crafthaus2024-03-29T09:44:44ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRichhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/357628182?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://crafthaus.ning.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?groupUrl=invisible-visable-exhibition&user=247iktjijh2x7&feed=yes&xn_auth=noInvisible:visAble is up and is an amazing exhibition!!!!tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-11-05:2104389:Topic:5261622015-11-05T12:45:09.349ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p></p>
<p>Two years ago I was standing in a grocery store line. It was my turn to check out and the cashier said something to me that I didn’t hear, so I politely replied, Pardon? and she responded,</p>
<p>“WHAT ARE ‘YA….DEAF OR SOMETHIN’?”</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718516?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718516?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p><b><i>Surrounded (detail from the installation- whispers to you from under the ear...Never Mind, What are 'ya...deaf or…</i></b></p>
<p></p>
<p>Two years ago I was standing in a grocery store line. It was my turn to check out and the cashier said something to me that I didn’t hear, so I politely replied, Pardon? and she responded,</p>
<p>“WHAT ARE ‘YA….DEAF OR SOMETHIN’?”</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718516?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718516?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Surrounded (detail from the installation- whispers to you from under the ear...Never Mind, What are 'ya...deaf or somethin'? Listen Up!) </i></b></p>
<p><b>Leisa Rich </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>84”x 64”x 84”</b></p>
<p>Installation: Plastic, thread, PLA, fabric, found object, antique lace, recorder: 3D printing, Free motion machine embroidery, stitching</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Yes. Yes, I am</strong>. It took me half a lifetime to admit it and embrace it instead of hide it. I had been making artwork that featured ears for some years and had never shown those works. Then a conversation I had at an art exhibition (shortly after the check out experience) with Leah Owenby about artwork she had made that was comprised of her cast off diabetes test strips and needles became the impetus to do something concrete about the influence of invisible disabilities in creating art and the art created. I needed to bring the important topic of <i>artists making art that is informed by their hidden challenges</i> to light.</p>
<p>Invisible:visAble was born.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714777?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714777?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>I began culling artists from a pool of artist friends, put a call out on social media, and contacted disability groups and the VSA Arts of Georgia, until I had an exciting list of artists who were challenged by invisible disabilities, able to be registered with the Office of Disabilities, and who were making art informed by those challenges. I envisioned an exhibition that gave a voice to artists making work about what they face. It became my imperative to create a space for this conversation so it wouldn’t be “secret” any longer.</p>
<p>Many people live with a disability that impacts everyday life. A “hidden” or “invisible” disability is defined as a serious, on-going, medical or mental health challenge that impedes a completely normal existence but does not usually “show” on the outside. All of the artists lead what can be perceived as fully “normal” lives: they are educators, professional artists, parents, and business people. Every day they privately contend with needles, drugs, treatments, hospitalizations, erroneous assumptions and misperceptions because they ‘pass’ as normal. The artists in this exhibition have Diabetes, Deafness, Spinal Stenosis, Dyslexia, Brain tumors, Pectus Excavtum, Bulimia, Polycystic Kidney Disease, Bipolar/Social Anxiety Disorder, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and other. They make works and make public their feelings and seek to create a conversation about Invisible Disabilities. The participating artists -- from South Africa, the U.S. and Canada -- revel in this challenge and show how it informs their work. It celebrates uniqueness and positivity in the face of adversity.</p>
<p>I had never curated an art exhibition before, but I was now doing so!</p>
<p>It was a long road fraught with obstacles. The excellently situated commercial gallery that had agreed to feature the exhibition ran into some legal challenges with the City of Atlanta during a move, left us hanging for over a year as a result, and then waffled for a few more months until I was forced to locate another space. Luckily, Abernathy Arts Center Gallery had a spot available and offered it. One artist dropped out because the new venue “wasn’t good enough for her” and two for unknown reasons. I was forced to ask two artists to leave the show due to their inability to get key components to me on time. A few of the artists in the show had trouble providing me with essentials, even right up until opening day. Things broke during shipping. The usual challenges for a curator!</p>
<p>(In addition, I had a terrible slip and fall at a department store end of June, and then a really, really, really terrible car accident September 1, bringing me to a screeching halt. However, I rose above these challenges and somehow semi-recovered from my injuries and burns enough that I hauled my sorry butt out of bed and continued on, ensuring that the show remained on track. Nothing was going to stop this labor of love from happening!)</p>
<p>As the artwork photos, statements, resumes and more began coming in from the artists, I realized what an incredible show it was shaping up to be. It blossomed each day into an extraordinary event. I blasted out about it on social media, sent out press releases to every arts group, disability group, schools, businesses, arts organizations, t.v. stations, and more, in the hopes that attendance would be high and that reviews and features might happen. People needed to see this show!</p>
<p>As the date of the exhibition came closer, thoughts of how to get this extraordinary venture out into the greater universe beyond Atlanta became imperative. I wanted a way to connect the far away artists with the reception so they could experience it and meet attendees. My husband has telepresence robots at work, so we borrowed those and brought Linda Wallace from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Lynne Lomofsky from South Africa, and J.Penney Burton from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the opening reception via technology. It was eye-opening and a harbinger of the NOW -- no longer can we term it "the future" -- and an extraordinary experience for all.</p>
