Passages

eXchange :: AAP centennial exhibition

2010-01-30T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! I'm very excited to announce the opening of the next group show that I'm participating in, "eXchange," which is part of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) "ARTrageous" centennial exhibitions. I hope you are able to join me, and the other 39 great artists, for our opening night celebration next Friday, Feb 5th, from 5:30-8:30, located in the 2nd floor gallery on 937 Liberty Ave.

This exhibit, "eXchange," explores the pseudo-symbiotic relationship between established artists and emerging artists located within greater Pittsburgh region. AAP selected ten established artists and ten emerging artists to participate in this exhibit... me being one of the emerging artists, who then selected an established artist in which to collaborate with.

For me, this was an easy decision... I choose someone who not only has the experience required, but who's work I respect and admire, along with being someone who I consider a great friend... Kyle Ethan Fischer. Years ago, I was invited by Sara Swan and Kyle to help them work on a collaborative show, "Common Thread", that was exhibited at Digging Pitt gallery. And since that time, Kyle and I have often talked about the possibilities of working together, but the opportunity never arose until now.

I just want to say what a great pleasure it has been to work with Kyle on this show. We might not have hit the ground running... more like crawling, lol... but we came together and developed a very symbiotic relationship, starting with our original concepts, on throughout the different and sometimes challenging work stages, on through to completion. We complimented each others ideas with more ideas, and took turns pushing each other in order to explore things further, or to see things in a different light. It really has been a very exciting, positive, and creative adventure... one that I am most grateful to have been a part of, and one that I hope continues on into the future... so here's my virtual "hi-five" to you Kyle! :)

Randie Snow w/ Kyle Ethan Fischer Artists Statement
(aka: snowfisch)

We see assemblages as haikus. They are personal meditations made with objects that are both sacred and profane. It is our intent to manifest a fruitful synthesis of opposites using the juxtaposition of objects like gold leaf and discarded remnants as reminders of excess and scarcity; to bring the viewer’s attention to the fragility existent on individual and societal levels. Each work is a microcosm contained and restrained within it. Each unique object, like words in a haiku, alludes to meaning outside the poetic construction itself but retain a loaded significance within the context of the poem in meaning and form. Outside the poem that connotation may be void. It is for this reason that these works are metaphors for fears and dreams. The main recurring symbol that manifests in both of our work and in the development of our collaborative effort is the bird. Whether it is a specific species like a hummingbird or a swallow or the actions of nesting and flight, we have looked at how these metaphors intertwine with the vicissitudes that we encounter.

Here are some "sneak peaks" and images of some of the pieces in progress... enjoy! (clockwise from top left, flight 1, nest 1 detail, nest 1, flight 2 progress, nest 2 progress)

Arbor Aid + Holiday Shows

2009-11-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

hello friends! well, it's the day before thanksgiving, and i have yet to start the whole cooking and baking process for tomorrow... there has just been too much going on lately! at least i did go out and pick up a fresh, locally-raised, free-range turkey for dinner. unfortunately, i don't have the oil to do a proper deep-fry, so i believe i'm going to have to bake the turkey this year. (sorry tico!) :)

anyway, it's been a whirlwind of the past few months, so i wanted to send out an update with all of the recent past, present, and upcoming shows...

in september, around the same time as the G-20 show, i also participated in two group shows. the first was at the Borelli Edwards Gallery, which was a show for all of the new AAP members that have joined over the course of the past two years. the piece that i created for this show was entitled, "the trouble with diving for pearls," and is actually still hanging at the gallery! :)

the second group show, entitled "G-Spot," was at Fe Gallery. this show was a collection of artists that participated in the Visionary Arts Festival. and keeping in theme with the title, i selected Lust to be part of this exhibit.

october was a busy month, to say the least... friday, october 30th, i participated in three shows! "Arbor Aid" was the first show of the evening, a fund-raising event for Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest, which featured a number of local artists who all created sculptures made out of reclaimed wood. my new sculpture is called, "Hymn of the Pearl." i had a lot of fun working on this project, and am looking forward to creating a sister sculpture to go along with this one.

