Josh Bell and CODA Prostuds

This weekend was packed and an event filled to be sure. Prostuds, performances and parties were taking place just about everywhere. I found myself forced to spend it juggling school work, meetings, and work. Saturday morning CODA began interviewing potential CODA fellows for the following year. Having recently gone through a few interviews myself I really appreciated being on the "other side- waiting for the students to impress "me" and crafting the questions, not the answers. It was more intense than I had anticipated; I think that the nature of being forced to pass quick and cold character judgements within a thirty minute window is something that most people do not do so openly and overtly with others. Maybe whispering to one another or to one's self, but the second the interviewee leaves the room to begin firing of all gut impressions, good and bad, was a heavier experience than any of us had expected. I think, though, that is was a good was for me to learn more about myself and and how I do and should act when I am actually being interviewed myself. Later that night we took the CODA prostuds out to see virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell at GPAC. I was expecting to collapse in my seat and doze for the next to hours. But once the young musician walked out on stage it was clear that he intended to command and captivate his entire audience. This, I assumed, would be impossible considering he was only one man and was accompanied only by pianist- and his noble page-turner. He stared into the audience until ever person was completely silent- this required that he remain still on stage for a few more minutes than expected, as if he was waiting on us- after all we were going to have to be ready to keep up with this speed demon. He began to play some of the most beautiful scales I had ever heard, very even and sweet to the ear. As the night went on Bell began cutting away at his bow, hairs flying everywhere, his fingers sweeping rapidly up and down the neck of his instrument, tapping away and diffusing rich dissonant tones into the audience, that out of their chaos created an odd sense of harmony in the room. This "one man band" own GPAC that night with his humble little instrument, truly blowing both young and old listeners alike. It was a lovely warm ending to a rather harsh and long day.

Knitting Ninjas?

That's right "Needle Ninjas"- people who take their grandmas seriously. No, but seriously, the guerilla art group "Needle Ninjas" has given a fresh take on graffiti and spray-paint. The group has taken on guerilla knitting as a way to leave their mark on the world and bring art to the public in unexpected forms and places; crocheting much-needed cozies for loose bricks, street signs, door handles, and any other naked bits of the city. According to the "Ninja"s themselves, "[they] are a group of cool girls who just want to make the world a prettier place one stitch at a time. We knit, we tag, and we drink! Knit Happens." The group started back in April 2007 in the Kansas city area and have been blogging their chronicles ever since.
I am particularly inspired by the group's innovation in the world of anarchist art in the sense that text and painted graffiti make up most of the the haphazard art in the public realm (mostly because its cheap, durable, and easily/quickly done). Knitting and crocheting on the other hand, is time consuming more costly and less durable. But these art zealots take the hit if it means cozying up their city, as well as diversifying guerilla art in their town. This was important for me to see and I think important for other to know because it shows that public art really has no boundaries or specific forms. If you think that your town needs something- think outside of the box and go for it! Good luck!
By the way, I found blog links etc on the Needle Ninjas and many other groups worth checking out at Le-trash.com.

Mural: South Main!!

Last Thursday amid the icy temperature of the night local Memphis artist, Anthony D. Lee and friends, began the installation of his mural on South Main- the burgeoning Memphis art district. Many Rhodes students along with a few other local artists gathered to chat about Lee's trials and tribulations in the art world as well as to discuss the meaning of the mural he intended to place along the 700 foot concrete strip (below the train station). The large panel would be filled with 25 separate symbols, each possessing very tangible and widely relatable meanings. Varying from Memphis's own MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority) bus symbol, to the universal symbol for recycling. While these images all seemed rather trivial and simplistic, Lee spoke on the way people relate differently to these symbols and the transformation they undergo when depicted on such a large and public scale. He was right. We all layered up our winter gear until our human forms were no longer discernible and headed over to long wall. Although we were all chilled down to our bones, everybody kept good spirits. Laughing and painting side by side rollers and chip brushes in hand. The artist had even set up a small heated van with hot chocolate and other refreshments whenever we got too cold to hold a paintbrush. It really was a great way to meet new students interested and art and do something different for a change. We all also, and maybe unnecessarily so, we conscious of this small effort we were making to "change" Memphis for the better. Wondering how passers-by would react and interact with the new life on the once bare wall. Would the barren area surrounding it take on a new personality from this moment on. I believe that the answer is yes. For even after completing a measly 2 or 3 symbols, when you stepped back the whole feeling of the wall and everything around it changed. The powerful warm orange hues gave you an immediate sense of happiness and comfort in your place- despite the fact that it was seven degrees fahrenheit, dark, and empty. This is is the power of public art. I hope many more of these group murals continue to take form around the entire city. It will undoubtedly change the way we all feel in and about our city.