<p>The opening reception was a hit. Elizabeth Labbe-Webb from the VSA Arts of Georgia took a head count for us and stopped counting when attendance surpassed 350 people. The robots were a great addition and many people enjoyed interacting with the artists on them. However, the WiFi connection at Abernathy was not the greatest, so we did have bad reception here and there but overall, the feedback was excellent! I haven’t heard of anyone else doing this at an art show. In addition, the artist talk the next day was really wonderful. Each artist present gave a heart-wrenching, funny, poignant look at the impetus behind their art works.</p>
<p>All-in-all, it was a resounding, incredible success and an amazing experience. I am extremely proud of how it turned out. I have given a voice to a topic in art that few do. And that is what art is about. </p>
<p>Below are some images and information about the artists and their works.</p>
<p>I want to thank Crafthaus for the micro grant, money that will be used to assist the artists in covering their shipping and travel costs. There are many more images, but I don't want to show them all to you, as I am doing a book about the project and hope you will check it out when it becomes available!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716321?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716321?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Detaxis </i></b></p>
<p><b>Julie L. Sims </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>30”x 65”</b></p>
<p>Mixed media sculpture and electronics</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718547?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718547?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>J.Penney live from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on telepresence robots at opening reception- in front of her piece</p>
<p><b><i>Rumination </i></b></p>
<p><b>J. Penney Burton </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>variable</b><b> </b></p>
<p>Wire, cloth, polystyrene</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714895?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714895?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>John Rich prepping the telepresence robots at the opening reception. Brook Harris Stevens and Jason Thomson works above him.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058719156?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058719156?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Linda Wallace from Vancouver island, British Columbia, Canada live on telepresence robots and in front of her works</p>
<p><b><i>Ambivalent 1, 2, & 3 </i></b> <b> </b></p>
<p><b>Linda Wallace </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>8”x11” ea</b><b> </b></p>
<p>Handwoven tapestries: Warp: cotton seine twine, Weft: wool, linen, cotton, silk, NFS</p>
<p></p>
<p><b><i>The Journey Back </i> </b></p>
<p><b>Linda Wallace </b></p>
<p><b>2012-2015 </b></p>
<p><b>32.5”x44”</b></p>
<p>Handwoven tapestries: Warp: cotton seine twine, Weft: wool, linen, cotton, silk, NFS</p>
<p></p>
<p>GALLERY VIEWS:</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715091?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715091?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716565?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716565?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715425?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715425?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716790?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716790?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715952?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715952?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>ARTIST TALK:</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058717256?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058717256?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718042?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718042?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716089?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716089?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Some of the ARTIST WORKS IN THE SHOW:<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718281?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718281?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Measured in Time </i></b></p>
<p><b>Brooks Harris Stevens </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>8’x48”x12”</b><b> </b></p>
<p>Photographs, various wool yarns, stainless steel knitting needles, stopwatch, bronzed hand-knitted fabric, knitted pieces marking time, and video. Video in collaboration with Jennifer Seibert</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058717260?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058717260?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Say What? </i></b> <b> </b></p>
<p><b>Ingrid Knox </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>16”x 20”</b><b> </b></p>
<p>Acrylic on canvas</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715597?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715597?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Rumination </i></b></p>
<p><b>J. Penney Burton </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>variable</b></p>
<p>Wire, cloth, polystyrene</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714421?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714421?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>I Can’t Read </i></b> <b> </b></p>
<p><b>Jason Thomson </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>human size</b></p>
<p>Copper, brass: die formed, electric formed, dapped, etched</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b><i>Read It Over </i> </b></p>
<p><b>Jason Thomson </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>human size</b></p>
<p>Copper, brass: die formed, electric formed, dapped, etched</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715958?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058715958?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Waste Studies no. 12 </i></b></p>
<p><b>Katherine Souci </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>16”x18”x 4”</b></p>
<p>Hand dyed, silk screened waste hosiery (Sans Soucie hosiery textile scraps), tying, binding , visible mending</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716139?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716139?profile=original" width="512" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Funnel Chest (detail of apron) </i></b><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Kathy Meliopoulos </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>19”x 24”</b></p>