the second show, "Dia de Los Muertos" was a fund-raising event for the food bank, and was held at shadow lounge. celebrating rebirth, "sheila" was my creation for this event, where i used an old violin case that a friend had given me, along with my favorite character (sheila) who has been with me since the beginning. i'm happy that she has finally found an assemblage that she can call home! lol!

and finally, the last event of the day, (and the second "day of the dead" theme), was a fund-raiser for the New Hazlett Theater... where i worked on creating two shrines and decorations for their lobby. you can check out some of the images that nokturnal posted on flicker here.

the fourth show (of october), and third Day of the Dead-themed show, called "Dia de Los Muertos y la Resurreccion: the existencial crisis," was Moxie Dada's last official show at their space in the firehouse on arch street. i'm sad to see them move on, but i'm also excited to see where their new endeavors take them next! i wish them all the best of luck!

early in november, i met with ellen neuberg at Gallerie Chiz, where she selected six of the bible pieces to include in her group holiday show. the show opened on november 6, but runs through january 9, so there's still time to check this one out. ellen exhibits a wide variety of artists in her gallery... one of which just so happens to be my friend karen evancho. karen has 10 of her photographs hanging in the gallery as well... congrats karen!

and now for upcoming exhibits! the next two group shows are, "25 Squared" at Fe Gallery, opening saturday, december 12th; and "XChange" at 937 Penn Avenue Gallery, opening during the downtown gallery crawl in february. these are both right around the corner, so i'll send out more details as soon as i get them.

hope everyone has a relaxing turkey day tomorrow!

G-20 Exhibits

2009-09-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

hello everyone,

it's officially fall and things are moving along rather quickly... i have the pleasure to announce my participation in two exciting G-20 exhibits that open this week!

the first exhibit entitled "G-Spot", is a 3-day exhibit that opens tomorrow night at Fe Arts Gallery, in Lawrenceville. this exhibit features artists from the Visionary Arts Festival, which debuted this past august in schenley plaza. we're taking a break from the news and media of the G-20 to relax and enjoy art and good conversation!

the second exhibit that i'm participating in, “Urbanic 2: Catalysing a Regional Economic Renaissance,” opened today at the Landside Ticketing Level Display Case at the Pittsburgh International Airport. This exhibit was conceived and proposed by Mox Box Consulting, as a way to create awareness and promote Pittsburgh's local artists.

Urbanic 2 features 5 Pittsburgh artists that express the following in their artwork; microcosmic, ironic commentary on suburban surroundings, visionary samplings of community city life, or urban decay giving way to transformation. This exhibition engages the G-20 audience because the viewer is being given a glimpse of what is coming to be... urbanic.

well, that's the quick update for now... i have a of group shows coming up in the next couple of months, so stay tuned... and i hope you're all safe during the G-20!

Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival

2009-07-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

So, after taking a little more than a year hiatus from the whole blogging thing (um, can you say slacker!?! LOL!), I've decided to revive it... and I am honored to announce that I've been invited to participate in a brand new festival, called the Visionary Arts Festival, where I will be exhibiting the Passages show once more. So please come out and join in the festivities and experience amazing art from more than 50 local Pittsburgh Artists! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

The first Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival is bringing together more than 50 local visionary artists and art innovators into a single venue. For three full days, these artists will share their work, vision and unique ideas in a friendly outdoors festival setting. The VAF will feature a rich diversity of minds, covering the full spectrum of art mediums: from painting to mixed media, from digital media to sound art, through recycled and self-taught art… and beyond! Experience a slice of Pittsburgh’s greatest visionary art, in a festival that hopes to decorate your soul rather than your living room! Free and open to the public. August 7, 8 and 9, from 12pm to 9pm. Schenley Plaza, (directly in front of the Cathedral of Learning, in the heart of Oakland.)

blog: http://pghvisionaryartsfestival.blogspot.com

15 minutes gallery

2008-07-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

I would like to send a big thank you out to everyone at The Pittsburgh Technology Council for all of their hard work (especially Kim Harvey!), and their successful opening of the 15 Minutes Gallery, where I was honored to receive "Best of Show" (scroll down for article) for my piece entitled "Flight of the Imagination."

