Where Does It All Begin?

Sondy Kai is our featured artist in November-December at the YSAC Community Gallery. Her show -- "Reincarnated" -- highlights Kai's use of original "guerilla" crochet techniques coupled with specially crafted tools to create her "creatures" composed of post-consumer plastic trash. The result is singular, and environmentally-friendly. Join us in appreciating "green" art!

Back in 2009, on a very normal day, I saw a particularly colorful chip bag with foil interior and thought to myself -- "I think I’ll save a few of these and make something….ya know….shiny and glitzy."  It’s now 2012, and hundreds of foil and non-foil bags later, I’ve become sequestered in plastic trash in a crazy, unplanned sort of way. What was once curious innocence is now a seductive traipsing into the unknown. At this point my average speed in creating a piece includes several runs into smashing failures before I can actually get a grip on all the various properties in motion.

Some plastics are intact but out-gasing, some have started decomposing in sunlight, and some sit there looking harmless in a teasing sort of way, but you can smell them doing something.  What was I thinking?

The worst part is I can no longer drive anywhere without scoping trash, which is really worse than texting. So, I’ve just assigned extra angels to my car. Daily my head swims with plastic inventory in all shades of color and weight….as well as mental maps where all the discarded plastic hoards are waiting by the roadside to be re-purposed. This is an arduous task.  What was I thinking?

Fall YSKP Classes for All Ages!

I just love the creativity injected into educational programming from the YSKP Team!  Thank you John Fleming, Jill Becker, Kayla Graham and the other resident artists for doing such a knock up job!  You can see the complete list of Fall class offerings at http://www.yskp.org/classes-programs/current-classes/.

(photograph courtesy of Juan-Si Gonzalez)

Trike Shots: Mosaic Mailbox and Aggressive Dogs

Out and about this morning and I saw this BEAUTIFUL mailbox by local artist Johanna Smith. LOVE the colour of the post too.

LINKS

Johanna Mosaics

Public Art Project Mills Lawn: YS News 

So where's the dogs. Sorry I was too busy trying to get away from them to get a snapshot. If I wanted to learn just how fast my bike could go, this was the day.  I had just passed Ellis Pond Spur on the Miami Bike Trail and quite a few yards ahead saw two huge dogs growling at an oncoming biker and him riding slow and trying to talk them down gently (best advice if dogs are too close to you). From a distance I asked if they were his dogs and then they started running towards me. I threw out a bunch of dog treats and pedaled like a flipping mad woman. I shouted back I had thrown down the dog treats (yep always keep some in my bike bag just in case). After a good distance I stopped a couple walking their dog to warn them and called 911. I waited a bit because I was worried about the cyclist and then saw the dogs still ahead of the cyclist, but at least he was still on his bike and seemed okay.  

There is a LOT of (conflicting) advice on Dealing with Aggressive Dogs while biking. I do know running away makes it worse, BUT if you are on a bike and far enough away I see no point in waiting to get closer. I found this advice, Dealing with Dogs on a Bike Tour, very useful. I understand their point about pepper spray, but for safety reasons I think I will be getting some.  Dealing with one dog is one thing, but two or three is a whole other kettle of fish.

AACW BLUES AND JAZZ FESTIVAL - Everybody Counts!

AACW presents its 15th Annual Blues and Jazz Festival.  The festival kicks off on August 23 at 7pm at Peach’s Grill with "Blooz ‘n Pomes."  This poetry open mic gives poets the opportunity to express themselves while backed by a blues band featuring headliners from the Festival.

On Friday, August 24, the festival will move to the Antioch College Amphitheater on Corry Street in Yellow Springs.  There will be a variety of vendors as well as the following performers:  Audio Show Band, Carl Schumacher Band, Karen Patterson and the 5 YZ Men, Larry Humphrey Band and Preston Shannon.

Saturday, August 25 will begin at noon with a blues workshop hosted by Festival Performing Artists.  This will be followed by "Innovation Stage" performances by a various area musicians from 2-5pm.  Evening performers include:  Dean Simms Hot Notes Band, Preston Shannon, Veronica Jackson, Nerak Roth Patterson Band and 5 YZ Men.

The festival will culminate on Sunday, August 26 with a Gospel Fest and Basket Meeting.  The Gospel Fest will consist of live performances from local, national and international gospel artists.  The Basket Meeting is a tradition similar to a community potluck for which participants are encouraged to pack a picnic lunch and socialize.

