The next show @ the Majestic

Another example of the constantly merging art / music culture here in Detroit. Should be great!

The Deadline has been extended for.....

The Sideluck Potshow....Go here for submission details. Today is the last day...!

Greetings Detroit!

Consider this your invitation to SLIDELUCK POTSHOW Detroit. What, may you ask, are we talking about? We are talking about a slideshow and we are talking about a potluck.

Slideluck Potshow is a non-profit (501c3 pending) arts organization that provides an opportunity for members of the arts and photography communities to gather around food, friends, and art for a night. This event, which happens thrice yearly in NYC, and in numerous other cities around the world, is about to launch in Motown!

Please join us for SLPS Detroit at the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit's Ladybug Gallery and Studios on January 31, 2008 for an unforgettable evening.

SLIDELUCK POTSHOW Detroit
Thursday, January 31, 2008
7:00 pm Potluck
9:00 pm Slideshow

The CAID Ladybug Gallery and Studios

New Show coming up @ MOCAD

Friday, February 8
7 PM: OPENING RECEPTION
HOLY HIP-HOP! NEW PAINTINGS BY ALEX MELAMID & ReFUSING FASHION: REI KAWAKUBO
9 PM: MUSIC BY MIKE-E ELLISON & JAMES "SUBURBAN KNIGHT" PENNINGTON OF UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE
$5 general admission
Free for members
Cash Bar

Icons from the world of hip-hop music will be the subject of an extraordinary exhibition of portraits by Russian-born American painter Alexander Melamid in Holy Hip-Hop! New Paintings by Alex Melamid.

Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo's innovative fashion, unique methods of fabrication and collaborations with artists working in many different fields including the great modern choreographer Merce Cunningham, will be explored in ReFusing Fashion: Rei Kawakubo, a unique installation of her work at MOCAD.

Join us in celebrating the opening of these two exhibitions at MOCAD. Opening the evening will be, Ethiopian born, Detroit-based emcee and outspoken "Afroflow" creator, Mike-E Ellison. Mike-E has rocked the stage for Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam and blown audiences away with his unique blend of live Hip Hop and socially conscious poetry slam. Closing out the evening will be a live set by James Pennington, (a.k.a. the Suburban Knight). He cowrote the quintessential techno hit "Big Fun' with Kevin Saunderson, then as the Suburban Knight pioneered the moodier side of the Motor City with classics like "The Art of Stalking" and "The Groove" on Derrick May's Transmat label, before joining forces with Mike Banks and Underground Resistance as Dj, producer and mentor.

New work from Kelly Frank

Kelly Frank, who is at Cranbrook this year and showed in the White Wall space, put some new work up together with Kyle Knodell, recently at a show done @ Cranbrook. Here are some snapshots of their collaboration. For those of you familiar with her previous work, the combination of imagery to form a specific idea / commentary on society, the transition to more installation based methods seems like a clear one.....

More from Correspondence Wanted, Reminder

Reminder about the ASMP event tonight! Check out the post two below....

ASMP Happening

The Business of Fine Art Photography
Presented by Thomas Werner
Thursday, January 17th, 6:30-9:30pm

What is a fine art photograph? Where do you market your fine art work? How do you reach that market, present your work, and create marketing materials and a web site? How do you build a relationship with a gallery, and what happens if you do get an exhibition? What are your goals?

Firefly Studios | 1363 East Fisher Freeway, Suite 8 | Detroit, MI 48207 | 313-259-4460
ASMP Members $35 | Non-members $60 | Students with ID $35
More information and to register online using a credit card

Have you ever wondered why Andreas Gursky's images of the Prada Store are considered fine art and sell for tens of thousands of dollars while your images are considered commercial photographs?

The world of fine art photography is transforming as rapidly as the commercial marketplace. You can take advantage of this time of change to develop multiple revenue streams to support your business while, at the same time, keeping your vision fresh and alive. Creating and properly marketing a body of fine art work can be instrumental in achieving these goals.

What is a fine art photograph? Where do you market your fine art work? How do you reach that market, present your work, and create marketing materials and a Web site?

Join us in Detroit on Thursday, January 17th for a stimulating session with Thomas Werner, who will address those questions and more. Werner, a New York gallerist, professor of art, and a founder of ASMP's Fine Art Specialty Group, is strongly positioned to provide insight into the business of fine art photography, and explain how you can take advantage of this exciting opportunity.

Werner will talk about how you can build a relationship with a gallery, and what happens when you get an exhibition. Werner will also help you identify what your goals should be, and how to maximize results based on those expectations.