RAG'S RAVE

The Rozelle Arts Guild (RAG) threw quite the rave this weekend. The group decided to host an underground techno-dance party in their derelict warehouse last saturday to help raise funds for the buildings renovations. Bringing together students from U of M, MCA, Rhodes, and others, as well as local memphians, the group also hired a group of talented young DJ's to keep the crowd going. Industrial strobe lighting and smoke flashed around the ceiling while bubbles were periodically released into the crowd. It was, to say the least, a great alternative to a school frat party with everyone you see everyday, and the latest rap music already too jaded from the radio's playlists. I think with all of the empty warehouses around memphis and a solid group of people who love to move to a good beat and meet new people, there's no reason something like this shouldn't happen more often. Not to mention if with a small entrance fee, it could raise money for something bigger and better for the entire community, especially for the arts. Way to go RAG!!

Indie Memphis Micro Cinema Night!!!!!

If you have never been to an Indie Memphis short film night at Power House Gallery, you're missing out. The second wednesday of every month the space turns its downstairs space into the perfect make-shift movie theater. It throws in some chairs, drops a giant movie screen, and sets up a wonderful free popcorn and wine booth. The group features filmmakers and artists from around the country and sometimes beyond it. For example, this month's selection of short films contains filmmakers from California, Wisconsin, New York, and Cuba, and the many spots in between. The films are also typically centered around a general theme. Titled "Go Organic", this exhibition's theme deals with the horrors of the American agricultural system. While there are some serious and disturbing documentaries dealing with this subject in the group, there are light hearted comedic films thrown in the mix as well, like the animated spoof by Louis Fox, "The Meatrix". What is also nice about the evening is that most of these films do not exceed ten minutes. So, that means that you are never settled and stuck in one film, and so the night is constantly entertaining. It is truly a wonderful way to spend an interesting evening with your friends without spending a cent. You can also come and go as you please which means there really is no reason not to go.This free event will be coming up February 13th at 7:30. Go check it out.

CHICAGO TRIP 2008!!

Sprinting to first place on the cultural map in a matter of recent years is Illinois' own Chicago. This mecca for the arts is the prototype for any city wishing to create/hone a cultural identity. The midwestern city is now home to over 200 plus pieces of public art that grace almost every corner, serving as a city-wide "sculpture gallery". However, from what I was able to discern from the various art organizations I met with during my visit, it was not always this way. Raising the city's cultural bar has been decades in the making, driven by hardworking art lovers and civic leaders who understand the importance of the arts and culture in their city. Key groups such as Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs have only slowly grown into the thriving non-profit arts group they are today. They seemed to agree that achieving a cultural status like Chicago's takes patience, perserverence, dedication, innovation, and setting high goals. Nowhere are these ideals more prevalent than in Chicago's most recent triumph, Millennium Park. Now one of the most significant locations in Chicago, this project began as a mayor's modest attempt to cover old train tracks and underground garages. After a period of great debate and controversy, it is now home to non-profit performance venue designed by world renown architect, Frank Gehry, filled with contemporary interactive sculptures by many contemporary artists, namely Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate", known more commonly as "The Bean", and still growing with new artists joining the project every year. While in Chicago I also heard about the impressive support systems that have developed for the city's many small black box theaters- systems that provide business and marketing training as well as other practical tools needed to run a successful theater company. These organizations can be credited for the reason Chicago is now known for its thriving theater community. I truly admire the way this city has commit itself to improving every aspect of the arts in order to foster a healthier and more vibrant culture for the people that live there and or anyone who visits it.

Memphis Needs Murals!!!!

I just found out about an amazing project currently taking place in Philadelphia. In an effort to clean up a city in decay, filled with vacant tagged buildings and crime, a small group in the city created the Philadelphia Mural Arts Project. It was a way to fill all the vacant wall space and negative tags as well as engage the town and its artists all why beautifying the city as a whole. Currently, the Mural Arts Program (MAP) has produced over 2,700 murals throughout Philadelphia!!!!--more murals than any other city in the world. "These murals have become a cherished part of the civic landscape and a great source of pride and motivation to the millions of residents and visitors who encounter them each year." (muralarts.org)

This is definitely a possibility for Memphis. She too is filled with vacant wall space throughout the city as well as many able bodies artists to take on the job. It would help the community at large take pride in Memphis, making the city safer and more beautiful. It is the most effective and accessible of public art. Memphis should form a MAP Memphis chapter. It's too cool and doable not to happen.