Sunday, September 30, 2007

Etsy's ACC Talk Blogcast Trailer

Etsy has posted a cool short video they shot during the talk I gave at the American Craft Council with Rena Tom (Rare Device) on Sept. 20th. It isn't a video of the talk itself, but rather people talking about the ACC and craft and the Salon series, kinda like a trailer. Rena, Jae, and I are all in it, along with Lee Eagle, the former chair of the ACC board who sponsored the Salon series, and Andrew Wagner, the new editor of American Craft magazine. It's pretty cool!

Watch it here!

Rena and I will be posting our tips and links from the talk very soon, and I'll also be posting my review of the new American Craft magazine, a short video of Matt Eskuche blowing glass, and a report from Good Magazine's anniversary bash last night, so stay tuned!

Friday, September 28, 2007

Dumbo Arts Festival this Weekend



Come to Dumbo (Brooklyn) this weekend for the 11th annual Art Under the Bridge Festival, a veritable smorgasbord of open studios, performances, installations, and other artistic happenings! Things kick off today and cook all weekend (Sept. 28-30), day and night.

Jae will be participating in the open studios portion of the festival, and those who make the climb to his studio will be triply rewarded: he's sharing his space with Anders Bergstrom, whose work is also on view right now in our exhibition "Garbage Collection," and Temah M. who makes paintings on canvas and wooden clogs. (You may know her and her work from Shoe Mine down the street from Greenjeans.) A bunch of other 6th floor studios will be open, too.

Jae's studio is at 135 Plymouth St., #603. It's a short downhill walk from the F train at York St. and right next to Dumbo's beautiful waterfront parks. The studio will be open all day Saturday and Sunday, so come check it out!

I'm also looking forward to going out on the water taxi (which runs for free this weekend) to view the art installations along the river. Cool!

And I'll be checking out Seed Collective's sample sale at Rebar (147 Front St., near Jay St.). Radka, the woman who makes the crocheted gold wire earrings that I love to wear, will be there, so for those of you who've wanted to buy a pair for yourself, don't miss it!

Click here to download the program, which includes maps and the schedule of events. (The website itself doesn't seem to be updated.)

The weather is going to be PERFECT this weekend, so get out there and see some art!

Posted by Amy Shaw.
Photo sourced here.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

"Garbage Collection" Opening


We had a great opening reception last night for "Garbage Collection!" Quite a lot of people came, applewood restaurant's food and Jae's sangria were both absolutely scrumptious, and the work looks really good installed all around the space.

There are so many pictures I decided to do a Flickr slide show instead of posting them all here... Enjoy!

Link to slide show here.
(To read descriptions, click on photos in slide show.)

Posted by Amy Shaw.
Photos by Amy Nieporent (thanks, Amy!!) and Greenjeans.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Opening Party for “Garbage Collection” Wednesday Night at Greenjeans!

Come to Greenjeans this Wednesday night (6-9pm) to celebrate the opening of "Garbage Collection," our fall exhibition!

MEET the artists Matthew Eskuche and Anders Bergstrom

TASTE savory treats from Park Slope's delicious Applewood restaurant

GET a free copy of the relauch issue of American Craft magazine

SIP Jae's deeeelicious sangria

SHARE in the merriment!

All are welcome, kids too!

Link to the press release...

Anders (right) lunches with me and Jae during installation on Monday.

Matt is, as I write, in the process of completing over 100 brand new pieces to comprise 8 works of grouped glass sculptures for the show. They will be the latest in his recent series dealing with post-consumer waste for which he creates prodigious replicas of crushed cans, bent water bottles, juice containers, and wine corks freehand from flameworked borosilicate glass. Some of of them will even be mirrorized! The 8 works are made up of anywhere from 3 to 70 pieces, and prices start at $550. I cannot wait to see them -- I'm sure they're going to be absolutely gorgeous (and I suspect they're going to sell fast). Matt's due to arrive from Pittsburgh late Tuesday night with his work hot out of the studio, and we'll be setting up Wednesday, hopefully finishing in time for the opening!