So whether you're an emerging photographer looking to enhance your career, or an established veteran exploring new revenue options, be sure to bring a fellow photographer, artist or other interested party and join us in January for an insightful exposition of the business of fine art photography.

Speaker biography
Thomas Werner is the Director of the BFA program in Photography at the Parsons New School of Design and the New York editor for Value Rich Magazine, a publication devoted to finance and luxury lifestyle. In addition, Werner is a consultant for Rodale Publishing for special projects regarding contracts, licensing, negotiations and image usage. His fine art work has been
exhibited in galleries around the country and is included in numerous private and corporate collections.

Werner graduated from University of Wisconsin with a BA in Communications and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA with a BA in Photography. Werner currently resides in New York, where he is the owner of the Thomas Werner Gallery in Manhattan's Chelsea art district.

Coming Up

Out of Cranbrook and Into the World

Melanie Findayson | Lauren Jacobs
Chris Schneider | Mark Sengbusch

Curated by Vince Carducci

January 2nd-February 17th
Artist Reception Friday, January 11th 6-9 pm

Lounge Gallery:

1st ANNUAL SCARAB CLUB
PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP EXHIBITION

"One of my favorite Richard Guindon cartoons shows the intersection of Academy Way and Lone Pine Road with a sign that reads: 'Leaving Cranbrook. It's a jungle out there.' One of America's leading art schools, Cranbrook attracts students from around the world. Many of them do in fact leave Cranbrook but stay in the metropolitan Detroit area, adding tremendous value to our cultural landscape."
--Vince Carducci


Melanie Finlayson is originally from upstate New York and currently lives and teaches in Ann Arbor. She graduated from Cranbrook with an MFA in May 2007. Finlayson's prints and handmade paper are shown in the exhibition, as well as an installation of tulle and recycled paper.

Lauren Jacobs was raised in the Washington D.C. area, currently lives in Birmingham and works at the Cranbrook Museum of Art. Jacobs is the founder of Gradually Green (GraduallyGreen.org), an ecological organization whose mission is to use art happenings to inspire communities to make small, day-to-day changes toward living greener. One of her contributions to the exhibition, Building Community 2, is an interactive piece where viewers are invited to take a leaf and answer a question.

Chris Schneider grew up in Nebraska, where he stayed through college. He has lived in several states, eventually moving to Michigan to attend Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he earned an MFA in photography. In the meantime he fell in love with the Detroit area. His work has been shown in over 25 galleries across several states. He is the founder of HATCH, a non-profit art group based in Hamtramck. He is an adjunct professor of photography at three Detroit-area colleges and directs the Cranbrook Summer Art Institute. Red Pants, a project and an obsession that has carried on for four years, includes 400 images, all surreptitiously taken. No one ever knows that their pants have been captured.

Mark Sengbusch has been an active member of the Detroit art scene since he arrived in 1997 to attend the College for Creative Studies (BFA '02). He is currently a student in the MFA program at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 2005 Sengbusch teamed up with fellow CCS Alum Greg Frederick and opened the 101up Gallery in the Cass Corridor. Their exhibitions featured local talent including Carl Oxley III, Joseph Bernard, Sioux Trujillo, Erin Somerville, Taurus Burns and Matthew Hanna. Presently Sengbusch is pursuing his MFA at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in the Painting Department. Most recently he is weaving and playing old video games. His work in this exhibition includes reverse paintings on thick Plexiglas and paint marker on canvas.

Vince Carducci's reviews and articles have been published in Amercian Craft, Artforum International, Art in America, Eye, Sculpture, and elsewhere. He is currently a contributing writer for Metro Times, Detroit's leading weekly alternative newspaper, and a staff writer for PopMatters, a webzine of global culture.



Gallery Hours:
Wednesday-Sunday, Noon-5 pm
313-831-1250
scarabclub.org

Saturday- Last minute Show

Check it out, it includes Cranbrook student Kelly Frank, a photographer shown at White Wall, and also New York based Kyle Knodell- who is originally from the area....

ASMP Michigan Chapter

I attended a "Meet n Greet" type of event for the ASMP last week, and got to here a little about what the chapter in Michigan is doing. Definitely check out their site, here. Its the third Thursday of every month, and there is a Peer Photographers Portfolio Review coming up on Jan 17th....

New Event coming up!

Two More @ Russell

News from the CAID

There are all kinds of new things happening at the CAID, be sure to visit their site, but one of the most exciting....

