Selling Art! Spending $ to Make Money

That's how it works. I've now invested hundreds in setting up my portable store. At least I don't have to rent a venue to sell, but I have thus far purchased a portable table, a stool, a folding handcart, matte frames, art sleeves, prints, clips, art business cards, and so on, and I am ready to go. Tomorrow will mark my first day of selling my art out for the day! Look out for me on Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg. I'll be in the vicinity of N. 3rd St.

Or, you can buy from me online.


I'm finally really setting out to make real money pursuing what I love!

Art In the Making!

So I checked out Brooklyn Flea this weekend in Williamsburg and met a potential vendor to sell with. I liked her, and she is interested in selling her own stuff with me! She thinks our art is complementary. And she is more experienced at selling in person (which is true of anyone who's sold their art/craft in person) and is going to make/procure a table/stand for us as well. I've only just applied to sell at Brooklyn Flea a few days ago, so we'll see. But I'm not losing any sleep over it. I may as well try selling on Bedford Ave, Union Square, Highline Park and/or Central Park for free first. Thank goodness for freedom of speech for allowing "expressive matter" vendors to sell license-free in New York!

Now I just have to go to the art store and find frames/covers to present my art, and to wait for prints and postcards of my art to arrive.  I've also been updating my Imagekind site lately and opened up a Cafepress store the other day. Here's to pursuing the dream in NYC!

I've had a few more pieces published since I've last signed onto Blogger. My "Street Trash Innocence" poem is featured on the Circa Review, paired with a vintage photo of two topless women (unbeknownst to me at the time of publication). And I have a collage paired with a little essay/prose piece I wrote, "The Traveler/Urban Traveler," published on Shuf Poetry.

I've also written about the upcoming Williamsburg Fashion Weekend on Examiner.com.

I've been a little careless with keeping up with my writing and art this summer (and I was so ambitious!!), but now that I am back from travels and back to somewhat of a routine, I am returning my creative pursuits, hopefully with a vengeance. Someone even recently brought a print of my artwork on Imagekind. So things are slowly happening for me. It's a hard knock life trying to make a living with
one's art in NYC!

                                              

Read my review of the P.S. 1 Warm Up Party! This is a Saturday party going on regularly during the summer, through September 8. Outdoor dance party at the museum!

LES Graffiti

Seen today in the Lower East Side - on Ludlow by Grand St.

In order to love NYC, you need to make your mark on it...

Please vote for my artwork here! Voting ends May 25. Click on the star to "collect" me and support my art.

Art Published!

I have two tree-themed artworks published in The Common Voice.

With all these recent acceptances, I have to get cracking... Time to write and make more art!

Life Lately

I've decided to lay off the blog a bit and keep my personal wanderings a little, well, more personal. And private.

That said, current top five favorites:

5. The fried chicken at Boka. Part of the Korean chain BonChon, their fried chicken is truly mouth watering.

4. Gay dance parties. I recommend Urge and Gumbo. Also, That's My Jam.

3. Shows and openings. Beans yesterday, a slew of art at Bushwick Beat Nite tomorrow, Lady Gaga Monday and many more to come.

2. Random conversations with strangers. My top two favorite of these happened on the same day. A little kid said hello to me outside a pet store and gushed about going to visit the guinea pigs, while his parents and I listened with amusement. And a waiter couldn't stop talking about Godiva and their free chocolates.

1. My NYC circle of friends and partners in crime. Mwah.

Art! NYC Goals!

I need to be more proactive about pursuing my art. I've always had a certain aversion toward trying to make money from my writing and my art, believing that to do so would somehow degrade and pollute my work and make it more "business-like." After all, to sell, my work has to not only be palatable but somehow appealing... I have to produce something that someone actually wants to consume. Being marketable has never been my priority.

And yet, obviously writing and art are passions of mine... so I've lately been writing more, trying to get published, and I am hoping that the rejection letters and e-mails piling in are only a sign that I've (almost) paid my dues and something is bound to get published soon! And, I am still trying to get my act together with my art... It's not doing much good just lying in books under my bed, after all.

