Not going to Barbara Davis Tonight?

seriously free. one can of beets entry.

Overheard This Afternoon

Diana- "What color is it?"

Aiden- "Color."



Aiden- "Look! Look!"

Erin- "What is it?"

Aiden- "It is it."

Barack "Who's Sayin' That?" Obama's Plan For The Arts

Since the Democratic race will not be decided even after Super Tuesday, the Texas primary March 4th will distribute 228 delegates at a crucial time in the process.

Not that too many people tend to give a shit, but this was forwarded to me recently and it is the first I've heard of a candidate's plan for the arts. Is it bull? People tend to forget a lot of promises after elections but it's a good sign if someone running for office has the chance to think about art (or his employees have enough time to write the email)

Anyone have a piece on arts funding from Hillary, Edwards, Romney, Huckabee or McCain?

Well, I know McCain won't have one.



"An artist friend of mine in Austin, TX contacted the Barack Obama campaign curious to see what the Senator's position on the arts was. This is the reply he received."

Veronica



Dear Mr. Gibbons,

Thank you for contacting us in support of the arts. Senator Obama is a champion for arts and culture. He knows that our nation's creativity has filled the world's libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. As the author of two best-selling books - Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression.

That's why he will reinvest in Arts Education. To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children's creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education. Unfortunately, many school districts are cutting instructional time for art and music education.

Barack believes that the arts should be a central part of effective teaching and learning. The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts recently said, "The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society." To support greater arts education, Obama will:

- Expand Public/Private Partnerships Between Schools and Arts Organizations: Barack Obama will increase resources for the U.S. Department of Education's Arts Education Model Development and Dissemination Grants, which develop public/private partnerships between schools and arts organizations. Obama will also engage the foundation and corporate community to increase support for public/private partnerships.

- Create an Artist Corps: Barack Obama supports the creation of an "Artists Corps" of young artists
trained to work in low-income schools and their communities. Studies in Chicago have demonstrated that test scores improved faster for students enrolled in low-income schools that link arts across the curriculum than scores for students in schools lacking such programs.

- Publicly Champion the Importance of Arts Education: As president, Barack Obama will use the bully pulpit and the example he will set in the White House to promote the importance of arts and arts education in America . Not only is arts education indispensable for success in a rapidly changing, high skill, information economy, but studies show that arts education raises test scores in other subject areas as well.

- Support Increased Funding for the NEA: Over the last 15 years, government funding for the National Endowment for the Arts has been slashed from $175 million annually in 1992 to $125 million today. Barack Obama supports increased funding for the NEA, the support of which enriches schools and neighborhoods all across the nation and helps to promote the economic development of countless communities.

- Promote Cultural Diplomacy: American artists, performers and thinkers representing our values and ideals can inspire people both at home and all over the world. Through efforts like that of the United States Information Agency, America 's cultural leaders were deployed around the world during the Cold War as artistic ambassadors and helped win the war of ideas by demonstrating to the world the promise of America. Artists can be utilized again to help us win the war of ideas against Islamic extremism. Unfortunately, our resources for cultural diplomacy are at their lowest level in a decade. Barack Obama will work to reverse this trend and improve and expand public-private partnerships to expand cultural and arts exchanges throughout the world.

Attract Foreign Talent: The flipside to promoting American arts and culture abroad is welcoming members of the foreign arts community to America . Opening America 's doors to students and professional artists provides the kind of two-way cultural understanding that can break down the barriers that feed hatred and fear. As America tightened visa restrictions after 9/11, the world's most talented students and artists, who used to come here, went elsewhere. Barack Obama will streamline the visa process to return America to its rightful place as the world's top destination for artists and art students.

- Provide Health Care to Artists: Finding affordable health coverage has often been one of the most vexing obstacles for artists and those in the creative community. Since many artists work independently or have nontraditional employment relationships, employer-based coverage is unavailable and individual policies are financially out of reach. Barack Obama's plan will provide all Americans with quality, affordable health care.

His plan includes the creation of a new public program that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health care similar to that available to federal employees. His plan also creates a National Health Insurance Exchange to reform the private insurance market and allow Americans to enroll in participating private plans, which would have to provide comprehensive benefits, issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums. For those who still cannot afford coverage, the government will provide a subsidy.

His health plan will lower costs for the typical American family by up to $2,500 per year.

- Ensure Tax Fairness for Artists: Barack Obama supports the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow artists to deduct the fair market value of their work, rather than just the costs of the materials, when they make charitable contributions.

Thank you again for contacting us. We appreciate hearing from you.

Companion Shows?

on target Maggie?

Are The Contemporary Arts Museum and Barbara Davis Gallery working together? Maggie Galehouse sure makes it seem so in the Chron today...

Charlie Roberts at Rice Gallery

Massive, rough-hewn wunderkammer at Rice courtesy Kansas City bred, Asker, Norway artist Charlie Roberts.

Man, Rice is pretty.

You'll have to stop by to see everything in the cabinet, viewers are encouraged to open the massive doors painted with skulls and expose the nine sculptures in the cabinet including whimsical dogs, tire-eating hyenas, scrap wood birds and a lady giving birth.

From the Museum of Fine Arts Houston

thanks for the vid Quincy!!!

I Hate You Guys

Who says the Patriots are Gonna Win the Superbowl?

53% of b.s. Houston Artblog readers

Who Says They Won't Win?

47% of b.s. Houston Artblog readers

Not too bad of a spread- I'm taking the underdogs!

Go New Jersey Giants!!!!

I Like Going To The Museum.

Maria in Full Regalia

Maria Guzman in party mode with her installation at Lawndale

Something Is Up

and I'm not tellin' you whut.

