Call for Artists: FORRENT

Much is made of the power of the creative class in kick starting economic growth of particular locales. Based on the concept posited by Richard Florida which is largely misunderstood and deformed by result oriented civic leaders, communities far and wide have sought to harness the power of art to attract visitors, lend a certain atmosphere, and hopefully spawn a cultural and economic growth.

What’s a community to do if it has no "art scene" to speak of, no apparent creative edge that might catch the eye of young creative individuals looking to relocate?

TORRENT, or FORRENT is a project that seeks to lend to those communities missing out on the avalanche of cash rolling in to communities awash in resident artists need not suffer in silence.

Your hapless community may not have the benefit of the economic engine of artists pulsing away, but the For Rent signs dressing the vacant storefronts along your Main St will make it look like you do.

Energetic, progressive young professionals looking relocate and start families will fall under the spell of you town with the knowledge they are on the leading edge of a movement in a burgeoning creative center.

TORRENT => FORRENT is part of a series of projects created by Christopher Albert as part of the 10x10x10 exhibit in Ellenville, NY.

Artists are invited to re-envision the FOR RENT sign as part of a storefront installation during a portion of the Ellenville exhibit and an ongoing web project.

Complete details on submissions can be found here. Deadline for signs is June 22. Signs can be dropped of at Hudson Beach Glass in Beacon and the Ellenville Public Library in Ellenville, NY. Signs can also be mailed (visit link above for mailing address).

Final weekend for For the Love of Art in Peekskill

An estimate on the Yamet Arts website claims that 1500 people turned out for the opening of For the Love of Art (every single time I go to type that phrase, I invariably type For the Love of Money). You've got one more weekend to check out the show if that's what you're intending, the show closes on Sunday. I'll be down there for some time on Sunday.
Below are a few images of the exhibit, there are many more pics of the opening on Kate Vrimjoet's site.
Deb Davidowits

Matt Harle

Christopher Albert

Emil Alzamora

Michael Ricardo Andreev

Jill Reyolds

Eleanor White

Angelika Rinnhofer

works by Leslie Pelino and Nathan Margoni

Laura Moriarty

A view of the video screening room....I'm not sure who's work we're looking at here.

Maykr, meet Globatron. Globatron, meet Maykr

I recently mentioned Emil Alzamora's interview on globatron.org. Well, there's another interview on that site: mine.

Based out of Jacksonville Fla, Globatron is the alter ego of Byron King. Byron told me he and his young family are thinking of moving up to the Beacon area in the not too distant future. The ball's in maykr's court now to reciprocate and find out more about Globatron. The site appears to be well ensconced in the Jax art community with a few dispersed outposts. I think Byron and his energies would be a welcome addition to this community.
Sadly, as my email correspondence with Byron was flying back and forth over the past two weeks, I learned about his battle with a brain tumor which is growing and considered possibly malignant. Byron has set up a cafe press shop to help raise funds for his medical costs. Emil has donated an image to the shop, I'll be doing so very shortly, and I expect to be doing some shopping there. There is also a paypal link on the Globatron homepage to donate to the cause.

mini round up

Richard Bruce's work is included in a group exhibit called "East West Dialogues: mysticism, Satire and the Legendary Past" curated by Dr. Layla S. Diba at the LTMH Gallery located at 39 E 78 St in NY. The exhibit opened on Wednesday night and will continue through June 27.

I have work included in a exhibit on view through May 30 at the Bard CCS Library at Bard College.
Curated by Tom Eccles, the group exhibit, "Observed and Considered" also includes work by Mark DeLura, Peter Acheson, and Daniel Berlin. A few images of the work on display are at my personal blog.

Coming up next week, two evenings of screenings will be held on May 27 & 28 at the New Museum as an introduction of an upcoming exhibit at Bard CSS called The Greenroom.

...The Greenroom, a large-scale exhibition exploring the "documentary turn"
within recent contemporary art practice and its heritage in relation to the
history of film, documentary photography, and television. Set to open in Fall
2008 at the The Hessel Museum of Art and Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard
College, The Greenroom, curated by CCS Bard graduate program director Maria
Lind, will feature works by more than forty artists and extend beyond the
exhibition format to include a long-term research project and related
publications. The research project is a collaboration between The Center
for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, and the artist and theoretician Hito
Steyerl.These preview screenings, organized by curatorial assistant and CCS Bard
graduate student Fionn Meade, include selected works from artists participating
in The Greenroom exhibition.This event is co-sponsored by the Vera List Center
for Art and Politics at The New School and the Center for Curatorial Studies at
Bard College.