<p>Chamois leather, pins, marker, thread</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714654?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714654?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Empathy, Perfection Normal Disabled, Teen Heartbreak</i></b><b> </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>19.5”x 26” ea</b></p>
<p>Apron triptych: black canvas, Milagros charms, chamois leather, embroidery and antique gold thread, ink, ribbon</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718405?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718405?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Syringe Cap Brooch </i></b></p>
<p><b>Kelsey Simmen </b></p>
<p><b>2014 </b></p>
<p><b>1.5”x 1.5”x 2”</b><b> </b></p>
<p>Silver, insulin syringe caps, epoxy (hand fabrication)</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b><i>Double Sugar Syringe Brooch </i></b></p>
<p><b>Kelsey Simmen </b></p>
<p><b>2014 </b></p>
<p><b>1.5”x 1.5”x 1”</b><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p>Silver, insulin syringe caps, sugar, epoxy (hand fabrication)</p>
<p><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p><b><i>Syringe Cluster Brooch </i></b></p>
<p><b>Kelsey Simmen </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>4.5”x 3.5”x 1”</b> </p>
<p>Silver, silver castings of sugar insulin syringe caps, (hand fabrication)</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718468?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718468?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>Icon (an homage of gratitude) </i> </b></p>
<p><b>Leah Owenby </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>8”x10”</b><b> </b></p>
<p>Gold-leafed Accu-Chek Active glucometer & test strips</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b><i>Freedom (I am thankful for the tools I have)</i> </b></p>
<p><b>Leah Owenby </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>5”x7”</b></p>
<p>Vial of Humalog insulin, wire, Reese’s and Ghirardelli foil wrappers,</p>
<p></p>
<p>Humalog and Lantus insulin vials, lancets, test strips, and syringes, acrylic paint and rottenstone</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b><i>Dia de los Diabeticos (altar to the sugar gods)</i> </b></p>
<p><b>Leah Owenby </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>10”x15”</b></p>
<p>Humalog and Lantus information leaflets, Dove chocolate wrappers, insulin syringes</p>
<p></p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718440?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718440?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></b></p>
<p><b><i>Surrounded </i></b></p>
<p><b>Leisa Rich </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>84”x 64”x 84”</b></p>
<p>Installation: Plastic, thread, PLA, fabric, found object, antique lace: 3D printing, Free motion machine embroidery, stitching 3500 ears</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716181?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716181?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b>s<i>Triangulation (detail) </i></b></p>
<p><b>Leisa Rich </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>31”x 36”x 1”</b></p>
<p><b>PLA, thread, resin, graphite: 3D printing, drawing, free motion machine embroidery</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p></p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716231?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716231?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></b></p>
<p><b><i>A Patient Copy </i></b> <b> </b></p>
<p><b>Lynne Lomofsky </b></p>
<p><b>2009-2015 </b></p>
<p><b>variable</b></p>
<p><b>Mixed media: paper, photos, pins</b></p>
<p></p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714497?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714497?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></b></p>
<p><b><i>A Braille Poem: Untitled </i></b></p>
<p><b>Maria Ciavarro </b></p>
<p><b>2011 </b></p>
<p><b>27”x16”</b></p>
<p><b>Ceramic, wood, multimedia hand fabrication </b></p>
<p></p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718323?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718323?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a> </b></p>
<p><b><i>Oscillate </i></b></p>
<p><b>Rea </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>5.3”x7x5”</b></p>
<p><b>Nylon Bangle </b><b> </b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716181?profile=original" target="_self"></a><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718706?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058718706?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></b></span></span></p>
<p><b><i>Scabs </i></b></p>
<p><b>Michelle Urbanek </b></p>
<p><b>2013 </b></p>
<p><b>60”x14”x6”</b></p>
<p><b>Organza dress, silk/cotton/wood embroidery threads, hand dyed fabric, cotton batting </b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716296?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058716296?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></b></p>
<p><b><i>Stone Soup Spoon Theory </i></b></p>
<p><b>Lauren Sandler </b></p>
<p><b>2015 </b></p>
<p><b>10”x17”x12”</b></p>
<p><b>Handbuilt with clay </b></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714731?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058714731?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><b><i>The Journey Back </i></b> <b> </b></p>
<p><b>Linda Wallace </b></p>
<p><b>2012-2015 </b></p>
<p><b>32.5”x44”</b></p>
<p>Handwoven tapestry: Warp: cotton seine twine, Weft: wool, linen, cotton, silk</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Coming up soon! Topic: Professionalismtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-09-07:2104389:Topic:5209632015-09-07T11:47:59.353ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>So much has gone on since I last posted here. There has been a whirlwind of minutiae getting ready for Invisible:visAble! It opens on October 30, 2015. The challenges have been many. I debated not writing about what has REALLY gone on during this pre-exhibition time period of well over a year -- we live in a time when everyone is always trying to "look good" and are often not forthcoming with anything but perfection -- but then I realized that my experiences might be an…</p>
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>So much has gone on since I last posted here. There has been a whirlwind of minutiae getting ready for Invisible:visAble! It opens on October 30, 2015. The challenges have been many. I debated not writing about what has REALLY gone on during this pre-exhibition time period of well over a year -- we live in a time when everyone is always trying to "look good" and are often not forthcoming with anything but perfection -- but then I realized that my experiences might be an empathic gift to another newbie curator and maybe also a lesson to artists willing to listen and improve! In my personal life, I always say the one thing you can count on is change and in curating, it is no different. Change can be dealt with, a problem approached, a solution found. Move forward, right?</p>
