Fliegel, Martha Grover, Calder Kamin, Brooke Noble and Shoko Teruyama

This group exhibition captures a collection of six ceramic artists that incorporate flora and fauna themes in their work. Where The Wild Things Are opens First Friday November 6th from 6-9pm at Red Star Studios located at 821 W 17th Kansas City, MO 64108. The exhibition runs until November 28th.

Come see my new work!

Wild Thing

Oedipus enters the vault of fire this week. He will be a part of Red Star Studios exhibition Where the Wild Things Are opening November 6th.

 

T-MONEY

If anybody asks, our friend Timo Fahler is doing beautifully at UCLA Grad school. He’s gained enough charisma over the last year to take over the LA scene. Timo just completed an installation for the Wende Museum’s Wall Project at the LACMA/La Brae Tar Pits. Timo was asked to create a piece for an event at the museum that marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Visit his site for more updates, he’s good for it! He’s got that gangster lean.

Color me California

Carol Sauvion, Executive Producer and Creator of Craft in America, welcomed all of the KCAI alum in town to her home on Sunday. It was the most dreamy and unexpected surprise of my trip. She has a beautiful little home in Beverly Hills. Timo, Mega, Ryan, and I couldn’t help but milk the experience spending the early afternoon sipping on wine under a persimmon tree.

The afternoon also included checking out Carol’s collection of pots from 30 years of owning a ceramics galley.

I finally met KCAI alum and ULCA alum Nikki Lewis. She has been working and raising a family in LA. She and I had been in correspondence since May after she participated in Red Star Studios exhibition Then and Now. She reached out to me during my first curatorial experience at Red Star. I’m glad to match a smiling face to her kind words and actions.

Later in the afternoon we made it up to the Getty Museum for a stunning view, perfect place to be when you feel on top!

Visions of lime green everywhere, much different than the cold and rainy KC I came back too.

Object Lesson

I want to be a jet set artist! Opening night for Object Lesson : Recent Student and Teacher work from The Kansas City Art Institute at the Craft in America Study Center in Los Angeles.

Friend, Ryan Fletcher, 2nd semester junior at KCAI, Freehand gallery director and Craft in America Producer Carol Sauvion, and moi inside Freehand gallery in Hollywood. Carol has been an incredibly generous patron to the Art Institute; featuring the students and professors in both the TV special and exhibition.

Featuring Paul Smith’s bust.

The coolest part was that we could be there, including Cary Esser. The gallery was super tiny, but there was all of our work together in Los Angeles. I’m so proud of everyone! I spoke with one of Craft in America crew, Rose, at the opening. She had been by my blog and was so excited by the connectivity I was generating by posting all of the Craft in America YouTube clips and show cards. I’m a fan of the information age.

Visit the Craft in America Study Center
8415 W. Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Open Thursday – Saturday 12 – 6pm and by appointment
310-659-9022

Opening at the Craft In America Study Center

The opening is Saturday October 24th, I’m LA bound Friday night, see you there!

Cutting Room Floor

The video below is the Preview for the second season of Craft in America, episodes Origins and Process, that aired on Wednesday last week. The Kansas City Art Institute ceramic’s department and my professor Cary Esser are featured in Process. I’m so proud of everyone!

I also have some cutting room floor material. Julie and I were asked, ‘why clay?’ A common question in the craft world, because when you love clay, you really freaking love clay and some just don’t get it.