Here we go!

Big Guns

Zaha Hadid

Barbara Davis will be the site of Imperative Design, an exhibition featuring new furniture designs by seven globally renowned, cutting-edge designers, artists and architects — Zaha Hadid, Mark Holmes, Arik Levy, Ross Lovegrove, Greg Lynn, David Mocarski and Lauren Rottet.

Red Bullshit

For anyone interested in being a total douchebag, I bring you the Red Bullshit Art of the Can Challenge. Please feel free to eat small shards of metal and display the bloody products of your mangled intestines in "a unique custom-designed art space at The Galleria in Houston, Texas."

"Houston has firmly secured its position as an internationally-recognized mecca of visual arts."

All submitted pieces will be critiqued by a prominent panel of judges
from the Houston art community.
(who got roped into that shit?)

Judges will review each piece based on the three Cs —
Creativity (overall idea behind the piece),
Conceptual execution (how well the piece translates the idea)
and Construction (the quality of production/final presentation).

awww... how cute.

Harvesting Baby Fear

new from Cody Ledvina

Short Film Burning a Hole in Your Pocket?

FOTOFEST2008 - Film Program Call for Entries
March 8 - April 6, 2008

Deadline: February 29, 2008

In cooperation with FOTOFEST2008, the 12th international Biennial of Photography and Photo-related art in Houston, Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP) has opened a call for submissions of short films inspired by FotoFest’s two inter-related themes of “China” and “Transformations.”

Whether you have traveled there or not, the subject of China and so many things Chinese have permeated our lives here in the USA. So, if the thought of China inspires you or exasperates you, SWAMP challenges filmmakers from Texas to imagine China by producing a short film on the topic for presentation to international and national audiences during the exhibition (March-April 2008). Films concerning the alternate Fotofest theme of “Transformations,” which are not necessarily about China, will also be considered.

If our distinguished jurors select your short film, it will be screened at a special presentation at the prestigious Brown Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on Saturday, April 5, 2008. In addition, it will be considered for inclusion in the 33rd season of THE TERRITORY (2008-09), SWAMP’s short film showcase series broadcast on Texas PBS stations. Other perks to celebrate adventurous filmmakers and their work include: free April 5 screening tickets for friends and family members; a beautiful FOTOFEST 2008 catalogue; continuous showing at the FotoFest gallery; and whatever else we can think of!

CRITERIA:

• Work must be 10 minutes or less (including credits)
• All ages are invited to submit
• Applicants must be from Texas
• All genre—doc, experimental, narrative—will be considered
• Submit only one work per theme
• New or recent work is preferred; all work must be produced after 2004

TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK, INCLUDE:

• A DVD or VHS screener, labeled with title, year, running time, and your name
• A brief bio (just a few sentences, please)
• Your contact information (phone #, physical address, email)
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope, if you want your screener back (Screeners will not be returned otherwise.)

SEND BY FEBRUARY 29 TO:

SWAMP/CHINA,
1519 West Main
Houston, TX 77006-4709

QUESTIONS?
Call Michelle Mower @ 713-522-8592 x 2 or email swamp@swamp.org

Arroz University Tomorrow

Charlie Roberts
MAMBO JAMBO: Cabinet of the Cosmos
Rice University Art Gallery
January 24 - March 2, 2008

opening January 23rd
5:30 - 7:30pm

ride the train!

"A colossal wooden cabinet will reach almost to the gallery’s ceiling; its open doors will extend toward the gallery’s side walls. Roberts will fill the cabinet with wooden sculptures he will build on site, while the doors will be covered with almost 200 of his detailed paintings."

Wunderkammer anyone?

Dude says he invented the phrase "Mambo Jambo" for the show, but he's sorely mistaken. Seems it is the name of a restaurant in Florida, a record by the Perez Prado Orchestra, a record label and a party night in Kuala Lumpur. Must be taking a shit while he's reading the paper there...

Supersize Factory Modernism

Maria Elena reviews Diverseworks' new installation show, Little Polymorphous, on her blog Medium Art Deco.

Over on Alabama

Dana Frankfort, PROBABLY, 2007

Great bunch of shows at Alabama and Main opened last weekend... Probably at Inman was a nice and subdued, with some of the best work being the more offhand paintings that lent whimsy to the show... Bill Davenport's beheaded Cobra was funny shit...

Peter Lamb, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Savior, 2007

...Peter Lamb curated the show at CTRL Gallery and it was surely the most talked about show of the night... whether it was good or bad (maybe it was only negative to me) everyone had an opinion on "those dipped pieces" by Shane Bradford...

Shane Bradford, Vanishing Point, 2007

Down at Finesilver Leonardo Drew was up doing process oriented accumulations... a lot of white on white, off-white on white, white hairs on white... his large wall installation was alright...

City ArtWorks

Reply to: rreyna@cityartworks.org
Date: 2008-01-18, 5:39PM CST

City ArtWorks, a non-profit organization which brings art enrichment to our elementary schools, is looking for “Art After School” teachers! You must have an art background and enjoy working with children.

-Must make a 9-week commitment.
-One hour classes; once per week.
-$25 per class taught.

Upstairs

I was accosted upstairs at the Lawndale- I guess THIS isn't the most flattering photograph in front of Gabriela Trzebinski's installation... thanks for emailing around for lawfs Karen...

Lynne Rutsky's tons and tons of drawings
After 9/11...













Lynne McCabe had some drawings upstairs
Sketches for Social Sculpture

Give It Up

Less than half of the pics this deserves...








All courtesy Katie Pell from San Antonio...

Maria Guzman "Moving In"

in the back gallery of the Lawndale...
















catch more Maria HERE.