<p>What CAN'T be dealt with is when you are responsible for several people and some of those people display a lack of professionalism, causing so much extra work and teeth-gritting, making a curator's life a nightmare!</p>
<p>This exhibition has been fraught with challenge since its inception. It has almost been "disabled".</p>
<p>The venue changed after the agreement with the previous gallery was not upheld due to some issues with the City of Atlanta during a move they made and then, once almost moved, I was left hanging even longer, pushing the show back several more months until I had to look for a new venue. The new venue had a space in November. This caused stress in my own exhibition schedule, as I have a collaboration exhibition opening September 18th, and juggling the two shows back-to-back, plus everything else, has been very stressful.</p>
<p>However, the gallery I AM having the exhibition in has no Director, having had only one in a year and a half, and she lasted just 3 months! Three artists have been dropped from the show for various problems of extreme unprofessionalism and diva attitude. I had a huge slip and fall in June with injuries and this past week, a major car accident and am nursing some big injuries from that. </p>
<p>As this is really the first time I have fully curated an art exhibition, I certainly have learned and experienced a LOT. I assumed that since I was doing almost ALL of the work, the artists involved who had agreed to be in the exhibition would happily create the work for the show, get the few things I DID ask for to me in a timely manner, and help promote the exhibition. </p>
<p>This is what I asked for:</p>
<p>1) Art</p>
<p>2) A resume</p>
<p>3) A head shot</p>
<p>4) An artist statement</p>
<p>5) An exhibition agreement</p>
<p>6) Send out on their social media, email lists, etc.</p>
<p>These are standard in the art biz. I always provide curators with these things immediately, and certainly, well before their deadline. I don't expect them to hold my hand nor chase me down for each and every thing. I am respectful and appreciative. </p>
<p>These are talented people I have in the exhibition. A few of the artists have come through in a timely manner and provided everything on time, in full, and with integrity. I knew what they were making, so I could budget space and location of work that would best suit their piece. The information some provided in the way of a statement and resume assisted me in knowledgeably speaking about them, their challenge, and their work as I have been promoting the exhibition. The head shots helped me put faces to names and to use on the wall information I am hand making, so attendees can get to know them better. An exhibition agreement tells me they are serious, they understand what I need and when.</p>
<p>I worked solidly to win the Crafthaus micro grant. </p>
<p></p>
<p>But, many of the artists have made me chase them down repeatedly for these things. As of this writing I still don't have some of this from a few of the artists, despite multiple and direct emails. Some have not replied to a single thing. One pulled out when the venue changed because it wasn't "good enough for my career moves in Atlanta".</p>
<p>This has been several lessons of....what artists should NOT do when they are in a curated exhibition!</p>
<p>I hope that those of you reading this who are artists will take a moment to give respect if you want to be respected. We all live crazy busy lives and curated shows you are invited into are a gift given you that should be cherished and appreciated. Hold up your end of the bargain. Many of us are serious and professional and looking to have good things occur in our careers and be asked over and over again. Go the distance...or get out of the business. </p>
<p></p> Introducing Reatag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-06-10:2104389:Topic:5160242015-06-10T15:18:24.100ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p><span>This is the seventh Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! Rea Rossi prefers to be…</span></p>
<p><span>This is the seventh Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! Rea Rossi prefers to be known as "Rea". This interview is very special to me, since Rea and I share the challenge of deafness. As I curate this exhibition, my hearing in my good ear is diminishing, and I face deafness sooner, rather than later. For Rea and I, creating will be our way of communicating.</span></p>
<p>"I was born with a genetic bilateral hearing loss. Since I was three months old I have worn hearing aids. They clarify and amplify sounds for me, which are otherwise subdued or incomprehensible. Environmental noises, overlapping conversations, and the absence of light are the some of the most challenging obstacles I face. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688427?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688427?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Pulsation</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688385?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688385?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Pulsation: model</p>
<p>I grew up mainstream, in the “hearing world”. Until my junior year of high school I was the only student with a hearing loss. I have faced much adversity in my life because of my disability, but it forced me to be an incredibly hard worker and extremely determined to be successful.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058683509?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058683509?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Reverberation</p>
<p>I do not consider my disability a limitation but it is challenging and it can be very frustrating at times. My disability is an invisible struggle; I seem like a hearing person in many ways and most people think that I am. This misunderstanding can be a challenge in itself. I exist in limbo where I don’t completely fit into the “hearing world” or the “deaf world”, but fortunately, I have a place in both.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058677878?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058677878?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Reverberation: model</p>
