Yakkety Yarkitecture

As I prepare to get ready for the Houston edition of [artcrush] (opens Nov 14 at Box 13!) I come across this review of Didier Fiuza Faustino (btw, thank you Frieze for releasing all your articles) asking “Why do architects want to be considered artists?”
Then, I’ve been following BLDGBLOG for a bit to educate myself on architecture, I come across a response to “Who would want to be an architect?“

Next week TODAY Women and Their Work are hosting an Architecure and Desire Panel to accompany Erin Curtis’ Perspective Threshold

At the same time, Austin Museum of Art is doing a slide lecture on Chuck Close

At UT this weekend there is a conference: Transnational Latin American Art. Its too late to register, but I wonder what they’re gonna talk about.

I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.

Time Is Running Out

Some deadlines I thought you might want to know about:

• NYFA is conducting a seminar at AMOA tomorrow night! Oct 14 7pm RSVP
• Box13 Artspace in Houston proposal deadline: Oct 16
• UTSA Satellite Space in San Antonio proposal deadline: Oct 26
• Idea Fund: deadline Oct 30
• Art Alliance Austin Call for Submissions – Temporary Outdoor Installations: Nov 2
• Creative Research Laboratory Call for Entries deadline: Nov 23
• Hunting Prize: deadline Nov 30

I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.

National Summit On Arts Journalism

I don’t know what happened with the stream. I thought I had it covered with my little work-around with vodpod, but I guess not.
You can find the archived stream here.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to hang out with other Austin arts writers graciously hosted by Claire Ruud and Fluent Collaborative.
I discovered a kinship that I wasn’t aware of. But it is a kinship found in confusion, grief and frustration.
Awwwww shit, I feel a multi-post rant comin’ on.
Let me start at the beginning.
A couple of months ago NAJP summit announced its competition. With prize$ attached, my intere$t was piqued. But I haven’t been as productive as I’d like. Even with productivity at levels of my heyday, I don’t think I would’ve applied. The page is down now since the event has come to pass, but they were looking for “sustainable” projects, “looking for viability, both as a business and as a journalistic enterprise.” But when they said they are looking for new models for art journalism, I wasn’t thinking new business models, I thought they were after relevant distribution and delivery systems of cultural coverage. You know something other than ye olde newspaper with hand-cranked website.

Along those lines, I was excited for Bad at Sports and Giant Robot. They both represent different models that have found success. But I wasn’t expecting Bad at Sports to get far since they didn’t have a sustainable business plan in their crew of volunteers and donation solicitations. I clearly remember discouraging text as they were looking for NEW models and giggling at the number of submissions with no mention of business model or combo of volunteer and donations.
So as hard as NAJP tries to spin it, the rules were indeed changed.
CONFUSION!
But I wasn’t as put out by these shufflings as others were and decided to watch the summit. After all, Artsjournal has done a decent job of creating a platform for art journalism.

…

I Wanna Be Curator/ Curatorial Idol 5

I know I owe you some words. A lot of words.
I haven’t even worked on this, which has been brewing for almost 2 years. I wanted to post this back in August. I’ll try to update with the format I’ve been using, but for now I’m gonna ask you to do some leg work and check their websites.

“Pigeonhole” or “What is it exactly?”

Jenene Nagy
Mark Creegan
Nancy White

I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.

We’ve Got Spirit…

Yes we do.
We’ve got spirit,
How ’bout you?

I proclaim a challenge. An opportunity if you will, for schools surrounding the University of Texas at Austin.

Ya see, Austin is regarded as a friendly town. For the most part this is true (although I feel this has begun to erode) and plenty of organizations rely on volunteer workers to conduct their large scale events (see First Night Austin and Art City Austin as two art examples). Thanks to Dan Boehl and …might be good I’ve been paying more attention to these volunteer-heavy visiting artists’ projects.  The cited Jim Drain for the Blanton, Liz Glynn at Arthouse this weekend and Pablo Vargas Lugo for the Blanton. This latest project needs 350 volunteers to conduct the project and they are still looking for help.

I’ve been listening to football fans complaining about the weak schedule the Longhorns have this year and how easy victory should come.
Howzabout some competition?

Are you a student or representative of St. Edwards University, Austin Community College, Southwestern University, Concordia University, Huston-Tillotson University or Texas State University? Why not come out in droves and show the UT community how art is supposed to be supported?
While we’re at it, why not have UMHB, Temple, TLU, UIW, OLLU, Trinity, UTSA, A&M come on down?

Hell, if Houston can represent at Nohegan, surely Rice or U of H can bus somebodies over?

To volunteer send an email to eclipsesforaustin@gmail.com

CHALLAAANGE!