Week/end Re-Cap: Art & Music Galore

First things first. There is a reason why I don't generally like going to swanky, pretentious clubs like Marquee: with $15 drinks, an odd mixed crowd, and a lackluster vibe, I didn't stick around for long. Oh well, you can't blame a girl for occasionally falling prey to the initial appeal .... that all-too-quickly faded.

So I decided to call it an early night yesterday. But before that, I had the fantastic opportunity to see a truly strong music set at Bruar Falls in Williamsburg. As part of CMJ, there was a free, all-day show at Bruar Falls, all bands promoted by KXSC Radio, Los Angeles. The band I went to see at 6:00 pm, Free Moral Agents, had a really perfectly appealing blend of angst, funk, and psychedelic. Quite a sound. With keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens from The Mars Volta, the band very adeptly mingles hip-hop, r&b and experiemntal stylings to create an addictive, well, psychedelic sound.

After that, I went with my friend to Taco Chulo, a really hip little Tex-Mex restaurant on Grand St. in Williamsburg, where I enjoyed tortilla soup, along with a large helping of chips and guacamole. Yum. If only I hadn't left the neighborhood for Manhattan last night, the evening probably would have gained rather than lost momentum.

And, speaking of staying around Williamsburg, here are some snapshots of my figure drawing sketches from this past Wednesday at 3rd Ward's Drink n' Draw.

Time to Draw: Drink 'n Draw at 3rd Ward Tonight!

After my whirlwind Columbus Day weekend of seeing lots of art and dancing the night away at Bowie Ball, I am eager for a more mellow, relaxing sort of activity. Which is why 3rd Ward's weekly Wednesday Drink 'n Draw is so appealing. At only $10 a head (with a friend) for two and a half hours of drawing space, with a figure model and beer provided, it seems like a steal to me. And the perfect opportunity for a little inebriated drawing marathon.

Cheers to that!

Re:Form School Exhibit: Recap and Picures

The Re:Form School exhibit and call to action this weekend was truly eye-opening and both inspiring and deflating. The exhibit, which took place in an old elementary school in SoHo, featured the work of several famous artists and included a total of over 150 artists from across the country.

The mission of Re:Form school, taken from the website, is as follows:

"We believe that ALL AMERICANS should have EQUAL ACCESS to a HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION, with no exceptions.

Throughout history artists have lent their creative expression to ideas and issues of culture & politics, combining innovation with art’s greatest strength — its ability to transcend boundaries and make an impact, while not relying solely on language. RE:FORM SCHOOL gathers together a diverse array of hundreds of the nation’s most talented visual artists under one roof to celebrate that role and to send a loud message that the time has come to fix our ailing public school system.

RE:FORM SCHOOL is a high profile group art exhibition, event series and public awareness campaign, taking place in New York City. Thousands of artists, parents, community leaders, educators and grass roots organizers are coming together in a vibrant and creative space in order to shine a light on what is working, explore the potential of what might be and celebrate the role imagination, creativity and innovation will play in the process."

And, true to is political theme, Re:Form school had a private party benefit Friday night, with tickets at $100 a head, all proceeds going to NYC Charter schools.

As I mentioned, Re:Form school was not only filled with positive and creative art, but included many pieces as well that criticized and shed light on many of the problems in American education. This included some pretty disturbing information, such as the fact that corporal punishment is still legal in 20 states and statistics that no state has an average high school graduation rate higher than 83.6%. This disturbing, provocative data was coupled with very stark and creative images, and hopefully will provide some fodder for change!

Some of the inspiring art from the show:

(Large installation, reads "inspire," made entirely out of thumbtacks! Artist also created small animation with it.)



(cellist recording above and live cellist below, with projected water vibrations from music)
("It Matters to Me", above)

(courtyard of elementary school, with walls screenprinted, above)
("wish come true" figurines, free at exhibit)

Re:Form School Exhibit Saturday-Monday

I am re-posting this from the 3rd Ward event listing. This event/exhibition definitely looks like something not to be missed, featuring works by Michael Gondry and the like!