<p>I truly blossomed in the dynamic atmosphere at Rochester Institute of Technology, where I earned my B.F.A. degree in Metal and Jewelry Design, from the School for American Craftsmen. It was there that I discovered a sense of self-confidence and identity not only as an artist but also as a person with a hearing impairment. R.I.T. is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Hard of hearing (N.T.I.D.). For the first time in my life, I was among a large community of people with varying degrees of hearing loss. I became immersed in Deaf culture and quickly became fluent in American Sign Language, which I am deeply passionate about.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058687830?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058687830?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Sonorous</p>
<p>In 2013, I earned my master’s degree in Metal/Jewelry/CAD-CAM from Temple University, Tyler School of Art. My experience with hearing loss inspired my MFA thesis work. I explored the concepts of sound waves, overlapping noise, missing segments, distortion and repetition. I wanted to visually express the way I perceive language and sounds.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688011?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688011?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>In Harmony: model</p>
<p>My work is virtually designed, using a 3D modeling program called Rhinoceros. I utilize the process of 3D printing to produce each piece. They are printed in nylon, a strong, light weight and flexible material.</p>
<p>I established a sort of formula to the way each piece is created. I begin by multiplying a single form and array the pieces along a curve that twists and turns. They entwine and interlace with each other; producing a complex network of parts throughout each form.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688554?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058688554?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Aural</p>
<p>I am a studio artist. I experiment and explore various processes, mediums, techniques and concepts in my work. In addition to jewelry, I also create sculpture. Currently I live and work in Philadelphia, where I was born and raised. I am an adjunct professor at Temple University and Towson University. I absolutely love teaching, being an artist and interacting with other creative individuals. I feel very fortunate to have found my passion in life and incredibly motivated to make a career of it. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058678036?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058678036?profile=original" width="533" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Inflection</p> Introducing Lynne Lomofskytag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-05-10:2104389:Topic:5142982015-05-10T18:47:20.132ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p><span>This is the sixth Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer!</span></p>
<p>“I was…</p>
<p><span>This is the sixth Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer!</span></p>
<p>“I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1995, and underwent 10 months of chemotherapy.<br/> The physical changes to my body wrought by the chemotherapy urged me to embark on an investigation, down to a cellular level, to discover a visual language with which to depict both my own illness and that of the ill body in general. I began documenting, collating and recording my medical treatments and diagnostic procedures and experiences, which were then distilled into a collection of objects and images which were initially created by medical technology. These were combined metaphorically and symbolically, to create new meanings and visual images that moved away from the purely diagnostic, that decontextualised and demystified my disease and it’s treatment and investigated the condition of the medical patient."<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058680000?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058680000?profile=original" width="340" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">Chemo Hand' 1999 ( xerox on paper and acetate collage)</span></strong></p>
<p>"In <span class="s1">her paintings she moves </span>from the particular to the universal. Cancer engenders physical and psychological fragmentation, and my principal metaphor for such self-dispersion is the dissolution of the trunk into a patchwork quilt of implants. The broken body is a hodgepodge of scraps of cutout paper precariously secured to each other by white round-headed pins evocative of lymph nodes or, thread applied like surgical stitching, or scabby clots of impasto. Rifts and seams, redolent of gashes and scars, suggest imminent disintegration. Paint becomes distempered skin. It puckers, creases, mottles, and erupts into pustules, or trails down the canvas like a discharge weeping from a sore.” </p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">From a review by Lloyd Pollak of Body Of Evidence, 2003</span></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058677683?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058677683?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">Self Portrait( Be Careful How You Look) 2010</span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">( gouache on paper)</span></p>
<p>I had a right brain stroke in 2009 and I have been, and am still, struggling with every aspect of my life. Just getting through the day and all the demands of life make me completely exhausted. I still make art because it feels good and is the one aspect of life I still find enjoyable and stimulating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058674048?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058674048?profile=original" width="366" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">UNTITLED 2000 </span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">(Cyanotype on fabriano)</span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1">Life is hard enough without a disability.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058677292?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058677292?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><strong><span class="s1">Humour Me 2012</span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">mixed media installation</span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p>I struggle with fatigue, depression, visual disabilities as well as the executive function of my brain. By the time I have gotten through the daily chores and cleared the time and space - physical temporal and mental space - to get down to work I feel as if I have been walking through soup and only once I sit down to paint do I feel a sense of relief and my anxiety dissipates enough to concentrate for a half hour at a time.”</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058678041?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058678041?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><strong><span class="s1">A spectator viewing Cancer Ward L.E. 32. </span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">1997</span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">(Enlarged photograph by Sue Kramer and theatre sheet curtains and curtain rails mounted on board)</span></strong></p>
