You may remember that just over a month ago I wrote about a group of artists who underwent an art making marathon at Viva Workshop. Well the results are ready to be shown and will be part of this week’s First Thursday celebration. Read below for details. I’ll see you there.

Drawn Out: An Exhibition of The 24 Hour Art Slam

Who: Saul Gray-Hildenbrand, Ethan Turpin, Lyza Fontana, Deb Chaney, Ulrike Kerber, Johnny Troyna, Jared Lindahl, Julia Ford

What: One night art exhibit, celebrating works made in a single 24-hour period.

Where: Viva Workshop, 125 E Carrillo St., Santa Barbara, CA

When: December 4^th, 5-8pm – During the First Thursday Art Walk

At Ten o’clock in the morning on Saturday October 25^th, a small group of Santa Barbara artists sat down for what would be a long day. They had set the routine of their lives aside and committed themselves to attempt 24 hours of straight art making. It had been determined that this marathon event would not be about anything, would not be a fund raiser, but rather would be for the experience itself: “Art for art’s sake.” The individuals who answered the call were motivated to push their internal boundaries, test creative endurance, and immerse themselves in process.

Organizer Saul Gray-Hildenbrand had first tried drawing for 24 hours straight on Leap Day, 2000. Since then he’d repeated the personal project six times. Upon seeing the result of one such session in the Spring of 2008, Ethan Turpin agreed to partner with Gray-Hildenbrand to create an event that would include several artists sharing the energy and ideas of a collective experience. “Saul had made this scroll in a box that had knobs you would turn to see a progression of images. It was a kind of stream of consciousness that covered an entire day – and even had notation on sandwich breaks and counted glasses of water. It was so brilliant and hilarious that I knew I wanted to try a 24-hour project and that others would too.”

Together they set out to find a suitable venue for the art adventure and joined with Ulrike Kerber and Lyza Fontana of Viva Workshop. A collective-style office for design and motion graphics, Viva balances work and play by offering a studio/gallery/education space in the front. An intensive weekend experiment in creativity was a perfect fit.

High rows of windows let in morning light on the spacious workshop. The eight artists began working into their select mediums, each on a table, lining the perimeter of the room. Commanding the space at its center was a sprawling menagerie, serving as a still-life for those who might seek its inspiration. The group had brought objects to share. The most notable being a full-sized, taxidermied California Mountain Lion, borrowed from the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum Lending Library, along with a young Ant Eater, Peregrine Falcon, and other zoological specimens.

Anteater

The work started quietly and it didn’t take long for rhythm to develop. The participants had stocked a snack bar with enough food and drink to maintain sustenance without the need to leave the premises. There was even the discussion of personal boundaries, like the sidewalk outside, that would not be crossed for the duration.

There were challenges along the way. At around 6pm, only 8 hours in, pluming problems occurred which made using the only available bathroom a technical process that, at times, required emergency action. (The toilet over-flowed.)

Ethan Turpin, who had set out to write and illustrate a history of the universe, hit a period of writer’s block due to general exhaustion. This was helped at 3am when a supporting friend delivered fresh doughnuts.

Jared Lindahl, a painter and religious studies scholar commented, “The asceticism inherent to the event at times furthered and at times hindered creativity.” Lindahl assisted others in maintaining momentum by supplying yerba matte, the stimulating drink from Argentina, served hot in traditional drinking gourds. Turpin drank twelve.

“For me the key to the event was the invitation to provide several hours of music for a continuous 24 hours of listening,” recalled Julia Ford. “The music really kept me going, more than anything else…Brian Eno!”

By the following morning, diverse works had immerged, showing strength in both quantity and quality. Johnny Troyna expressed that he had made breakthroughs in understanding the visual space of imagined, Gordian Knot-like objects he’d drawn. The changing light and nuanced atmosphere had served Jared Lindahl in two experimental paintings: one day, one night. Julia Ford made literally over 1000 drawings inspired by mosquitoes, some carefully rendered with the help of a large magnifying glass. A series of stylized mixed-media female characters covered Lyza Fontana’s table. Deb Cheney created sensual patchworks of color and texture. An installation of scripted tags contained brash and pointed gems of advice via Ulrike Kerber. Ethan Turpin’s 25 foot chronicle of the universe reached the dawn of humanity with diverging lines of alternative texts. The whimsical and slightly haunted imagination of Saul Gray-Hildenbrand summoned yet another scroll, 75 feet in length. Scattered here and there through the pieces where portraits of the very still, once wild creatures whom had kept the artists company.

On the dot at 10 am Sunday, October 26^th, friends and family poured into the studio, their curiosity perked, officially closing the cycle. By the end, six of the eight participants had withstood the full 24-hour session, trading sleep and other creature comforts for the momentum, collective energy, and deep concentration of the experience.

Viva Workshop

“I fell asleep as soon as I got home and got up only for dinner,” commented Lyza Fontana. “But by Monday I was rested and I was super energized for the entire next week.” All the artists agreed that the session had been inspiring and where already referring to “next time”.

A short, time-lapse video documents the entire event, with changing light, artist behavior, and even a little animation.

An exhibition of the works made during the 24 Hour Art Slam will take place on Thursday, December 4^th at Viva Workshop, in the space where they were created, 125 East Carrillo (behind “Labor Ready“). The opening reception will occur from 5 – 8 pm, during the First Thursday art walk. Following that, visits will be by appointment: 805 969 9933.