This Saturday & Sunday : RE:FORM SCHOOL

RE:FORM SCHOOL is a high profile group art exhibition, event series and
public awareness campaign taking place in New York City, that brings
together the creative community in a call for the reform of the American
Public Education System.

We believe that it is the right of each and every child in the United
States to have access to a high quality education.

We've taken over four floors of an old Elementary school on the corner of
Prince and Mott in Nolita. Within this incredible structure we are
building a labyrinth of participatory art, music and installations
featuring the works of: Swoon, Shepard Fairey, Michel Gondry, The Wooster
Collective, and more.

October 9th – October 11th : 10:00 am – 6:00 pm : $Free (donate if you can)

233 Mott Street (between Houston & Prince) Manhattan
Details are at: http://reformschool.letsredu.com/

HOWL! Festival at Tompkins Square Park

I checked out the HOWL! festival yesterday at Tompkins Square Park. Between the musical performance going inside the park, the painting happening on the periphery of the park, and the people-watching, it was a fun and fascinating way to spend my Sunday afternoon.

Some pictures below.

And, the art:

Sleep Deprivation Across The Nation and Poster Boy

"Sleep Deprivation Across The Nation" -- I overheard it in the elevator, and this might just become a new favorite quote.

Perhaps I can ascribe my restlessness to seasonal flux, or to my imminent two-month sojourn to Peru, or perhaps to my juggling of low-paying teaching gigs... or most aptly to all of the above, and more.

Anyway, how apropos that in my restless meanderings my friend forwarded me info about a Poster Boy exhibit tomorrow.

The exhibit is in Williamsburg, at 17 Frost Gallery, on Frost Street between Union and Lorimer Streets. Poster Boy will be showing in a group exhibit with the Neo-Con New York Collective. It opens tomorrow, March 21, from 7-9 pm. More on Poster Boy below.



NY Magazine has an article, "How Poster Boy Turns Subway Ads Into Political Art", which explores Poster Boy's anti-mass-media message. The New York Times, meanwhile, published an article last month, "Poster Boy Is Caught, or Is It a Stand-In?", which discusses Poster Boy's assessment of the law: "there is a difference between what is [legally] right and what is just." This remix culture, which challenges traditional copyright issues, is a growing trend that has been embraced by such artists as Girl Talk and continues to push the boundaries of what is considered legally acceptable.

I plan on being there!

NYC Christmas Prep and Bright Bikes

I missed Santacon last night. And despite all of my efforts, I was not able to get in touch with any of the participating Santas to at least observe their ruckus-making debauchery around the city. Well, at least I'll be able to find pictures of their "conference" online. (Here, in fact, is one flickr site that features 2008 NYC Santacon pictures.) And I had several other worthy causes that took precedent over Santacon. Yes, I did just day that.

I went to the Eyebeam workshops in Chelsea yesterday afternoon after a delicious brunch. There, I was able to observe and partake in strange and unusual workshops, where adults and children alike were busily engaged in their crafts and electronic projects. Workshops included snowglobe-making, Tickle-Me-Elmo reconstruction (minus the fur, a scary sight...!), and tranformation of standard bicyles into "bright bikes." I didn't have my actual bike with me, but I purchased a large strip of reflective vinyl (that tapes right onto the bike), which effectively makes your bike exude a glow-in-the-dark white light when under the glare of a bright light. This is exactly the kind of bicycle bling I need to stay visible when riding at night! Also, I enjoyed a long interlude at Eyebeam in the "video womb," a little installation room with full carpeting that offered a meditative, trance-like experience with live video projections from the fabric screen above.

Pictures of Eyebeam below:

(The "elves" at work making the re-furbished Tickle-Me-Elmos without fur)

(the Elmos without the fur, rolling around, psychotic robotic laugh machines)

(Yes, that's Elmo on top of the tree. At Eyebeam)


(a Bright Bike above; when not looking directly from the light source, the bike appears black; the vinyl tape makes it reflectively shine white!)

