Put up or shut up!
Reflecting on the Artist's Journey: The 'Foot in the Door' Exhibit
Over the years and after working with countless artists, it's easy to forget the emotional journey they undergo when exhibiting their art. They open themselves up for critical review and significant exposure. They might appear nonchalant or even over-confident about exhibiting, but inside, their stomachs are churning. For me, it was time to put up or shut up.
The 'Foot in the Door' exhibit is different in this regard. It's completely democratic—if it fits in the box, it exhibits. Consequently, it becomes less about the art itself and more about the opportunity to exhibit and have fun. I submitted a photograph I took ten years ago, entitled "Midnight on Mason Street." It was taken in San Francisco, focusing the image exposure on a neon leg, which severely underexposed the rest of the image. The result is two illuminated signs on opposite sides of the street. It's a gimmick photo, but I'm partial to gimmicks. Growing up with comic books, my favorite part was always the Johnson-Smith page on the inside back cover (x-ray glasses and such)—the clearinghouse of gimmicks.
My favorite piece from the exhibit has to be the seed art tribute to wrestler Baron von Raschke. Classic.
The story arc of the Marc Chagall project
Rescuing a Marc Chagall Linoleum Lithograph
Just to refresh... a customer had rescued this original Marc Chagall linoleum lithograph from slowly being destroyed by the mounting and the framing (please see: "How to commit art murder," or, "I ruined a masterpiece, but saved on the framing"...). The mats were leeching acid into the art paper, the non-UV glass was allowing the sun to fade the art, and the MDF frame was slowly dissolving the art with formaldehyde out-gassing.
The rescued piece will be picked up by the customer today, and a ceremony will take place to present the art back to the public library. I thought I would share the design details of this project:
It features a double rag mat design (100% acid-free) with a filet. The bottom mat has a 1" reveal (this is a museum standard for a design with a filet) and the top mat has a 3.25" reveal. The art paper had some waviness, and it is loosely held in place with archival corners on the backside. This allows the art to breathe and respond to the ambient temperature. The outside moulding is called an Amante design, which is a classic moulding style. The glazing is a museum-quality UV glass, which is almost imperceptible. It was decided not to conceal the staining from the previous mats and to incorporate the flawed feature into the overall design.
It looks very classy and is totally reversible for future framers in the event of a re-design.
Respect the art. Protect, preserve, and present the art.
More about 'Foot in the Door 4'
A Visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
I love the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA). I know that isn't a profound observation for anyone who has ever visited the MIA, because anyone who has ever visited it also falls in love with it. It offers a friendly and welcoming arts atmosphere (which isn't as common as you would hope), the art is terrific, and it's free. What's not to love?
Be that as it may, the 'Foot in the Door 4' exhibit is shaping up nicely. I had the chance to visit a second time before the public unveiling. The total submissions were beyond all estimates, and the lines were long for nearly the entire four-day submission period. The final number is a closely guarded secret until the public reception, but sources close to the count have provided a range of between 4,700 and 5,000 entries (compared to 1,700 submissions ten years ago, the last time this exhibit took place). Three large gallery rooms will be filled, and the raw expression of creativity is almost overwhelming.
I managed to find my piece and two of the three pieces I had submitted on behalf of friends and family. It looked as if about half the art was up, and I did hear that all of the art had been photographed for the online gallery.
Behind the scenes of 'Foot in the Door 4'
Behind the Scenes at the "Foot in the Door" Exhibit
One of the perks of this job is being involved in interesting art exhibit projects from a 'behind the scenes' perspective. In other words, friends in the art world ask you to volunteer to help them with an event. Yesterday was a perfect example.
Every 10 years (this being the fourth time), The Minneapolis Institute of Arts hosts an event called the "Foot in the Door" exhibit. Essentially, any Minnesota resident, at no expense to themselves, can submit one original piece of art they have created to be exhibited at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The art cannot be larger than 12"x12" for wall art or larger than 12"x12"x12" for three-dimensional art. It is a terrific opportunity to exhibit in one of the most prestigious museums in the world for four months.
Art check-in takes place over four days. As a volunteer for the art check-in, my responsibilities were:
Ensure the art did not violate the size rule.
Collect the paperwork for each piece.
Assign a wall location.
Provide a receipt for the art.