Anders' prints, drawings, and paintings on found paper are all at Greenjeans ready to be hung. We weren't expecting this, but the 30 works we selected to show comprise a de facto 15-year retrospective of his garbage-themed work -- very exciting! In light of this, and because I just think they're interesting, I'm including some of the copper and linoleum plates he used to make prints in the show, as well as some early drawings and a photocopy of the old Dutch painting of a dead hare strung up by the feet that inspired the series of hanging cans. There are a lot of great pieces in the show, and many prints are under $100. I am personally in love with the little monotypes of discarded newspapers printed in blue on brown paper bags... Which to choose?

This will be a great show, and we'd love to see you on Wednesday night!

Posted by Amy Shaw.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Fun and Re-arranging on a Rainy Saturday

Last night, after 2 months of having zero time to unpack or "feather the nest" in any way, I finally was able to spend a few hours settling into our new apartment. I could have started with the messy, box-filled bookcase looming in the living room, or the stacks of boxes littering the bathroom, something high-profile like that. But instead I headed to my closet, 'cause nothing's more depressing than opening up a disaster-area of a closet every day. Well, almost nothing...

Today it's rainy and gray, and if I were at home I'd put some upbeat New Orleans jazz on the stereo and tackle my desk and perk up some corners. But instead, I'm here with Jae at Greenjeans munching a sandwich from Almondine and snacking on berries, listening to Green Day, and cruising online videos for a bit of entertainment before I start working in earnest. Rainy Saturdays tend to get off to a slow start in Park Slope!

In the spirit of it being a perfect day for cleaning and rearranging, I offer you some fun, short stop-action films made by our friend Shawn Liu, starting with one about rearranging their office. Then it's off for a drive through Taipei, and finally a little swing dancing in the subway!



Iridesco office rearrangement from shawn on Vimeo.



Taipei, Taiwan from shawn on Vimeo.



Subway swing dancing from shawn on Vimeo.

Posted by Amy Shaw.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Opening Party for “Garbage Collection” Wednesday Night!


The opening for our fall exhibition “Garbage Collection” is this Wednesday night (9/26) from 6-9pm at Greenjeans!

Artists Anders Bergstrom and Matthew Eskuche will both be in attendance. We’ll also have free copies of the newly re-launched American Craft magazine for you to check out, and of course Jae’s Famous Sangria!

Please join us! All are welcome, kids too!

Cheers - Amy & Jae

Click here to read more about the exhibition.

Posted by Amy Shaw.
Photos: Top, Matthew Eskuche. Bottom, Anders Bergstrom.

Racap of Talk at ACC about Blogging & Craft

Last night was my talk at the American Craft Council with Rena Tom of Rare Device about blogging, craft, and commerce.

The house was packed and the audience seemed very receptive to us. There was a good Q&A session at the end, and people stayed for the reception to enjoy the lovely spread of snacks and yummy “craft wine.”

Happily, the talk went smoothly and we were able to cover almost everything we wanted to in the hour. I learned a lot listening to Rena, and the questions afterwards were very thought provoking, so it was a great learning experience for me. Plus I met a lot of wonderful people that I’ve heard of but never met face to face, including Cynthia Tinapple who traveled from Ohio for the event and has already posted about it on Polymer Clay Daily.

The Indie Craft Documentary and Etsy (shown below left) were there filming the talk, and the ACC recorded it for a future podcast. I will, of course, provide a link to the podcast on the blog here once it’s up!

Rena and I will also post links to all the blogs, website, and tips we mentioned during the talk, so stay tuned for that...

The ACC is doing a great thing organizing these salons, and Lily Kane and Lee Eagle cannot be thanked enough for their vision and effort.

The thing I find most inspiring is the way the salons attract people from every color in the craft spectrum: from DIY crafters to masters of craft traditions, from magazine and book editors to bloggers and zine writers, from board members to up-and-comers.

Not only are all these people in attendance, but they’re also TALKING to each other! It was so exciting to Carmine Branagan, director of the ACC, deep in conversation with Faythe Levine, director of the Indie Craft Documentary, and Callie Janoff of the Church of Craft.

Jae and I started Greenjeans because we love craft, and as we’ve gotten to know the craft world more we’ve become committed to creating space where craft traditions and the craft new wave can co-exist and cross-pollinate. So for us, last night was totally inspiring. We can’t wait for the next one!

Rena and I before the talk.

I love this picture of Rena and her new cropped hair!

Andrew Wagner, new editor of American Craft magazine, introducing us.

We also attended the fabulous party for the newly relaunched American Craft magazine Wednesday night, and I'll be posting about that soon!