2008 Exhibition Season - CALL FOR PORTFOLIOS

Request for Portfolios
Open from December 3, 2007 to January 31, 2008

The Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID) invites artists, musicians, performers, architects, poets and other creative individuals or groups to submit portfolios for consideration of the 2008 Exhibition and Program Season. In addition to the general review there will be some exhibits focusing on the following themes: Hunger, Shelter, Clothing and Size Vs. Scale, defined loosely to allow exciting new approaches.

During the 2008 Exhibition and Program Season (March 1, 2008 – February 29, 2009) the works of hundreds of local and international artists will be presented in over 10,000 square feet of CAID exhibition and performance space, at four distinct venues throughout Detroit. The venues include CAID’s Carriage House Gallery, Ladybug Gallery, MassiV at the Russell Industrial Center and Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit-main campus. MassiV is ideally suited for large sculpture, and the Carriage House Gallery for installation specific works.

One More

Starts @ 9pm...

Another

UnSilent Night ( www.unsilentnight.com) is an event that started over
10 years ago in NYC. Composer Phil Kline created an ambient christmas
carol, split it into four channels, dubbed those channels onto
cassette tapes, and got people to show up with boom boxes. he handed
out the tapes and had everyone hit play at the same time and then lead
them through nyc to tompkins square park, creating a holiday inspired
audio landscape, a collaborative event that requires and rewards
participation.
So i contacted Phil and he is excited to have it take place in
Detroit. The event will take place on December 15th at 7PM, starting
in Clark Park in Mexican town (@ the corner of Vernor and Clark St)
and then walking through Mexican town, eventually returning to Clark
Park (lasts about 40 minutes). People are asked to bring a boom box,
and dress warmly. Tapes or cds will be distributed to all who come
(although only 200 copies are being made). The music can also be
download in an mp3 format from the unsilent night website, and brought
by the individual and played by an ipod with speakers. An art opening
at the 555 Gallery (http://www.555arts.org/) takes place the same
night and is close (relatively) by, to give people further reason to
make the trek on downtown.

--
UnSilent Night: Detroit
www.unsilentnight.com
rsvp to detroitunsilent@gmail.com
7pm, December 15th
Corner of Vernor and Clark St
@ Clark Park
Bring a boom-box, or download the mp3,
(http://www.philkline.com/music/)
and dress warmly!

All Kinds of Happenings

Are coming up....

Thursday @ the Majestic Cafe

Also Friday @ Cranbrook.....

Lecture by curator Jane Jackson, director of the Sir Elton John
Photography Collection, hosted by the Photography Department at
Cranbrook Academy of Art




Friday, November 30, 3pm, deSalle Auditorium, Cranbrook Art Museum


In 2003, Jane Jackson sold her Atlanta based gallery, Jackson Fine Art,
to become the first director of the Sir Elton John Photography
Collection. She currently works closely with Elton to maintain and
further develop his renowned collection of modernist and contemporary
photographs. During the fifteen years of operating Jackson Fine Art,
Jane was cited in numerous magazines such as Art & Auction,
Architectural Digest, Forbes and Business Week for her success in
exhibiting and selling both vintage and contemporary photographs. She
was selected as one of the "Forty Leaders under 40" for Georgia Trend
magazine and selected by American Photo's "Meet the Future" for "being
one of the brighter lights handling innovate, risk-taking work. Ms.
Jackson was instrumental in the creation of the exhibition and
accompanying catalogue Chorus of Light: Photographs from the Sir Elton
John Collection held at the High Museum of Art in 2000." She has
previously served as Vice-President of AIPAD and on the Executive
Committee of the Atlanta College of Art. Jane currently serves on the
international board of the Center for Creative Photography.

Ms. Jackson resides in Atlanta, Georgia where Sir Elton John has a home
and the majority of the photography collection is installed or in
storage. Elton began collecting photography in 1991 and the collection
now includes 5,000 photographs spanning from 1916 to the present. There
are a number of artists of whom Elton John has collected in-depth
including Man Ray, Robert Mapplethorpe, Irving Penn, Andre Kertesz, and
Horst P. Horst. Sir Elton John's collection is ever expanding but he now
has the advantage of being more selective as his collection holds some
of the most rare and important photographic works of the 20th century.
The collection has recently made loans to the National Gallery of Art in
Washington DC, the Pinchuk Art Centre in Kiev, and the Tate Modern in
London.