Founded on the notion that art and technology share the elemental characteristic of innovation, the 15 Minutes Gallery seeks to unite both veins of creative prowess in celebration of the regional dynamic. The Gallery, located in the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s atrium and conference areas, provides a unique opportunity for local artists to reach key figures of Pittsburgh’s business community.

Joining the opening night as a special speaking guest was Mitch Swain, CE0 of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. Jane Haskell, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts 2006 Artist of the Year, and Barbara Krause, owner of the Sirani Gallery, served on the 15 Minutes Gallery jurors panel.

The exhibition featured 47 local artists and nearly 100 pieces of artwork in a variety of media. All artwork will be displayed from June 1 through August 31, 2008.

Sirani Gallery is currently planning a gallery show this fall for the four award winners of the 15 Minutes Gallery opening night ceremony. I'll post more updates on this event as they arrive, so stay tuned!

the creative process

2008-07-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

in my last blog i talked a bit about coincidence and how important of a role i feel it plays in the creative process. well, i recently started http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifworking on my next project, and the coincidences have already been hitting me over the head...so much that it's a bit scary for as early in the process that i'm in. but i take that all as a good sign...and today, i found this speech that Amy Tan gave at the TED conference, and it amazed me. Amy Tan is the author of such beloved books as "The Joy Luck Club", "The Kitchen God's Wife" and "The Hundred Secret Senses", and her words have stuck a chord...it's how i feel while working in the process, and when i don't feel it, i know that the piece i'm working on will not become what it's supposed to be. that's when i know that i have to put it down and let it breathe. anyway, enough said...i'll let her speak for me...just click on the link...

Amy Tan on creativity

Passages Opening Night

2008-06-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

hi, here's quick update with the link to the photos that Dean took during the opening night of the show at moxie DaDa. the picture that you see here is of lust. enjoy!

(until i get a chance to upload images to the blog, there are a few photos up on my myspace page. happy looking!)

7 deadly glasses

2008-06-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

i've always found it interesting that after you've been enlightened with something new, whether it's an idea or an object, you then start to see it everywhere. why is that? some people say great minds think alike, some say that it's just coincidence, and others say that it was always there and you just didn't notice...

but the most interesting idea that i heard the other day was from a friend of mine. he said that are cosmic threads in the universe, invisible to the naked eye, but there none-the-less... and just maybe when you are enlightened, or become passionate about something, it's because you've opened yourself up enough to allow access to these threads... and maybe once that thread has been accessed, it's now easier for others to see as well... maybe that one thread represents a singular idea, and for every person that touches it, they are in turn enlightened with that idea. but since everyone is unique, that idea is just represented a bit differently, or interpreted within their own given language.

that being said, and just having spent an entire year working on the seven deadly sins (and virtues), i have been seeing references to them everywhere. the most recent one was actually sent to me twice today, by different people (and now a third)...about 7 deadly glasses. These red wine glasses are based on the 7 deadly sins. Each glass encapsulates a sin, which is revealed through the ritual of drinking...my favorite one is Lust! Created by Kacper Hamilton, the ‘7 Deadly Glasses’ are about celebrating passion and encouraging the user to be sinful in a theatrical fashion.

i also found a link for 7 Deadly Sins shotglasses, and Seven Deadly Sin drink tags!