Posted by Amy Shaw.
Photos by Jae Kim.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Reminder: Blog Talk at ACC Thursday Night!


Just a reminder that this Thursday night (9/20), I will be speaking at the American Craft Council with Rena Tom of Rare Device about "Blogging the Handmade."

We'll be discussing how blogs help build community and build business, and will share some tips for those interested in starting or strengthening their own blogs. This is the third and final installment of the ACC's very successful Summer Salon Series. (Link to my recaps of the first and second salons.)

The talk starts at 6pm, with a reception following. The address:

72 Spring Street, 6th Floor
(between Lafayette and Crosby)
6 train to Spring St.

Get there early to peruse the ACC's incredible library!

And as an added bonus, Faythe Levine will be there shooting for the Indie Craft Documentary!

RSVPs required -- email education @ craftcouncil.org or call 212-274-0630.

Hope to see you there!

Posted by Amy Shaw
Photo of first salon courtesy of the ACC

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Greenjeans Review: "Viva Vetro!" at Carnegie Museum of Art


While visiting Pittsburgh over Labor Day weekend, Jae and I saw an exceptional glass exhibition titled "Viva Vetro!" at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The show presents 125 works by 60 American and Italian glass artists along with some captivating videos of glass artists at work. It is accompanied by an outstanding catalogue.

In 1962, a type of glass that melts at a lower temperature was discovered, opening up the possibility for glass to be worked as sculpture in a studio setting, and not just in a large factory. This, in tandem with the cross-fertilization of ideas and techniques between scores of American and Italian glass artists after World War II, helped launch the Studio Glass Movement. The exhibition traces this creative evolution.

Not only are many of the works of glass astonishing and beautiful to see up close, but the show includes an excellent educational element with several samples of glass rendered in different techniques that you can read about and touch. No glass expert I (in fact, I find some art glass to be kinda, dare I say it, tacky), these samples and descriptions really brought the exhibition to life for me. (I only wish they were online so I could link them here!)

I realized that the more I learned about the processes and techniques, the more I appreciated the work. And that, as far as I'm concerned, is exactly what a good museum exhibition should accomplish.

Here are some of my favorite works from the show:

Benjamin Moore, Palla Set, 1994, blown glass.

Federica Marangoni, Ciobella Nikes, 1984.

Dante Marioni, Yellow Mosaic Vase, blown glass with murrine, 1998.

Laura de Santillana, Bodhi (Yellow), 2006.

Dan Dailey, Pistachio Lamp, 1972.

This fabulous huge platter was used to show three different variations of the amazing reticello technique. By Salviati & Co. from the 1890s.

Richard Marquis, Teapot Goblet, 1989, blown glass with zanfirico and murrine.

This artist, Emilio Santini, taught Greenjeans artisan Matthew Eskuche at the Penland School of Crafts. This is his Lampadario from 2005.
(Remember to come see Matt's new work in our fall exhibition "Garbage Collection," and meet him at the opening on Sept. 26!)

Josiah McElheny, detail of From an Historical Anecdote about Fashion, 2000, blown glass objects, display case, digital prints. (Photo sourced here.)


The CMA is definitely worth a visit if you're in Pittsburgh. They have an especially strong modern art collection presented with the smartest, most interesting exhibition design I've seen in a long time. "Viva Vetro" is on view only until Sept. 19th, but you can visit them this fall to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their very special Hall of Architecture!

Shown at top: Lino Tagliapietra, Dinosaur, 2005.
Unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy of the Carnegie Museum of Art (from press materials or scanned from catalog).
Posted by Amy Shaw.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

"Garbage Collection" Press Release

September 12, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Shaw
718-907-5835
amy@greenjeansbrooklyn.com

Gallery hours: Tues-Sun, 12-7pm


FALL EXHIBITION: “GARBAGE COLLECTION”
September 26 – November 7, 2007
Opening Reception: Wednesday, September 26, 6:00-9:00pm

This fall, Greenjeans is presenting an exhibition of new work by two emerging artists dealing with the theme of garbage.

Pittsburgh-based glass artist Matthew Eskuche uses clear glass to make amazingly realistic sculptures of crushed cans and plastic water bottles, discarded wine bottles, drinking straws, and other "garbage." Eskuche creates each piece himself through the flamework glassblowing technique for which he is gaining international recognition. The sculptures will be available in groups of 3 – 24 pieces.

