gRAPHICaNATOMY

Just as i was thinking 50% was too high for a gallery commission Rob Brezsny sends me this:

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In North America, a farmer who grows wheat
gets only five percent of the money earned by selling a loaf of bread
made from his crop. When my band recorded an album for MCA, our
contract called for us to receive just seven percent of the net profits. I
encourage you to push for a much bigger share than that for the work
you do in 2012. It will be an excellent time to raise the levels of respect
you have for your own gifts, skills, and products -- and to ask for that
increased respect, as well.

Southside, Pittsburgh, PA – Jan 6, 2012 – Fantastical show of animal creations by Lauren Toohey & Masha Fikhman

Announcing new work at the Red Door Gallery by Lauren Toohey & Masha Fikhman inspired by a love of merging unrelated animals and objects into one fantastical and (most likely) absurd image. The subject matter was created by brainstorming techniques. Odd phrases that emerged from this process resulted into many paintings and drawings that will be featured in this show, including such favorites as “Day of the Dead Owl,” “Cupcake Cannibalism” and “Evil Chimpanzee in a Bag.”

Lauren Toohey has been establishing herself in the local art scene as a model, crafter, curator and painter. She creates richly colored images that reflect out animal instinct. More of her work can be seen here: http://laurentoohey.com/

Masha Fikhman is emerging artist who also draws subject matter from nature and animals. The jarring subjects are made more disturbing with her use of intense color schemes. See more of her work here: http://mashafikhman.com/

Exhibition opens Friday Jan 6th 2012 6pm to 11pm with light refreshments.
Show runs till Jan 27th

Red Door Gallery is an elegant artists space run by Mahala McWilliams on the Southside that features exhibitions, workshops and performances.
http://facebook.com/TheRedDoorGalleryPittsburgh
http://www.wix.com/mmaticic/reddoorgallerypittsburgh

2112 Sarah St.
Pittsburgh PA 15203
412.379.0650

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/227150004011702/

Labels: art, art pgh, southside

If you haven't heard Alice Walton of the Walton family opened her own museum. And like all things WalMartian, there's controversy.
Is it bad to open a museum? Usually not. It's what wealthy people do. We have the Carnegie, and the Frick today because of grossly rich families in the past. But the timing could have been a bit better for the Waltons.
See, at the same time the museum opened, WalMart decided that health care was just too frivolous and pricey.
How do you tell your employees they have to sacrifice for the company while spending $1.4 Billion on an art museum?
Yes the art's are important, but most people don't see that. Most people see the arts as a plaything of the rich and elite.
And honestly, this does nothing to fix that preconception.
That's HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of working people who will need to apply for 2nd and/or third jobs to make ends meet.
HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of working people who will need to apply for food stamps and medicaid and public assistance to get by. When will these ever have the time to visit the museum to have their spirits uplifted above the sound of their empty stomachs?

No seriously, someone explain to me how your private art collection helps sick people who wan't be able to get treatment?
The Arts CAN help people, all people, even the unwashed huddled masses.... but not this way.
Grass roots organizations are doing more to bring about awareness and change to the lower class living conditions.
Justseeds.org is doing more on its shoestring budget than Crystal Bridges $1.4 billion.
Street Graffitti does more good than Crystal Bridges.
The occupy art movement is doing more.
Twitter's @The_Activists is doing more. ( http://theactivists.wordpress.com/)
YOU can do more to actually help people with your art.

Labels: art, politics

The last kid who told me she wanted to go to college for art, i told her “don’t”.

I told her to go to the local art center and take studio classes for a hundred dollars instead of the university classes that cost thousands.
I told her to go to art shows and meet artists. To ask to visit their studio and watch them work for a day for free.
I told her to get a library and check out every book on art and anything else that caught her interest for free.
I told her to go on you tube and watch “how to” videos for free.

Sure this way requires a bit more hustle and self discipline…. but isn’t that the secret to succes ? Hustle and self discipline ensures success, not a piece of paper with a diploma printed on it. And if that piece of paper was important to her… she can print her own when she graduates.

Labels: art, art schools, education, mfa, schooling