<p></p> Introducing Brooks Harris Stevenstag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-04-19:2104389:Topic:5128322015-04-19T19:27:18.163ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p><span>This is the fifth Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! …</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>This is the fifth Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! </span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058665393?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058665393?profile=original" width="720" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p>Time & weight are two factors that I did not have to consider not so long ago. Daily reminders of weight constraints fly frequently in my thoughts as does time. Heavily burdened by the impact of weight and time have altered not only my studio practice but also my life, forever. Not being able to carry, move or lift over 15 pounds means that I cannot personally lift heavy materials. Good-bye days of working with 275-pound stones, so long days of working with heavy materials and not to mention picking up a box that needs to be moved, see you later days of working for 8 hours. Additionally, the act of sitting too long, typing on the computer or stitching, cutting, felting, screen-printing, crocheting, knitting or any other tedious act creates terrible pain in my neck and shoulders. Stretching, ice, heat, traction, physical therapy; repeat as necessary. Needless to say the combination of these constant aggravations has changed what materials I work with and the processes I choose to make work. </p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058676929?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058676929?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Through determination, a positive attitude and with loving family support, I have learned to work with these adaptations to keep on making work and living my life. Adapting my studio practice and how I work has given me challenges that I have hopefully overcome, but ultimately know that working as I once lived will never be again.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058675979?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058675979?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>(Images of work in progress. Final dimensions not determined at this time)</p>
<p></p>
<p><i>Adaptive Rituals</i> has been the focus of my most recent body of work.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The work in <i>Adaptive Rituals</i> have helped me alter my studio practice by incorporating and learning from my limitations, as they are now a part of my daily life. Using lightweight materials to create multiples has given me a way to work around weight and scale when creating an installation. The repetitious act of making and re-making of objects during the creation of work is not an end but rather a place of discovery and understanding. This space allows for a stronger understanding of rituals. The significance of making or un-making of each piece, my ritual, is often seen as a sign of grief or mourning; mourning of past abilities.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058676046?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058676046?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a> </p>
<p>The work that I am creating for Invisible:VisAble has been therapeutic and rewarding as I often do not discuss my limitations with most people. The repetition of smaller pieces to create a whole, video, time and weight all blend together for this exhibition. Focusing on rituals and adapting physical limitations in my daily life, the works made for this exhibition have become a part of a larger exploration. This infinite sense of discovery and hopefully the act of play is what keeps my sense of curiosity and wonder quenched.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Seeking more artists for Invisible:VisAble- do YOU know someone to recommend?tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-03-31:2104389:Topic:5115062015-03-31T11:40:16.441ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p>I am seeking some really great, positive artists whose art is informed by an "invisible" challenge. Are you an artist doing work conceptually inspired by epilepsy? Depression? Bipolar? Deafness? or? Do you know an artist who you might recommend?</p>
<p>The idea for this exhibition happened when my deafness -- the most challenging of my medical issues and something I pretended didn’t exist for most of my life -- began insinuating itself into my creative fiber art practice. I saw it in art…</p>
<p>I am seeking some really great, positive artists whose art is informed by an "invisible" challenge. Are you an artist doing work conceptually inspired by epilepsy? Depression? Bipolar? Deafness? or? Do you know an artist who you might recommend?</p>
<p>The idea for this exhibition happened when my deafness -- the most challenging of my medical issues and something I pretended didn’t exist for most of my life -- began insinuating itself into my creative fiber art practice. I saw it in art works I kept secret in the studio. Why keep it a secret, I wondered? I spoke with a friend, Atlanta artist Leah Owenby- whose diabetes inspires her to create artworks that incorporate her test strips and needles, and another artist, whose intricate imagery clearly speaks of seizure-affected brain “wiring”. Exhibitions showing this work are rare and it became a personal imperative to create a space for this conversation so it wouldn’t be “secret” any longer. </p>
<p>We know that artists incorporate and heal via the work they make. But do we know how many? In this exhibition I am hoping to encourage more understanding of what it means to live with challenge(s) not readily obvious on the exterior, how artists deal with this via their visual art making, and ways to engage the community in exploring this topic.</p>
<p>Every day the artists in this exhibition privately contend with needles, drugs, treatments and/or hospitalizations, while dealing with erroneous assumptions and misperceptions because we look absolutely normal but must sometimes do things outside what society considers normal because of our conditions. Art puts these challenges into perspective. Through manipulating yarn, thread, canvas, fabric, graphite, paper, paint, mixed media, metal and other materials we make art and make public our feelings.</p>