Brooklyn-based artist Anders Bergstrom creates graphic still-life paintings, drawings, and prints of individual pieces of garbage. Crushed aluminum cans, stacks of old newspapers, crumpled brown paper bags, and broken baby strollers have been his muse for the past 15 years. Bergstrom often paints or prints directly onto found paper such as New York subway information posters or books he found in the trash around his Bushwick, Brooklyn, home and studio.

An essay written by garbage anthropologist and NYU professor Robin Nagle will accompany the exhibition.

Free copies of the newly re-launched American Craft magazine will be available at the opening reception, and new editor Andrew Wagner will be in attendance.

Both artists will be at the opening reception, which is sponsored in part by Brooklyn’s Applewood restaurant.

Press images available by request.


# # #
Posted by Amy Shaw.
Photos: Top, painting by Anders Bergstrom. Bottom, sculpture by Matthew Eskuche, courtesy of the artist.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Friday, September 07, 2007

Farm Aid Comes to NYC on Sunday


When one thinks “farming,” the first place that comes to mind might not be “New York City.” But as anyone who lives here knows, the Big Apple is packed with food-loving, greenmarket-shopping, rooftop-gardening people who love a great outdoor concert. So it’s just the place for this year’s Farm Aid Festival.

Farm Aid 2007: A Homegrown Festival will sprout up this Sunday, Sept. 9 on Randall’s Island (between Manhattan and Queens) starting at noon. The event will feature a bumper crop of family farm food vendors, interactive exhibits with farmers and activists, and some delicious American music from the rootsy (Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp) to the newfangled (Matisyahu, Supersuckers, the Ditty Bops). All musicians will perform full festival sets. Tickets are still available and start at $52.

Farm Aid started in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds that would help keep farm families on their land. Through their festivals, website, and other activities, Farm Aid works to promote food from family farms, grow the Good Food Movement, and promote fair farm policies. To date, they’ve raised over $30 million for the cause.

Sunday’s event promises to be fruitful and fun, so get out there and enjoy some farm fresh entertainment for a great cause in the middle of our great city!

Visit www.farmaid.org to learn more, or make a donation.

Posted by Amy Shaw.
Originally published on WorldChanging New York.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Conflict Res & Animated Short

Two bits for you today, one nutritious and one dessert!

First, nutrition:

In an under-reported story this week (that appealed to my former life as a student of international relations and peace studies), delegates from Iraqi Sunni and Shiite groups came together in Finland along with a group of conflict resolution specialists for a 4-day meeting. The talks, held in secret and only announced after their conclusion on Monday, included representatives from Northern Ireland and South Africa who shared their experiences of reconciliation and peace-making. The result: an agreement to hold more talks and a plan for resolving Iraq's political disputes through non-violence and democracy. The visionary meeting was organized by the Crisis Management Initiative and the McCormack School of Policy Studies at U. Mass in Boston. It's amazing to me that such a story of hope and real effort toward peaceful conflict resolution was so buried in the papers. You can read more about it here, here and here.

Now, dessert!

(Link to the video on YouTube if it doesn't run here.)



Cousin Jason recently set up a photo studio in his apartment and took over 400 self-timed photos of himself attempting to get one good shot to use on a job application. He'd used our digital camera, and so the pix ended up on our computer. When Jae and I looked through them, they ran together like a flip book with lots of unintentionally funny parts and a pretty neat effect. So I put them to music with a little editing, and voila! Nothing beats making iMovies when there's procrastinating to be done... Enjoy!

Posted by Amy Shaw.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

John Cage Festival on WNYC Wednesday


And now for something completely different:

Tune in to WNYC2 online tomorrow for "24 Hours and 33 Minutes," the cleverly titled John Cage festival starting at noon and lasting, well, 24 hours and 33 minutes!

As written on their website, "Join us for a romp through the kaleidoscopic sonic playground of John Cage, as WNYC celebrates the 95th birthday anniversary of this patriarch of American contemporary music with hours of radio you won't hear anywhere else."

It promises to be odd and wonderful, and I can hardly wait!

Note: it's online only, so click here to tune in or play WNYC2 (under "Public") on your iTunes.

Posted by Amy Shaw.
Photo sourced here.