what are we doing again?
I had a wonderful conversation the other day with a brilliant gal who asked me why I was doing La Reunion. A site visit and conversation with someone else yesterday yielded more for me. Hmmmm. Thought I'd speak to that publicly. My personal answer's simple: because I'm passionate about cultivating and sustaining artists and culture in my community. La Reunion isn't my first go with such an idea. After producing independent art shows for a few years, there was this gallery I formed in 2004 where emerging artists had space to present their ideas in all media. Then there was the community arts project I co-founded, steered and managed for a couple of years that connected local artists and businesses through a concept gallery with satellite locations all over Dallas. Most recently, there's the annual underground art event I co-founded that brings all walks of life - expected and unexpected - to reinvest in the local arts economy. La Reunion is the fourth verse of a song I've been singing for years. What started as a lovely kernel of an idea with my pal Catherine has quickly become larger than either one of us had imagined independent of one another.
As a serial social entrepreneur, I can speak about the failures as well as the successes. I know this for certain : An eye toward long-term sustainability is in the fore-front of my mind and it's what keeps me up at night - sustainability with the building, with the programs, with the staff, with the finances. How can La Reunion be an innovative and yet well-oiled machine with a solid business plan and a means to sustain itself long term? It's an invigorating conversation with lots going on in meetings, continuing education, miscellaneous websites and development behind the scenes. Having an idea and doing a little planning is one thing. Execution is another. Stay tuned folks.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 @ 07:06 PM La Reunion
C.O.E.
was feeling awfully nostalgic this afternoon. check out cute paul on the far left. picture from a thousand years ago. way before sarah jane times. course of empire.
Monday, October 29, 2007 @ 03:54 PM my family
weekend update
I attended an artist talk today at Conduit Gallery to hear the lovely Stephen Lapthisophon speak about recent work. He moved here from Chicago a few months back - yay! - and it was a pleasure as always to see him and hear him talk about his work. I have a new appreciation for the installation he did with me several years ago at IR Gallery. I look back fondly on a magical experience.
In other news, pictures from this weekend here on flickr. Who knew mustaches could be so FUN! Takes me back to the mustache party we did at our house a few years back.
Sunday, October 28, 2007 @ 08:36 PM
happy bullets + bishop allen = a dang good show
happy bullets at the granada on oct 25. their new video here. it's awesome. you should watch it.
bishop allen at the granada later that same night. great live show, my gosh. more pics on flickr. a good time and great friends. doesn't get any better than that folks.
Saturday, October 27, 2007 @ 12:41 PM
kids + dog = great memories
all four of us went camping friday night. with the dog. super fun! gorgeous, gorgeous children.
Monday, October 22, 2007 @ 01:16 PM my family
make space for art
After only one month of launching Make Space for Art, La Reunion TX already has three official international registrations and a whole passle of stateside entries. We are about to annouce the jury and do one last push before registrations are due December 17. Entries of course aren't due until January 31. It is amazing to me how people from around the world are interested and hungry for an exciting architectural project such as this one. The international attention gives me sustaining confidence that we are progressing forward with a profound project that has the potential to truly inspire the world on a number of levels. Through the live/work space and its architecture. Through the awesome programs we have developed over the last year. Through the innovative ways we are looking to sustain ourselves over the long-haul. LRTX is the ultimate challenge (both to those creating it and to the community) as it is simultaneously the ultimate dream project. I'm honored to be the director.
Monday, October 22, 2007 @ 08:31 AM La Reunion
state fair
the semrads went to the fair thursday. it was awesome.
Saturday, October 20, 2007 @ 12:50 PM my family
art con III
Wow. My heart might burst with joy. After two years of running the show and running it through other non-profits, Art Con is it's own entity. I sit on the newly formed board and am volunteering where needed. It's wonderfully bittersweet and I'm so so happy to see this thing live. It's such an inspired idea and everyone involved is able to communicate that. There are so many people who make Art Con happen - it's truly humbling. The call for artists went out yesterday and Erica (our art coordinator) is almost maxed out! A testament to a community building event. This year the event will be at The Door or the-venue-formerly-known-as-the-gypsy-tearoom. The music will be awesome as will the art, I just know it! December 9. Mark those calendars now.
Thursday, October 18, 2007 @ 09:41 AM
more marfa talk - this time flavin babble
being in the desert heightens your awareness. makes you conscious of your surroundings and the delicateness of life. when there's not a doctor for a 100 mile radius - you have more appreciation for where your foot hits a rock and if a suspicious noise sounds more like a rattle snake or rat in the trash. the air is heavier somehow because of the altitude and yet the noises of nature are more pronounced. the stars drown out your woes. the smells of a cool dawn make you so happy to be alive. dan flavin's work literally *pops* against this backdrop of experience. stellar.
Monday, October 15, 2007 @ 04:56 PM
marfa 8
well, minus one. taken last night at the kettle exhibit.
wait. what's wrong with my legs?
Sunday, October 14, 2007 @ 10:08 AM
collaboration show
kettle. saturday, october 13, 2007. 7pm-10pm. kettle artists collaborate amongst themselves and with others from the outside to create one-of-a-kind collaboration pieces. um, cathey miller and i are working on a piece together. here's my half of the statement:
it's sex and the city meets the cathedonia 8 bandits crashing through the earth's atmosphere and trying to assimilate into this reality somewhere near marfa, texas. think mike tv / starship enterprise style where even the sky has a hard time coming back into place after the transition. we've landed and each of our distinct personalities visually show up when the warble into earth's atmosphere occurs...
jiri saw my half of the piece done this morning and scrunched up his nose and said "that's just not right". ok. so what are you waiting for? come to the kettle on saturday!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 @ 08:18 AM
home sweet home from the ranch
dear god i miss the quiet and the stars and the 'marfa 8'. a few pics here. the good stuff is yet to come...
Monday, October 08, 2007 @ 09:23 PM
the quinn
the quinn might be one of my fave places to hang out. how many great convos have we all had there so far? eh, lost count. you can't live in oak cliff and go to the quinn and not know about 10 people. and somehow it's refreshing and not incestuous. oh, it's a scene alright. but in the best way possible.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 @ 07:05 AM
oh bother. she's getting all personal again.
There was this person in my life once. He lied, he stole, he cheated. We had each other in a holding pattern of decay and chaos. After 3 years, we had a major falling out. MAJOR. When we parted it was wretched pain for months and for years I even thought he broke my heart. Made me damaged goods - that kind of thing.
It’s crazy – unthinkable, even - but we’re totally friends now. We talked today for a long time on the phone (whilst on my way to Costco for Marfa supplies, of course) and I have this strange compassion for him and me during that time. We talked about mirrors. You know, you surround yourself with mirrors of what your insides are like. You surround yourself with lies, for example, and you’re lying to yourself. Like attracts like and next thing you know it’s a mutual mess – when there’s no Truth in the mix. I know this is prolly obvious to you, kind reader, but I kindof got it today.
I went to this retreat dealio last Spring in Napa Valley. After peeling back layers and layers of unconscious lies, some major shifts happened in my life a mere 17 days after returning. Ripping lies off is like ripping layers of yucky bandaids off and letting wounds breathe. There’s shock. There’s denial. There’s anger. There’s grief. And after a few rounds of that, the pity party is over and the only way to keep oneself in that pitiful place would be to slap another yucky bandaid on and let it fester. We have choice in the matter, after all. And let's face it folks, dirty bandaids are gross. Let's choose kindness, shall we fellow humans?
In other news, we totally tie-dyed shirts the other night. Eva needed one for Girl Scouts.
Daaaang, she's precious.
