Sunday, May 31, 2009

Quotable Quotes

I don't think artists can avoid being political. Artists are the proverbial canaries in the coalmine. When we stop singing, it's a sure sign of repressive times ahead. (Theresa Bayer)

There is only one art, whose sole criterion is the power, the authenticity, the revelatory insight, the courage and suggestiveness with which it seeks its truth. Thus, from the standpoint of the work and its worth it is irrelevant to which political ideas the artist as a citizen claims allegiance, which ideas he would like to serve with his work or whether he holds any such ideas at all. (Vaclav Havel)

Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence. It opens our eyes to see and our brain to imagine.~ Magdalena Abakanowicz

All great art comes from a sense of outrage. ~ Glenn Close

Art hath an enemy called ignorance. ~Ben Jonson

Art is the struggle to understand. ~Audrey Foris

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. ~Aristotle

Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul - and you answer. ~Star Richés

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. ~ Edgar Degas

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Raoul Dufy: A Celebration of Beauty

“My eyes were made to erase all that is ugly.” Raoul Dufy

"I don't follow any system. All the laws you can lay down
are only so many props to be cast aside when the
hour of creation arrives." Raoul Dufy
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"The subject itself is of no account; what matters is the way it is presented." Raoul Duffy

If you are lucky enough to be anywhere near Jackson, MS between now and July 5, make sure you take the time to beat a path to the Mississippi Museum of Art to view the international tour exhibit Raoul Dufy: A Celebration of Beauty, an exhibition that includes 100 antique silk fabrics and fabric designs on loan from the Bianchini-Ferier (Lyon, France) archives.
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During his lifetime, Dufy created over 4,000 fabric designs becoming one of the great innovators of 20th century textile design.

From the museum's website:

“Dufy transformed the face of fashion and fabric design,
formulated practically all modern fabric design between
1909 and 1930, and his style radically influenced the
popular arts and the commercial design of the Western
world. Even today, his vision informs the color, design,
texture, and imagery of a wide range of products such
as book covers, perfumes, posters and stage decor,
and textiles for furniture and clothing.”

Raoul Dufy: The Controversial Aesthete
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/raoul_dufy_the_controversial_aesthete_030409/

Raoul Dufy: A Celebration of Beauty - Textile and Fashion Design
http://home.earthlink.net/~raoul.dufy/id2.html

Raoul Dufy: Créateur d'Étoffes [Raoul Dufy: textile designer; printing on Mulhouse fabrics] - written in French, but has some pictures.
http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/other/mlm_dufy.pdf

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Artist Residencies - Part IV

EDUCATION ARTIST-in-RESIDENCE GUIDES

Expectations for the Artist in School Residencies – Iowa Arts Council http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/publications_&_resources/program_models_&_resources/artist_residency/assets/expectations_for_the%20_artist1.pdf

Aritist-in-Residence Guide for Teachers & Artists - Tennessee Arts Commission Arts Education Program - Info for artists starts on page 12
http://www.arts.state.tn.us/ae_stuff/artist_in_residence_guide.pdf

Artists in Residency Handbook: Guide to Planning Successful Artist Residencies – Virginia Commission for the Arts – Note: Info for artists starts on page 10.
http://www.arts.state.va.us/grants/strengthening/Feb08arts%20education%20handbook.pdf

Artist Residencies: Evolving Educational Experiences - Lynne B. Silverstein
http://www.dana.org/WorkArea/downloadasset.aspx?id=8118

Handbook for a Successful Residency: For Schools, Community Organizations and Artists - Ohio Arts Council - Table of Contents in left-hand column OR Print Entire Handbook from link at bottom of page
http://www.oac.state.oh.us/search/AIE/ArtistsHandbook/

Handbook for a Successful Artist Residency - Pennsylvania Council on the Arts in Education
http://www.millersville.edu/~artsined/documents/handbook.pdf

Artist as Teacher: A Guide for Artists Working in Schools - Mississippi Arts Commission
http://www.mswholeschools.org/downloads/handbooks/ArtistAsTeacherHandbook.pdf

Keys to a Successful Artist Residency - a performing artist's thoughts - applicable to visual artists
http://www.nightheron.com/keystoresidency.html

Monday, May 11, 2009

Public Art Handbooks/Guides

Public Art Commissions are an often overlooked area of opportunity - but information about how to enter into this arena and/or how to have one's artwork seriously considered is needed. The following resources provide some very useful and insightful guidance:
Public Art Commissions: An Artist Handbook - North Carolina Arts Council - This handbook offers practical advice to artists seeking a public art commission and includes samples of "calls to artists," proposal letters and what to expect during the interview. Information about budgets and contracts also are included.
http://www.ncarts.org/elements/docs/PublicArtistHandbook.pdf