For her lecture at Cranbrook, Jane will provide a visual overview of
Elton's collection and its various themes. Jane will further discuss the
methodology and history of Elton's collecting as well as how she sees
the state of contemporary photography today.

@ The Caid- this weekend

Noel Night's Actual Size
The 2007 Actual Size Biennial Open Late This Saturday

Join us this Saturday before or after your visit to Noel Night. CAID will host a closing reception for the 2007 Actual Size Biennial from 6 PM to 11 PM at both CAID and the Ladybug Gallery.

More than 150 Metro Detroit and Windsor area and national based visual artists show works in all mediums in the 2007 Actual Size Biennial. The biennial ends this Saturday with the exception of the Ladybug Gallery where it will remain on exhibit through December 22, 2007.

Curated by Aaron Timlin, the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID) presents this year's biennial, the fifth, at CAID and at CAID's newest gallery, the Ladybug Gallery. Located in Southwestern Detroit, Actual Size will be the inaugural exhibition for the new space.

"The Ladybug Gallery is a new large gallery and I will enjoy hanging its first show, Actual Size," said Timlin who invited each artist to create one work in any medium, 2-D or 3-D, with the stipulation that at least two dimensions are 8 ½" x 11" (the size of the mailing card for the exhibition).

Uniting three generations of artists, the Actual Size Biennial began with the detroit contemporary in 1999 under Timlin's curatorial direction. Timlin curates the current biennial in a new position, CAID's first full-time Executive Director since its founding in 1979.

"The Actual Size Exhibitions at the CAID gallery have always been able to bring the whole artistic community together like no other art exhibit ", said Sergio DeGiusti, one of the exhibiting artists.

Participating artists include local emerging and established artists, many of whom exhibit on both national and international levels.

@ Madonna University

Friday @ Cranbrook

Check it out- it should be a great show!

Nosferatu @ the Painted Lady

Nosferatu is playing @ the Painted Lady in Hamtramck tonight @ 8 pm.

Are You Kidding?

There's nothing worse than elitist views in journalism, especially when it comes from people in New York who think there's nothing else, except New York. For example, in this article @ the Times, this journalist decided to throw this out there...

"Mocad, as everyone calls it, opened just over a year ago in a one-story former car dealership. Its current show, “Words Fail Me,” organized by the New York artist and curator Matthew Higgs, explores language as a visual-art medium that is also directly linked to poetry. Most of the 16 artists included are familiar names in New York. I wondered if they would look out of place in Detroit, but they don’t."

I can't even to begin to critique the last sentence of that statement. Stick to the review of the DIA, avoid the condescending, ignorant bull.

Another lecture @ CCS

The CCS Woodward Lecture Series is pleased to present Anne Pasternak for a free lecture on Thursday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wendell W. Anderson Jr. Auditorium in the Walter B. Ford II Building on the College for Creative Studies campus.

Since the fall of 1994, Anne Pasternak has been the executive director of Creative Time, Inc., a non-profit public arts organization dedicated to commissioning and presenting the work of adventurous artists working with untried media, offering opportunities to experiment and engage new audiences. Projects under her artistic direction range from exhibitions and performances in the historic Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage, new sculptures in Grand Central Station, paintings in Coney Island and skywriting over Manhattan, to the "Tribute in Light," the twin beacons of light that illuminated the former World Trade Center site six months after 9/11, in honor of the lives lost there.

Pasternak has been committed to initiating projects that give artists the opportunity to innovate their practice, celebrate New York life, and reflect on contemporary society while engaging millions of people with art that permeates everyday urban life. In addition to her work at Creative Time, Pasternak curates independent exhibitions and contributes essays to numerous cultural publications.

Seating and Parking are both handled on a first come, first serve basis with parking available in the CCS parking structure as well as on surface streets near campus. Please see the map (PDF, 92 KB) for more details.

Established through a generous endowment by an anonymous donor, the Woodward Lecture Series annually brings six renowned artists to CCS for free public lectures, and learning sessions with CCS students.

@ The Book Beat

Apparently, at the Book Beat in Oak Park, there is this going on. I can't seem to find anymore info than what is given, if anyone knows- shout it out!