<p>It is these shared experiences that break down barriers between humans and lightens the load, but only if we know they are shared. Why is it often a secret? This exhibit will help us to find out.</p>
<p>Dates: October 30-November 27, 2015</p>
<p>Location: Abernathy Arts Center Gallery, Sandy Springs (Atlanta) Georgia</p>
<p></p>
<p>Participating Artists:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brooks Harris Stevens- U.S., Associate professor of Fibers, Eastern Michigan State U</p>
<p>J.Penney Burton- Canada, artist, art educator, art writer</p>
<p>Linda Wallace- Canada, Artist: hand woven tapestry, writer</p>
<p>Leisa Rich- U.S., (Canadian) artist, art educator, art writer,CURATOR of this exhibition</p>
<p>Michelle Urbanek- U.S., school teacher, artist</p>
<p>Katherine Soucie- Canada, fashion designer, artist, educator, writer</p>
<p>Leah Owenby- U.S., gallery assistant, artist</p>
<p>Kathy Abernathy Meliopoulos- U.S., artist</p>
<p>Lynne Lemofsky- South Africa, artist</p>
<p>Julie Sims, U.S., Visual artist and photographer</p>
<p>Jeanne Hewell-Chambers, U.S. Visual Artist </p>
<p> </p>
<p>PLEASE CONTACT ME AT monaleisa@bellsouth.net</p> Introducing Leah Owenbytag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-02-26:2104389:Topic:5096742015-02-26T00:37:23.539ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p><span>This is the fourth Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! Leah Owenby was really…</span></p>
<p><span>This is the fourth Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! Leah Owenby was really the impetus behind this project. I met her early last year and was blown away by the art she had constructed using her used diabetes test strips and needles. Her lively, engaging personality put a positive perspective in a negative and matched the way I had lived my life, never using my challenge of deafness as an excuse for not living fully. I will let her tell the story!</span></p>
<p><span>"</span>This January marked the 17<sup>th</sup> year since my diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. I think back on the thousands of injections of insulin and glucose tests I’ve done since then and the numbers are dizzying. The numbers and repetition involved in successfully managing this disease are mostly what fascinate me and come through in my art. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058662058?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058662058?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058658886?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058658886?profile=original" width="580" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>I check my blood sugar between 4 and 7 times a day. At least every time I eat, but often before and after exercise, before driving if it feels funny, and before bed. Each reading has a pretty immediate impact on my mood, and sometimes my outlook in general. Often, I can feel whether it’s low or high. It’s usually high if I’m stressed or sick or it’s the holidays. That’s the time of year when everyone hands you boxes of truffles and fudge, and get upset if you try to refuse. Being raised a polite Southerner, I always take their gifts, appreciate the spirit in which they are given, and immediately hand them off to someone else with a working pancreas. Sometimes I slip, but it’s usually not worth how crappy I feel afterwards. It’s hard because stress, lack of sleep, and rich food always elevate blood sugars, and elevated blood sugars tend to lead to stress, lack of sleep, and the craving for rich food. When my blood sugars are high, I feel sleepy and snappy. When they’re low, I feel weak, nervous, and sweaty. I started taking “selfies” of my readings, and am thinking of making a short film or something with them. I think my fascination with repetition definitely comes thru in these…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058659726?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058659726?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>The glittery, colorful, wrappers of the holidays got me thinking about the double-edged sword of candy in my life, too. You always hear about diabetics carrying candy around in case their blood sugar drops, but you also hear about how beneficial less sugar/low-carb diets are. I can’t make a habit of eating candy, because it could kill me slowly, but it’s a literal lifesaver if my blood sugar drops. This somehow led me to the imagery of El Dia de los Muertos. Those spooky little sugar skulls, the colors, the death… I like it. So I’m toying with two ideas- a “dia de los diabeticos” altar of sorts, and insulin-bottle birds with candy wrapper wings. We’ll see what comes of it.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058660159?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058660159?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>It’s a little surreal to be in a show like this, for a long time I didn’t make any art about diabetes. I spent a long time being angry and isolated about it. I think it needed time to incubate because I needed to make enough emotional peace about it that I could be objective about the art part. I’m glad I finally did, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be in this exhibition!"</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058657221?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058657221?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p> Introducing Michelle Urbanektag:crafthaus.ning.com,2015-01-04:2104389:Topic:5058282015-01-04T22:26:03.828ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p><span>This is the third Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! </span></p>
<p><span>I met…</span></p>
<p><span>This is the third Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer! </span></p>
<p><span>I met Michelle when she took an Artistic Genealogy workshop from me a couple of years ago. We have stayed in touch and I believe that the valuable insights she unearthed while taking the workshop have benefitted her progress through a difficult, daily challenge. Her art work continues to progress and is helping her to deal, and hopefully, heal. I'll let her talk about her challenge! </span></p>
<p>"The creative process for making pieces for Invisible:VisAble was a slow start at first, because I wasn’t sure how I was “disabled” by my disordered eating. Yet, as I continued to sketch in my visual journal, it became clear that there was anger. Anger at being frustrated. Frustrated by making mistakes. Mistakenly judging that as unworthiness. I was writing (or drawing) myself off as being damaged. And that had me angry again, so the cycle continued. Being unbalanced does not equate <i>damage</i>. It means that I have to be more mindful than I normally allow myself. And when I don’t remember to allow myself, I fall off kilter </p>