it's a beautiful thing!
p.s. oh, did i mention how much i love these glasses!?! ;)

the last weekend

2008-05-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

well, this is the last weekend for the show...i'm heading down to moxie late saturday afternoon and then again on sunday to start taking it down. i'm a little sad that it's almost over, but i feel ready to start working on some new projects. i'm also going to start posting images of the artwork in pairs, starting with Pride and Humility, and i welcome everyone to stop back and blog their thoughts or experiences with each sin + virtue...kind of a confessional if you'd like... in the meantime, here are some photos from the show...enjoy! :)

art + wine + technology

2008-05-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

hello everyone,

sorry for the lag in posting! i took a much needed break to sit back and relax a little! but i'll have to tell you, that it's been very strange not having something to do everyday...not to mention that i seem to be experiencing separation anxiety! it got so bad, that i had to go down to the gallery last weekend just to hang out and visit... i'll probably end up down there for part of this weekend too! :)

if you're looking for some fun this weekend...please come to bellevue this saturday from 5-9pm for bellevue's art + wine crawl. we met sam, who's sponsoring the event, for the first time a few weeks ago when we went to affogato (or "a") for their amazing pumpkin pancakes...he has such a great vision for the community, and has been a great inspiration to everyone, we really want get as many people involved to help spread the word! there are many artists and musicians lined up for this event...so please come on out and have some fun! :)

and now for some good news on the art front...
john and i have both been accepted into the Pittsburgh Technology Council's 15 minutes gallery exhibit. i have 3 pieces entered into the show (no new pieces...sorry!), john has 2 pieces (including the bench!), plus there is a great lineup of other local artists, along with live music (sponsored by wyep) and a silent auction.

the artist reception will be:
thursday, june 12, from 5:30–8pm
Pittsburgh Technology Council
2000 Technology Drive (off of 2nd avenue)

you'll need to rsvp for the opening, so please either email me if you'd like to attend, or go directly to their website: http://www.15minutesgallery.org/

hope you all have a great memorial day weekend!

My Thanks!

2008-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well, the opening night celebration was a success! The show will be up through the end of the month, so for anyone interested, please contact moxie DaDa for gallery hours.

many, many thanks go out to everyone who came out for the opening...but there are a few special thank yous that need to be made:

erica for help in the research department; rachel for help with research, moral support and that fabulous cross!; katie for her moral support + last minute trips to the hardware store; mike for his moral support, research, and many spikes!; keri for her patience and meticulous detail help on zeal; mel for her beautiful words; dave for his talented chalk-art on the floor; dean for his amazing photography; grant + christine + matt and their great gallery that is moxie DaDa, and for their belief that i could finish everything in time for the opening; mike + katie for not complaining that they heard tori... over, and over, and over; and john for his love, support and inspiration, his many hours at the scroll saw, and his patience with only seeing me from across the room in the attic for many months.

thank you everyone!

missing all the fun!

2008-04-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

well, this weekend would've been a busy one for the social calendar...that is, if i actually had the time to venture outside of the attic! ;)

not only was the comicon in town (did you go bryan?), which brings with it a few out-of-town friends that i only get to see once a year, but "art all night" was this weekend as well. i've been participating in art all night for the past 5 years, and i was sad to have to pass it up this year. but i guess there's always next year!

you'll be happy to hear that instead of having all of that fun, i was diligent and accomplished a lot of work. gluttony (which has decided to take the name literally and take up all of my time) was finally finished this weekend, along with envy. (yeah!) and then i started on sloth...but hey, it's sloth...need i say more?

"Passages" Gallery Show

2008-04-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

welcome to passages!

it's been a long journey, but i've entered the final countdown...only 3 weeks till the opening night of the gallery show!

i'd like to invite everyone to the opening night gallery celebration at moxie dada, on saturday, may 10th, from 6–9pm. the show will run from may 10 thru may 31st, 2008.

in the next few weeks, i'll try to keep everyone updated on the final progression. but, my main goal is to post the final images and have an open forum for discussion on the seven sins and seven virtues, and how they have played a role in your life.

i can't wait to see what happens!