Don't miss this amazing cultural event, right here in the Village of Yellow Springs.

Artistic Slumber Party at the Herndon Gallery (August 30)

Sheilah Wilson is a photographer and videographer who uses performance as a way of creating photographic work. On the evening of her opening reception on Thursday, August 30, she will spend the night at the Herndon Gallery in a bedroom crafted especially for this exhibition.

That evening, Wilson will sleep over a written description of someone's favorite photograph and a piece of photographic paper, which will then be processed, scanned, and digitally printed, revealing the marks of her body, random light strikes, and other mysterious color traces. The resulting piece will then become a part of the exhibition.

This is a continuation of her investigation into the body acting as a translation machine.  Wilson approaches making photographs as a performance, using her body in direct contact with photographic materials to translate stories (or written memories) into visible marks.

Wilson could be sleeping over YOUR written description of a favorite photograph. The Herndon Gallery is collecting submissions and will select from them at the opening reception. The photograph can be a favorite professional photograph or a precious family photograph.

Send in either a handwritten or typed description of a favorite photograph, along with a scanned and printed reproduction to:

Dennie Eagleson
Creative Director of the Herndon Gallery
Antioch College
One Morgan Place
Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387

Entries must be received by August 29, OR come to the opening reception and artist talk which will be at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 30.

"If Becoming This" will be showing from August 31 through November 16. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 1-4pm.

For more information, contact Dennie Eagleson, deagleson@antiochcollege.org or call 937-768-6462.

Celebrate JBCP!

Make a point to drop by the John Bryan Community Pottery Open House and Testimonials Show this Monday, August 20 at 6pm.  The Photographs of Nadia Mulhall will be featured along with pottery from members, students and teachers past and present.  If you haven't met the new JBCP Director, Allison Paul, she is truly delightful!

SOURCE Closing Reception

Antioch College is hosting a Closing Reception for SOURCE at the Herndon Gallery on Friday, August 17 from 6-9pm.

There will be an Artists Talk with Amber Ginsburg and Joe Madrigal about this poetic, performative and profound work.  And, make sure to seed the Antioch fields with one of the ceramic shakers while you are there -- a nice interactive aspect of the exhibit.

Sunflower in Yellow Springs

Photo by jafabrit

Rt 68 north of town on the way to Young's Dairy and opposite Piefers Orchards.

An Informal Dance Event

There is a lot going on during the August 17 Third Friday FIing.  Jill Becker, Jennifer Johnson, Louise Smith, Amelia Tarpey & Marybeth Wolf lead a shared evening of modern dance and theater at the 360 Degree Studio (213 Xenia Ave, second floor) at 8pm.  Support community dance in Yellow Springs!

Use of Public Places Report

Prepared by the

 Use of Public Places Task Force

June-August, 2012

THINK TANK

Richard Zopf, Nevin Mercede, Brian Housh, Dennie Eagleson, Joanne Caputo, Jerome Borchers

Following two Village Council meetings and a Public Forum focused on developing protocols for managing art in public places, the Yellow Springs Arts Council organized a community task force in June 2012.

.......

The Yellow Springs community should work collaboratively on vision and design for its future, with input from any Villagers whose interests may be affected at specific sites. The ad hoc Public Places Resource Group would be charged with creating a comprehensive planning process, involving regularly solicited feedback from the community.

Read More here

Carnival of Souls

Cassandra Graham & Kevin Buntin are our featured artists in the upcoming YSAC Community Gallery Show -- Carnival of Souls.

Join us for the Opening Reception on Friday, August 17 from 6-9pm.  There will be entertainment on the outdoor patio, and it will be a great evening to experience the fantastic figurative art sculptures crafted by these individuals' imaginations.

Art on the Lawn 2012

When: Saturday, August 11, 2012 

Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Where: Mills Lawn School, 200 South Walnut Street, Yellow Springs

The Village Artisans, a cooperative of Miami Valley artists, is pleased to announce their 29th annual fine arts and crafts festival, Art on the Lawn, to be held on the Mills Lawn green, 200 South Walnut Street, in Yellow Springs on Saturday, August 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Village Artisans Blog & FB Page

Village Shots: Cirque Carnival 2012

Patrick Harney by Jafabrit

Scott Stolsenberg took a whole series of fabulous photographs of the Hippie Fashion Show you can see here.