Managing Public Art Projects: A Handbook for Artists - Although written for UK artists, a wealth of information and exercises are included which can be very useful for artists interested in pursuing public art commissions anywhere. It notes that: "Public art offers many opportunities for artists, but it also challenges them to develop skills in addition to those required in many other forms of visual arts practice. Public art tends towards working practices which involve co-operation, negotiation and an interface with others, particularly professionals, who are not necessarily used to working closely with artists."
http://publicartonline.org.uk/resources/practicaladvice/adviceartists/documents/ArtistsHandbookOct2006.pdf
Notes for the Public Artist: What's expected of a public artist? - Douglas MacCash - this is a very short put pointed article about what an artist should consider trying to enter the public art arena
http://www.crt.state.la.us/arts/publicart/handbook/appendix/APX_Guide_Notes_Artist.htm

An Artist's Guide to the Phoenix Public Art Program - Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture - "This guide presents general information regarding professional issues that artists may encounter working in public art, as well as specific information how City of Phoenix public art commissions are managed by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's Public Art Program. This guide attempts to address the most frequently asked questions about the program."
ftp://phoenix.gov/pub/payf/artguide.pdf

Art in Public Places Public Artist Handbook: A Guide to the Commission Process - Washington State Arts Commission
http://www.arts.wa.gov/public-art/documents/Public-Artist-Handbook.pdf

What to Ask Before Applying for a Public Art Commission - This is an article by Regina Chavez Chapman that was published in the New Mexico Art in Public Places Newsletter
http://www.nmarts.org/pdf/nm_arts_junejuly.pdf

NOTE: Public Art 4Culture compiles a list of current public art opportunities available across the country and internationally. The Public Art Calls List provides brief project descriptions, deadline dates and how to receive more information about each opportunity. It is distributed approximately every 2 months. You can sign up to receive the list via e-mail on the following site:http://www.4culture.org/publicart/calls/default.asp

Friday, May 8, 2009

Arts Action Alert

From Americans for the Arts- Arts Action Alert - Take Action Now!
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President Obama today released the final details of his FY 2010 budget request to Congress which includes the nation’s cultural agencies and programs, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS), and the Department of Education’s Arts in Education program. Write your members of Congress and tell them to support funding for these cultural agencies:
http://www.capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=13297101
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As Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch noted in a press statement, "The president's proposed funding of $161 million would take the NEA to its highest funding level in 15 years and will help continue the upward trend of budgetary growth that Congress established several years ago. In contrast to the previous administration, this year's budget includes funding for the Arts in Education program at the Department of Education at $38.16 million. We hope that Congress will build on these initial budget requests to secure even higher funding levels to address the needs of the arts and arts education community."
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On Arts Advocacy Day, artists Wynton Marsalis, Linda Ronstadt and Josh Groban joined Americans for the Arts and over 550 arts advocates from around the country to testify on Capitol Hill and to meet with congressional leaders to request $200 million for the NEA and $53 million for arts education. These requests are just some of the legislative priorities for the nonprofit arts community in 2009:
http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/advocacy_003.asp

A breakdown of the President’s budget request is as follows:
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Federally Funded Arts Program
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FY 2009 Enacted Appropriations (in millions):
National Endowment for the Arts- $155
National Endowment for the Humanities- $155
Institute of Museum and Library Services - $274.8 *
U.S. Dept. of Education’s Arts in Education- $38.1
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*includes $11 million in Congressional earmarks
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FY 2010 President’s Budget Request(in millions):
National Endowment for the Arts- $161
National Endowment for the Humanities- $161
Institute of Museum and Library Services - $266
U.S. Dept. of Education’s Arts in Education- $38.1

Next Steps
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As you know, the President’s budget is the first step in the appropriations process. While it serves as an important framework, Congress has the power to set its own priorities and change these funding levels. That’s where you come in.
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Arts advocates can make their voices heard by writing their members of Congress and urging them to support funding for arts and culture through the NEA and increase funding for arts in education programs. We have provided you with a customizable letter, as well as several talking points to help you craft your message. We recommend you add your own thoughts and stories about why the arts are important to you and your community:
http://www.capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=13297101
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Please help us continue this important work by becoming an official member of the Arts Action Fund. Play your part by joining the Arts Action Fund today -- it's free and simple- http://www.artsactionfund.org/