I gallery-hopped for a bit in Chelsea after the Eyebeam extravaganze. One interesting exhibit featured photography from China, with citizens wearing t-shirts with "Chinglish."
Oh, the United States, with our cultural and linguistic imperialism. Isn't it jarring how the political statement of this t-shirt clashes so much with the colorful image?

And, finally, to end on a positive (?) note: my night yesterday ended with a chocolate party. Being the (quasi-)vegetarian that I am, I didn't try the centerpiece chocolate of the evening:

Notable Art Happenings!

As always, there is an almost endless, inexhaustible amount of arts and entertainment in NYC. Below are some highlights!

Banksy, a well-known British street/graffiti artist, has an exhibit up in the West Village at The Village Pet Store Bar and Grill. It will stay up through Halloween, October 31, 2008. This is apparently Banksy's first show in NYC (apparently there have been many shows purportedly with Banksy's works previously, which have all been revealed as fakes... ), as well as his first time using animatronics. There is no graffiti or street art in the so-called "store," but rather a bizarre combination of "animals" to behold.

The gallery/store is open daily from 10 am-12 am., at No. 89, 7th Ave South, between W. 4th and Bleeker St. The entire store also is viewable through the storefront window.





Banksy's site can be seen here.

In other art happenings, the Williamsburg Gallery Association offers free events every second Friday of the month. I also recommend the Live With Animals gallery in Williamsburg, on the corner of Kent Ave (210 Kent Ave.) and Metropolitan Ave. The gallery is open 2 pm to 7 pm, Sat-Sun, and the current exhibit is Against Nature, by Sebastian Mlynarski. The exhibit, up until October 26, features photographs that examine and confront the difficult relationship between humans and nature. The evening of Sat October 18th features an evening of art and music, with Bill Bronson performing a piece inspired by the exhibition.

October 24-26 features the NY Art Book Fair free to the public, at Phillips de Pury & Company, at 450 W. 15th St. at 10th Ave, 3rd fl. A list of exhibitors can be seen here.

DUMBO Arts Festival, Dance Parties and Ratatat

The title just about summarizes my weekend. Friday evening started with an exploration around the art "happenings" of DUMBO, where art, just as it was promoted, really was to be found under bridges, in elevators, and projecting off buildings (in addition to the standard gallery displays of art). I was so impressed with this array of artwork, this blurring of convention, and the general charm of the neighborhood, that I returned to DUMBO again Saturday afternoon to get a chance to see openings and happenings not yet open or going on the previos night. Below are some photos to give you the general idea of the festival.

(above: my friend standing next to a laser light with mohair string tied to it...)
(above: the new Galapagos space in DUMBO. The former one in Williamsburg is now called Public Assembly.)

Dumbo art happenings: definitely worth it. The area, DUMBO, in general is pretty adorable, from the panoramic views from the park to the cute galleries and cafes along the streets.

Friday night I attended the "No Big Deal" party at alphabeta, a warehouse space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, after accidentally scoring a free taxi ride. (I got upset that the driver didn't know where Franklin Ave was, and he refused to take my money, telling me to get out of his cab. Upon my exit, a group of people immediately veered to take the cab, and he curtly replied that he was off duty, to which the girl in the group replied, "No, we're going to New York." Not able to help myself, I replied back, "Honey, this is New York," and walked the remaining three blocks to my destination (after they managed to convince the cabbie to take them and I was informed by friendly local kids that my destination was indeed only a few blocks away).

The "No Big Deal" party was part grafitti warehouse and store, and part totally hoppin' house party -- complete with free Sparks drinks -- with an expansive backyard Below are some pictures of the event.





And then, true Brookyln undergound party-style, it got shut down by the police.

We proceeded afterwards to a bar by the name of CoCo 66 (see their myspace profile here and the NY Mag write-up here), which was a fun dancing time to be had.
Luckily, though tired, I was not too exhausted to make it back to DUMBO the next day, OR go to the Ratatat show and have a blast there.


The show exceeded my expectations. Terminal 5 was packed, their performance had the crowd fully pumped, and their set was short but sweet. And that perfectly describes how my weekend felt: short but sweet.