"For several years, an informal group of photographers and photo educators meets on occassion in the Book Beat gallery. The group began as a suggestion by Bill Rauhauser, dean of Detroit photography. At 80+ years, Bill has seen and witnessed a hell of a lot. For over four decades he taught photo history at the Center for Creative Studies. One of Bill’s images was included in the famous “Family of Man” exhibit in the early 1960s and he’s the author of several books all centered around Detroit images. At the photo group meetings we share technical advice, events, gossip, history and criticism. Discussions range from a marvelous intensity to the mundane. The meetings are always interesting and a chance for photographers to swap stories around a bottle of wine.
A photo group exhibition was recently suggested and is now on display through the end of December in the Book Beat gallery. Recent works by Marilyn Zimmerman, Bob Mosher, Chuck Cloud, David Griffith, Barry Roth, Eric Smith, Gene Meadows, Vincent Fregonara, Rick Lieder, Robert Shimmin, Carla Anderson, Mary Quinn, Cary Loren, and Bill Rauhauser are now on view. It is an eclectic show that ranges from contact platinum prints to digital photographs made without a camera. This small exhibition demonstrates the diversity of approaches in a medium still trying to be understood, ripe with conflict and purpose."

I Heart Photograph & Collage

One of the reasons I love the I Heart Photograph blog, is the fact that frequently mixed media and collage work is featured on the site. I find the organic, hand-made, hand crafted feel of some of the work on there to be a nice contrast against the onslaught of digital imagery. Here are some random images, visit the blog for more.

List of Problems w/ the Shot on VH1

My list of problems with the new reality show on VH1, The Shot, keeps growing. Aimed at finding America's Next Top Fashion Photographer, the show is produced by the same people as America's Next Top Model. I was initially irritated when seeing the portfolios of the contestants on the first episode, a cheesy collection of typical amateur photography. I was then irritated when I noticed that the photographers were not even setting up their own lighting, or seemed unfamiliar with the equipment they had been given.. (One contestant even asking how to "zoom" with her fixed lens). The lighting had already been done for them, their cameras most likely on pre-determined exposures.

The most recent irritation is Detroit specific. "Piper", one of the more annoying people on the show, is claimed to be from Detroit every time her names pops on the screen. Curious to see what Piper's story was, I googled her today, only to find that Piper actually lives in New York. I can't help but think they add her location as being in Detroit only to add some "drama", or give her some street cred.

Its unfortunate that the general public is getting such a poor image of what fashion photography, and photography in general, is all about.

DIA- You Goin?

I know its an old tag-line for the DIA, but I think it still fits for the upcoming re-opening....There is an artist's party on the 23rd, and I think it should be really fun...Find info below

Artist Party
Friday, November 23
9:30 p.m. — Midnight
Kresge Court

Featuring the Immigrant Suns
Sign our guestbook for your free gift!

Please spread the word
throughout the art community!

Artist's Party Host Committee:
Hartmut Austen Glenn Barr Kristin Beaver Martyn Bouskila
Taurus Burns Mitch Cope John Corbin Lynn Crawford Andrea Eis
Mary Fortuna Scott Hocking Richard Lewis Andy Malone
Glen Mannisto Kathleen McShane Dennis Nawrocki Jim Pallas
Valerie Parks Tom Phardel John Richardson Dave Roberts
Phaedra Robinson Mel Rosas Mark Sengbusch Clinton Snider
Gilda Snowden Sally Schluter Tardella Graem Whyte
Robert Wilbert Elizabeth Youngblood

DIA Re-opening

There is an article in the NY Times about a particular artist, and the DIA's re-opening. I think its fantastic that its creating stories around the country, including some buzz in London. I'm a little bothered by the fact that they chose to focus on an artist from Lansing, and now living in New York. Ideally, I think an interview with an artist working in Detroit would've been the most ideal candidate to focus on. Either way, regardless of the living location, its good that the museum is drawing attention from other areas....

Art Collecting Opportunity

White Wall Gallery had work up by Shawn Gust, who had been previously showcased on the blog as well. Shawn has decided to offer up the last piece left from the show, for the cost of production and shipping- a total of only $65. If anyone is interested in having this piece, 'Kyle, Record Store Clerk', let me know. Its a great opportunity to start a collection or add to it, and its awesome for people not usually able to afford art.

E-Mail me if interested, and for those who want to see more of Shawn's work, you can find him @ http://shawntose.blogspot.com/.....

Night-time Photography

I recently received the ICP newsletter in my inbox, and at the bottom of the page was the "Photo-tip of the month", this one in particular geared towards night-time photography. I've recently come across a slew of great photographs taken in the evening. I'm not sure if this is a growing trend, or if I've been more drawn to them as of late. Two photographers in particular, Scott Lessing,, who's images are listed first, and Remi Thornton, listed as the last two.




Lessing




Thornton