Deliver the art to the staging area.
In other words, I was the first point of contact for the artists. The art itself was impressive, and the range was amazing. Each piece was cradled by the artists as if it were a newborn.
After the art is received, it is staged in an exhibit room and waits to be registered in the computer and photographed for the online catalogue. Over 1,000 artists checked in art on the first day, and over 3,000 submissions are expected. At the peak crowd size, the wait was 2.5 hours, but everybody was extremely patient and in a very good mood.
One of the other perks of volunteering is checking in your own art (and your friend's art) without the complication of waiting in line. Those will be posted later.
Today, my back is killing me (marble floors) and I am exhausted. It cost me a day's pay to be there, and the tuna sandwich was stale when I finally had a chance to eat. But I made many new friends, saw many familiar faces, and would do it again in a New York minute. I can't wait for the exhibit reception on February 18, 2010.
Red Wing Central Park Band Shell: A Follow-Up
Does this guy ever stop talking about the new bandshell?
Apparently not.
It's time for an update on the Red Wing Central Park Band Shell.
This time last year, the park was a mess. Frozen and snow-covered dirt piles were scattered all over the site, making it look like a project that was going to miss the July 4th deadline. However, Red Wing Construction is a very professional company, proud of the product they deliver. They met the July 4th deadline with days to spare.
After the project was completed, Red Wing Construction presented The Jones Family Foundation (the benefactors of the band shell to the City) with a beautifully framed memento. It is a 36"x32" multi-opening custom framed piece showcasing the band shell from different angles and during the very first performance. It also includes a custom embossed mat of the Red Wing Construction logo.
We were proud to provide all of the photographs, the printing, and the framing, and we have since created a few more of these pieces for Red Wing Construction.
A busy gig
January Surprises and Exciting Projects
January is usually a quiet month in the art and framing industry. There might be a small bump in business due to some Christmas follow-up framing, but that trickles away pretty quickly.
This January was an exception. Several projects came in the door because of fiscal calendar years that started on January 1st. Another major Catholic Charities project was delivered, this time for a Centennial Leadership Summit in San Jose, CA. This was the largest venue so far (the 4th), and it will move across the United States every month until September, where hopefully it will exhibit at the White House. I love working on this project because it leverages the power of photography, and it is an absolute adrenaline rush to meet the tight deadlines. In this business, this is known as a 'good gig'.
We also had our first order from Turkmenistan, specifically Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. This is a former Soviet Union republic that declared independence in 1991. It was a nice-sized order of 10 large-format mounted images and one extremely large canvas print. There is a sense of satisfaction in knowing your handiwork is on the job in some remote part of the world.
On an unrelated note, Downtown Mainstreet agreed to co-sponsor a photography competition with Red Wing Framing & Fine Art Printing. It's always fun to have too much to do.
And finally, if nothing else, I learned a long time ago to surround myself with very smart people. Or at least stand close to them.
I am uber-excited about a new project that some very smart people I have come to know are advising me on. This is on a six-month timetable, so the details will roll out over time.
How to commit art murder, or, "I ruined a masterpiece, but saved on the framing"
A Close Call for a Marc Chagall Masterpiece
This is a tragic tale, but thank goodness a good samaritan rescued the art.
An original Marc Chagall lithograph had been donated to the local library. Many years ago, someone decided to frame this irreplaceable piece using the cheapest solution available. This included a low-quality MDF frame with standard glass and paper mats. To further insult the art, it was glued to the back of the mat.
Let's summarize how this art was nearly ruined:
The frame was made from a cheap MDF material that out-gasses formaldehyde, effectively dissolving the art over time.
The glass provided no UV protection, making fading inevitable.
The mat was a cheap paper mat with acids that leeched into the art, and foxing (bacteria) was growing on the paper.
The glue—oh, the glue. Don't even get me started on the glue.
A biological, chemical, and radioactive attack on the art—a true WMD from an art standpoint.
Friends don't let friends frame drunk.
Despite all this, the artwork itself is a stunning piece of creativity. Chagall, a Jewish Russian-French artist who lived from 1887 to 1985, was a giant in the art world and an early innovator of Modernism. His work is truly inspiring to examine.
We are now working on a new and completely archival frame design for this piece. I will post updates when the project is finished.