BOS 2014 Benefit Gala + Auction

On Sunday, May 5, AiB/BOS 2014 held a fundraiser that was as great & fun as any I've attended over the past three decades. Bushwick just rox! The raw space on Ten Eyck Street had been transformed by the event volunteers into a wild, innovatively curated pop-up installation, sectioned for multi-purposed presenting of Bushwick art, supplying guests with treats, and facilitating the auction. The raffle format was excellent, with an $80 buy-in that didn't exclude precarious artists from playing. The rooms were packed when Shane & I arrived, and the happy-buzz was churning. The springtime NYC weather was (thank the heavens) lovely, & I'm sure that had something to do with the good vibes. I'm posting a few phone snaps below.

BOS2014 Benefit

The Arts in Bushwick/Bushwick Open Studios 2014 Benefit Tumblr is online now. What an impressive array of contributions. Again, I say this annual collective project is the best of its kind anywhere. Featuring the art of 193 Bushwick-based artists, the benefit will generate funds for BOS2014 through a raffle that only costs $80 per ticket. The organizers admit it's a paltry amount, but say the raffle fare is priced low, so artists can afford to purchase the tickets. Here's more info: 

ABOUT the Benefit
 
Please come to see it and have fun on May 4th at Storefront Ten Eyck:

Storefront Ten Eyck 324 Ten Eyck St, Brooklyn NY 11206. 6-9PM
 
All the artists are invited and you are very welcome to bring friends and family, it is all open the public but we are going to have a donation suggestion of $5.00 for the non-artists.
 
The benefit is going to be by raffle at $80.00 per ticket (we know it's not a lot but we want make sure artists are able to purchase art).
 

If you'd like to have more info about the benefit go to:
 
http://artsinbushwick.org/bos2014/benefit-2014/

2014 BOS Benefit Committee:

• Jessica Hargreaves
• Christopher Stout
• Jennifer Hitchings
• Taylor Langone
• Cibele Vieira
• Sessa Englund

New AFH Studio, BOS2014 news, DLG-N exhibit update, & more

I moved into a new studio in Bushwick. It's an enclave for artists, and I love my new neighbors. I'll post more about the community soon. The production on my upcoming exhibit at David Lusk Gallery in Nashville has commenced. For those of you keeping track, the timing of the show has been changed. The exhibit [working title: "Code Duello, Old Hick + A Big BANG"] has been pushed back to the first week in July. Also, this will be a solo exhibit, now (not a two-person show). 

"COOL DEPUTY"; 10.25" X 10.25"; Acrylic paint, ink, silver tape, woodblock print, digital prints (on canvas and adhesive paper), Plexiglas and frame (fixative, varnish layers); 2013 (1997-2013)

I will be contributing a piece to the BOS2014 Benefit this year, to support Arts in Bushwick ("Cool Deputy," see image above). I am getting really excited about the tour and all the community-building events associated with it. The text and images posted in this month's (April 2014) 4Dimensions blog were generated for Pickthorn BK. I'll be participating again this year in Pickthorn's weekend-long activities for BOS2014. Their 2014 theme, appropriately enough, given Chelsey's accomplishments as a colorist in her field, is "COLOR." So far, I've been helping Jocelyn percolate ideas, in pre-production popcorning sessions, and we'll see what else develops. It's going to be fantastic! I'll be posting more info as we get closer to the event(s).

Upcoming AFH in 2014

A couple of recent developments:

• I've been slated for a 2-person show at DLG-Nashville in June. The tentative working title is "Old Hick & a Big Bang." The idea is to mash-up Andrew Jackson and some new material on the origins of the universe [see link to an article in today's New York Times for one of them]. The exhibit narrative draws from research data gathered for the Code Duello series executed at my chashama/Chanorth residency, and on my recent trip to Tennessee, which included a visit to the Hermitage, Jackson's historic cotton plantation and residence. 

"I killed the bank." - Andrew Jackson (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

• I'll be working with Arts in Bushwick on this year's iteration of Bushwick Open Studios, the 8th one, NYC's biggest/best, and - arguably - the world's most rad artist zoo. I've attended a couple of BOS2014 mixers, and signed up for the Press Team, and may also be producing some AiB Blog entries, if all works out. At this point, I'm not sure what my BOS2014 studio presentation will feature. Stay tuned. 

A scene from AFH BOS2013 at Brooklyn Fire Proof, which included wall paintings by Shane Kennedy for the Society for the Prevention of Creative Obsolescence (not pictured).

• My old friend, boss saxophonist and composer Max Abrams, who has an awesome new record out [Sway], contacted me around the trip to Nashville. He's evidently up in Manitoba on some crazy muso mission, but we e-chatted, and Max invited me to create moving images for an as-yet-undetermined selection from Sway. I of course agreed and am close-listening to several, which he suggested. One is the title song, featuring Mavericks (etc) star Raul Malo. Neat enough, during my stay in the Music City, which included a few evenings at Dane Carder's great studio at Chestnut, the Mavs were rehearsing a couple doors down on the same floor. What great moments, to pass by in the hall, taking in the sounds of those great performers, including old pals Jerry Dale and Robert (I'm assuming - I didn't knock and interrupt their practice to say hi, although mutual friends assured me I should've; ...next time...) ∞ Anyway, I will post updates on project progress here.

• When it rains, it pours. The collaboration with Max will run concurrent with ongoing and similar work with both Wilson Novitzki and Bold Jez. Wilson is about to leave on another European tour with R. Stevie Moore, and he has a really compelling photography project piggybacked on those plans. Check out his Kickstarter for more info (and to donate to this worthy creative cause). Wilson and I haven't sat down and hashed out a plan, but I'm hoping we do a DisciplineAriel 2.0 project. Jez has forwarded me several songs he recorded recently (which you can listen to at his Soundcloud). In my mind, Jez is one of most remarkable and unique talents I've encountered in three+ decades of wanderings & encounters amongst the Mighty Unfettered, the authentic and true snowflakes & fearless. We discussed my creating a full album's worth of 4Danimations (10 Songs). He's doing his works with majesty & dignity. My turn's coming. 

Jez + Pemakar [PJM2014]

Wilson @GFS, 2013, during installation of "Reliability"