I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.

[speaking very slowly] In… what… way…

In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the… Anyone? Anyone?… the Great Depression, passed the… Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?… raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this. Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before? The Laffer Curve. Anyone know what this says? It says that at this point on the revenue curve, you will get exactly the same amount of revenue as at this point. This is very controversial. Does anyone know what Vice President Bush called this in 1980? Anyone? Something-d-o-o economics. “Voodoo” economics.

Whoo-weeee!
Besides all the new shows opening this fall, each institution is hosting lectures!

• AMOA
• Arthouse
• Blanton -1 -2 -3
• Mexic-Arte
• Umlauf
• UT

I’ll update calendars soon and tell you ’bout what I sees.

I Think I Was Fired…

But since nobody else updated this blog, I’m back! Huh-Ha!

As I was wallowing in postpartum depression there were some notable tidbits riding the zeros and ones.

The Blanton needs volunteers! Like lots of them! Put aside what Dan Boehl asks about the exchange between local artists and the Blanton for now.  Workspace artist Pablo Vargas Lugo needs 344 people to help with Eclipses.

Mexic-Arte has been throwing a Membership Countdown to celebrate its 25th anniversay. 3 more happy hours at El Sol Y La Luna every Wednesday until the big festivities on Sept 16th!

First Night Austin lost its director, but that ain’t stopping them! It’s their 5th year and you can help out with the new 5×5 Campaign.

My mind was blown with just a morsel of what Ron Berry put together last year for Fusebox (very dangerous, awesomely dangerous art). I still have the goosebumps. Help bring awesomely dangerously awesome art in 2010.
Plus Peat Duggins finally arrived in Alaska!

Arthouse has begun a new lecture series with opportunities to meet with the guest in studio visits. I thought it might be good to get some background info on them. That way you might consider more thoughtfully who/when you apply.

• Fall 2009 (deadline Aug 31)
• Roselee Goldberg
  • NYFA interview
  • Brooklyn Rail interview
  • Tate Modern audio lecture
  • Flash Art 4 questions
  • Bostonist interview
  • ArtInfo interview
  • Fora.tv lecture
• Bill Arning
  • …might be good interview
  • Big Red & Shiny interview

• Spring 2010 (deadline Jan 1)
• Hou Hanrou
  • Universes in universes interview
  • Bad At Sports podcast interview
  • Frank Prattle interview
  • si vous parlez français cliquer ici: artnet.fr interview
• Sina Najafi
  • ArtKrush/Flavorpill interview
• Gary Carrion-Murayai
  • Art in America interview

I’ll do my best to update when I find more interviews…

AIPP is having a daylong public art symposium Public Art On Its Head on Sep 12th. The Primo & I were invited to join Kate Watson and Nicole Vlado in the Critique and Commentary Hour!

I was gonna keep this information to myself, but since Aurora Picture Show left a comment telling you about it… I guess I’ll make it official. Great grant opportunity for Texans (used to be only for Houston. Competing with Hunting Prize are we?) by The Idea Fund!

I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.

Drop It Like It’s Hawt 2

Who’s to say
I can’t do everything
Well I can try

- Jack Johnson

Just like the weeks leading up to [artcrush], so too have these days relied on my motivation mix to help keep my sanity/focus.

The show looks great (if I do say so myself)!

Wanna sneek peak?

I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.

Apply apply apply

I’m definitely gonna be writing this week. Final preparations got me running around with anticipation.
Fingers crossed that I’ll also finish up my thoughts on museums/artful manager visit/art admins in Austin.

In the meantime, you should be getting applications ready:

• Arthouse visiting lecturer series + studio visits – deadline Aug 31, 2009 and Jan 1 2010
• EAST now a 9 day event – deadline Sep 1, 2009
• Blue Genie Art Bazaar applications now online – deadline Sep4, 2009 (via)
• UPDATE
  • Art Outside is moving to outside of Austin – deadline Sep 14, 2009

I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.

You Want Pillow?

I need to do some housekeeping around here.  The blogroll needs to be updated as I have been using Google Reader to sift through the blogs I read and have added a number of new sites.
In Austin I’ve been tracking a podcast, blog and magazine.  Plus the return of a familiar name.

Between Zimmerman and Douglas Britt I’m getting jealous that I can’t steal some time to reflect on things I’ve seen or read. And now I’m wishing I had a better phone for texting.  I’ve used Twitter to runs some twitting thoughts as I walk through my ‘Bout Routes.  I kinda like it and think I might use that as a new version of the SeeSawS. hmmm…

As always, I’m thankful that you come by to read my thoughts and all I give are requests to have patience with me.
Patience and I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.