Americans for the Arts
1000 Vermont Avenue NW
6th Floor
Washington DC . 20005
T 202.371.2830
F 202.371.0424
One East 53rd Street . 2nd Floor
New York NY .
F 212.980.4857
info@artsusa.org
http://www.americansforthearts.org/
http://www.artsactionfund.org/

Monday, May 4, 2009

Textile Related Tutorials - Part 3

Another potpourri of available tutorials from basic to advanced techniques

Preparing Substrates for Ink-Jet Printing – Golden Artist Colors Paints
http://www.goldenpaints.com/mixmoremedia/prepsubs.php

Golden Digital Grounds Product Information Sheet – "GOLDEN Digital Grounds are ink-receptive coatings intended for use with ink-jet printers. They allow the artist to coat and subsequently print over a large variety of substrates including [fabrics], paper, canvas, metal and acrylic paints, using ordinary computer printers and inks."
http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/digigrnd.php

Hand-Dyed Fabric Trims - Debra Cooper
http://littleblackkitty.typepad.com/a_little_imagination_and_/2008/04/tutorial-diy-ha.html

Dyed Paper Towels for Paper and Fabric Art- Debra Cooper
http://littleblackkitty.typepad.com/a_little_imagination_and_/2008/05/tutorial-part-2.html

Three Dimensional Fabric Leaves
http://www.creative-textile-and-quilting-arts.com/elearning/tutorials/fabric-leaves

Mistyfuse's Work Forward Technique - Sue Bleiweiss - "...an easy way to create an applique without having to mess about with reversing your design."
http://suebleiweiss.typepad.com/sueb/mistyfuse-work-it-forward.html

Fantasy Beads – Zeborah Loray – Embellished paper beads with OPALS © embossing enamels and Fantasy Film
http://www.amstamps.com/fantasybeads/index.html

Flour Paste Batik – Bridget Benton
http://eyesaflame.blogspot.com/2008/06/demo-flour-paste-batik.html

Tutorial Review: Flour Paste Batik – Fern Treacy http://craftblog.com.au/2008/07/28/tutorial-review-flour-paste-batik/

How to Make Paper from Vegetables – Stacy Alexander
http://stacyalexander.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-make-paper-from-vegetables.html

Fabric Printing/Stencil Tutorial - Brie
http://limeandaquastudio.blogspot.com/2008/06/fabric-printingstenciling-tutorial.html

Fabric Thumb Tacks
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/03/thumb-tack-tutorial.html

Fabric Covered Magnets
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2009/03/fabric-covered-magnets.html

Embroidered Buttons
http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2007/06/embroidered-buttons.html

Fun with Acrylic Transfers
http://www.utrechtart.com/community/index.cfm?commentID=163

BERNINA VIDEOS - Nina McVeigh - this is a series of videos on how to use specialized feet for Berninas as well as techniques that can be used with any sewing machine:
Machine Needlepunch
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/13.html

Free Motion Couching
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/10.html

Using a Walking Foot
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/9.html

Going in Circles
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/8.html
Free Motion Machine Beading
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/7.html

Corded Pintucks
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/6.html

A Perfect Bias Binding by Machine
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/5.html

Perfect Echo Quilting
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/4.html

Decorative Stitching
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/3.html

Perfect 1/4" No-Pins Curves
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/2.html

Bernina Stitch Regulator
http://www.thequiltshow.com/bernina/1.html

Circle Stitching - Terri Stegmiller
http://twocreativestudios.com/freeprojects/circle.pdf

Faux Chenille - Sue Bleiweiss
http://twocreativestudios.com/freeprojects/fauxchenille.pdf

Painted Fusible - Sue Bleiweiss
http://twocreativestudios.com/freeprojects/paintedfusible.pdf

Hot Water Stabilizers 101 - Sue Bleiweiss
http://twocreativestudios.com/freeprojects/stabilizer.pdf

Gammill Quilting Systems Instructional Videos - A series of 3 to 16 minute videos
http://www.gammill.net/index.php?m=videos

All About Hand Dyeing - Pauline Burch - Instructions and examples for all sorts of dyeing: tie dyeing, batik, hand painting, low water immersion
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing.shtml

On the Surface: Using Fibretex - Janice Hay
http://embroiderersguild.com/stitch/pdfs/surface.pdf

Natural Surfaces Zine - Surface design techniques using natural dyes, earth pigments, ochers, oxides andrust - Kimberly Baxter Packwood
http://thenaturalsurface.blogspot.com/

Mokuba Free Lace Tutorial - Carla
http://featheredfibers.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/mokuba-free-lace-tutorial/

Beginning Angelina Basics - Betty Blais - 16-minute vidcast
http://www.embellishmentvillage.com/shows.php