The screenings will be held at The New School, Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th Street (enter at 66 West 12th Street), 5th Floor, between 5th and 6th Avenues, NY.
Admission:$8, free for all students, as well as New School and CCS Bard faculty, staff and alumni with valid ID, and members of the New School.For more information, please call CCS Bard at 845.758.7598, write ccs@bard.edu, or visit www.bard.edu/ccs.
Information on the line ups for both evenings are posted here.

Via The Cultivated Home, we learn that Kathy Moss has work in a group show called Nature: Themes and Variations which will be opening tomorrow at Argazzi Art in Lakeville CT. 22 Millerton Rd (Rte 44) Lakeville, CT; 860 435 8222. The reception is happening from 4-7pm and the exhibit runs through July 1. Kathy is also included in the Flourish, a group exhibit on view now at Robischon Gallery in Denver, through June 21.

Joan Mellon, who had a lovely solo exhibit at ParaSite back in April 2006, will have work in a group show called No Chromophobia at OK Harris Gallery. No Chromophobia opens on Tuesday, June 3, from 5-7. The exhibit will run through July 11 and after a hiatus will continue from Sept. 2-6.

Speaking of Chromophobia, Kirsten Kucer mentioned that after having read the book in our book club, she's been seeing references to it all over, whether explicit or by default. David Batchelor was recently featured in a couple of talks held at the Tate Modern, one on his work, and the other, a panel discussion on the subject of white. Both are available on iTunes, or through the Tate's website. I was very interested in hearing both discussions, but if my memory serves, either one or both were rather dry. Batchelor mentioned he is set to release a new book which will be a collection of writings by various artists on the subject of color.

looking back

In case you missed it, Open Space's blog has many pics of their gallery opening and the Next Step Party from Saturday.

Also, you can find images from Angelika's exhibit opening in Syracuse last Thursday on her blog.

And I have posted images from my exhibit with Marc Willhite in Colorado, which opened the Saturday before last, on my blog.

Continental divide

I had a delightful drive cross country this week and made it into Denver last night. Next week I'll be preparing for an exhibit I'm doing with Marc Willhite at the Curtis Arts and Humanities Center in Greenwood Village, CO. The Center is located just south of Denver, and the exhibit opens on Saturday Nov, 3. Marc and I will be giving a gallery talk on Thursday Nov, 15 at 5:30. I'll be posting more informatin and images from the show at christopheralbert.com and my personal blog. The exhibit will be a selection of paintings sculpture and installation work that investigates the Six Memos for the Next Millenium by Italo Calvino.

Also in Denver next week: Michael Zansky, from Rockland County will be exhibiting work from his Supreme Court Series at the Sandy Carson Gallery in Denver beginning on Nov, 2.

Skin Trade at Go North, Opening June 2

The next exhibit at Go North is called Skin Trade, and it consists of a recent group of small paintings that I have been working on. There will be an opening reception on June 2 from 6-9 pm.

(A few installation shots.)

The press release:

For Immediate
Release:
Christopher Albert: Skin Trade
June 2nd – July 1st, 2007
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 2nd, 6 – 9pm.
GO NORTH is pleased to present the opening of Christopher Albert’s exhibition “Skin Trade”. The work will be on exhibit from June 2nd through July 1st, 2007. A reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, June 2nd, from 6 - 9 pm.
Christopher Albert’s new paintings use images from pornographic magazines as the underlying structure for the formal elements of his paintings. Painting on top of the images, he transforms the graphic sexual images into a sensual blend of colors, forms textures, and lines. Leaving behind small traces of the original source material and the text associated with the sexual act. Literally and metaphorically “trading” the visual
pleasures associated with porn for the visual gratifications of painting.

Founded in September of 2006 by artists Gregory Slick and Karlos
Cárcamo, Go North’s mission is to support, exhibit, and promote art by
local, national, and international artists. Our focus is contemporary art
that is dedicated to exploring cutting edge cultural and artistic issues by
pushing the boundaries of traditional media. Staging monthly exhibitions on
a rotating basis gives artists the opportunity to expand and explore new
dimensions in their work. Enabling us to keep our exhibitions fresh and
updated, while providing a place in the Hudson Valley for contemplation,
dialog and exchange of ideas.

GO NORTH - A Space for Contemporary Art
469 Main St.,
Beacon,
NY 12508
gonorthgallery@hotmail.com
www.gonorthgallery.blogspot.com
Gallery hours: 12 - 6 pm, Friday - Sunday