While up in Goleta this afternoon I made a trip to check out the University Art Museum at UCSB. I had only been there once before and I had no idea what was showing there, so I went in with no particular expectations. The first two galleries contain a group of works from the museum’s permanent collection. There are some big names in this room, like Chuck Close, William Dole, Joan Mitchell, Robert Rauschenberg, and Judith Rothschild, but the works are so poorly lit that if there is anything there to get excited about you’d never know. Maybe the museum is trying to save electricity, but the result is that you must really force yourself to look for something you can connect to, and in many cases that something isn’t really there in the first place.

Anna Sew Hoy's YEARBOOK 2003

The second exhibit looked a little more promising and when I read that it was part of the California Biennial I got my hopes up. The show highlights  the work of three young LA artists and proved to be a more interesting show. Anna Sew Choy’s Yearbook series includes a giant plaster leg cast, complete with the written scrawls of names and phrases from the time the work was created. The most effective piece, “Yearbook, 2003″ made great use of tree rings to emphasize the motif of time, its demarcation, and chronicling. The work by Brenna Youngblood and Shana Lukter was less stimulating, but this was largely due to the fact that the show feels incredibly sparse and poorly put together. The labels for the work are so far from the work itself that I had to wonder whether it might have been put there just to take up the excess empty wall space. Whatever the reason, it makes the entire show seem rushed, random, and half-hearted. Once again the art loses by technical fall.

However, all was not lost. If the first two exhibits were great examples of how a curator can suck the life out of art, the third exhibit was nothing less than a masterpiece of curatorial ambition and excellence. This small room, entitled “World of Wonders: A Renaissance Cabinet” is truly a wonder that is nearly beyond description. But I will give it a try. The inspiration of the room, as the title suggests, is an imitation of a Renaissance room used for displaying a wide variety of art and artifacts that typified the new interest in learning during this time of great discovery.

Curator Mark Meadow's "World of Wonders"

Trying to take in this astounding conglomeration of renaissance paintings, archeological relics, cultural artifacts, biological specimens, and geological oddities is like injecting yourself with pure, distilled childish wonderment. It is not a large space, but I could easily have lost myself for hours. And despite the fact that there are things crammed from floor to ceiling on most walls, the space doesn’t feel overwhelming. In fact, my only complaint about the exhibit is that there is no room left for explanations of what it is exactly that you are looking at. This is completely understandable since it is an important factor in the feel of authenticity in the room. However, among the many treasures in the exhibit are a couple of paintings I would love to know more about. The Museum’s Website says that the exhibit is on “permanent display”, but I wouldn’t wait for this one. If you are anything like me you will want to make multiple trips because you can never be sure that you haven’t miss something amazing.

Support your local arts scene at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum!
Exhibition Dates: November 22, 2008 – February 8, 2009
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 22, 2008, 6-8 PM

Paul deBruyn Kops "Bottoms Up’ Club", 2008

Santa Barbara, CA — A Storied Exhibition!
It’s that time of year again, the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum (CAF) is pleased to announce it’s annual Call For Entries (CFE) exhibition bringing together five local artists selected during last year’s open-call. Anthology: Call For Entries ‘07-’08, is curated by CAF Curatorial Assistant, Valerie Velazquez. Representing a diverse array of artistic practices and perspectives, this year’s talented artists—Michael Barton-Miller, Jamie Caliendo, Paul deBruynKops, Laura Devendorf, and Carlos Grano—produce
artworks that share common sociological impulses. Favoring the intimate and personal over spectacle and grandiosity, Anthology–a literary reference to a collection of short stories or essays–offers viewers a group of artists with societal observations and compelling visual art.
CFE is an annual juried exhibition open to all visual artists living and/or working within Santa Barbara,

Laura Davendorf's "Donuts", 2008

Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties. This program is designed to encourage artists from the local community to present new work in relation to the alternative arts context of CAF. CFE reflects CAF’s mission to sustain and encourage contemporary art and artists–ensuring that creative expression and appreciation flourishes in and beyond our community.

Fall 2008 Zero Waste art competition.

As an artist you can use your work to be an agent of change in your community.

The center for sustainability and SBCC would like to invite all interested artists to propose a 3” x 5” cafeteria SIGN which will

· educate campus community on zero waste practices.

· Improve compliance of proper waste disposal (centering around the main cafeteria area)

Guidelines

q 3’x 5’ sign OR series of signs which will most effectively enforce the Zero Waste Program in the SBCC Cafeteria

q Needs to look professional and be durable

q Educate people on proper waste disposal and zero waste practices, such as:

o Reduce waste- use reusable ceramic plates vs. disposable to-go containers

o Recycle

o Compost food scraps

PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE:

· A LIST OF EXPENSES,

· MOCK-UP OF ARTWORK (DRAWN OR DIGITAL)

· SHORT ESSAY ON HOW YOU FEEL YOUR PROPOSAL WILL SUPPORT THE ZERO WASTE MISSION.

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: NOW! NOVEMBER 25TH

PROJECT DEADLINE FOR FINISHING SIGN: EARLY FEBRUARY.

WINNING ARTISTS WILL RECEIVE

$500 stipend and up to $750 materials budget

Center for Sustainability Program Description

SBCC’s Center for Sustainibility is reducing the campus’s ecological footprint through its Zero Waste and Awareness Program. The materials we consume and the waste we produce is having significant impact on the surrounding environment. Locally, this is seen in a rapidly filling landfill, marine pollution and wasted resources. The Zero Waste Program is designed to reduce unnecessary consumption and waste by increasing awareness and opportunities for participation and education.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT: Stephanie Dotson, Art Department, Dotson@sbcc.edu

OR Nikianne, Center for Center for Sustainibility