<p>easily.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058647046?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058647046?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>So once I realized this, the creative process was flowing. I decided to make some of my journal sketches into thread sketches. But everything seemed so unsophisticated; I really wanted to make sophisticated art. My inner child kept shouting out stories and phrases, so as I included them into my drawings, I noticed that this book was cumulating into a fabric “sketchbook.” And yet, that story wasn’t quite ready to be written because I never could come to finishing it! Instead I noticed that most of the drawings had these serpent arms in some way or another. I decided to follow this instinct with the notion that, my gift is a curse; my curses are my gifts. It’s a double edged sword of being “burdened” as an artist. This beautiful gift can be a curse – but being an artist is who I am. Sometimes I wear it proudly, and sometimes I feel shackled to chains. What I have seen through this entire process, however, is the face of my bulimia. It’s me, it’s my way of trying to control everything. The arms have been seen throwing bombs bigger than airplanes; they are often at my back. And then again, they frequently can be seen oozing out of contained boxes, holes, doorways, people... these arms are my strengths and weaknesses, my darkness and my </p>
<p>light. My Bluebeard’s Closet.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058646170?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058646170?profile=original" width="746" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>But I wouldn’t have gotten here without sketching all the time recently. I became afraid of drawing when I became a teen; it’s just something that I fell out of doing. Then I learned to shove all of my emotions inside – only to reappear in a bulimic fashion. During those teenage years, I was fully developing Depression, and then finally blossomed into my bipolar self. So Who I Am, not who am I? This is the language I am relearning to speak. I am learning how my self-proclaimed curses are truly my gifts.</p>
<p>I love to draw with the thread, maybe it’s the piercing action, the finality and intention of it. It is meditative, and when I do it right, I feel in the moment. I can’t stitch without being present. I wish this would transfer to things like cooking or cleaning, or exercising… but that’s a gift of imperfection. I let go of who I think I’m supposed to be, and embrace who I am – in small doses. :)"</p>
<p><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058647873?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></p>
<p><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058646247?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></p>
<p></p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058647361?profile=original" target="_self"><br/></a></p>
<p>For more information regarding mental illness, I highly recommend TEDx at <a href="http://www.ted.com/playlists/175/the_struggle_of_mental_health">http://www.ted.com/playlists/175/the_struggle_of_mental_health</a></p>
<p></p> Introducing Linda Wallacetag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-12-15:2104389:Topic:5044912014-12-15T02:24:15.882ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p>This is the second Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer!…</p>
<p></p>
<p>This is the second Artist Spotlight that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some insights they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer!</p>
<p><span class="font-size-6"><b>Invisible:VisAble Artist Spotlight</b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"><b>Linda Wallace<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058639851?profile=original" target="_self"></a></b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058639851?profile=original" target="_self"></a></b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058639851?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058639851?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="597" class="align-center" height="942"/></a></b></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Ambivalent</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>The creation of works for this exhibition has been an<span> impetus in moving positively forward as Linda recovers, and has </span>helped her navigate the path to accepting her new reality. You can see more of Linda's work at <a href="http://bletheringcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/05/linda-wallace.html">http://bletheringcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/05/linda-wallace.html</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>"My first brain surgery, in 2006, was to remove a tumor pressing on the optic nerve and causing holes in my vision. It went well, with a few minor glitches, and my vision was restored to its previous astigmatic glory. All was good, until a routine MRI found a new tumor in the same area. And so began a process that took me through: very invasive brain surgery with part of my skull dismantled and put back together with tungsten straps, six weeks of stereotactic radiation, shingles on my scalp during the radiation treatments, which led to disseminated zoster (the shingles virus throughout my system, including my cerebrospinal fluid….and, therefore….in my brain). </p>
<p>The medical world is content with the results of the treatment, despite the damage. And, I’m okay with that. I’m alive, I can function, I can see….and I am steadily reintegrating myself with my creativity and with the making of my art.</p>
<p>The initial difficulties were huge. I was lost in a miasmic brain fog and felt a bit like an untethered balloon, drifting, bouncing, getting tangled up. </p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058651985?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058651985?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058649674?profile=original" width="406" class="align-center"/><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058651798?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-right"/></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>The Journey Back</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>Reading was physically and intellectually challenging. I couldn’t drive. Speech was difficult: My mouth/tongue/teeth were clumsy in forming and speaking the words, and the language itself was somehow lost. I would have the ‘sense’ of what I wanted to communicate, but the words wouldn’t come to me. It was easier to communicate digitally because the process is a bit slower, and the pauses needed to find the right word were not noticeable.</p>
<p>My sense of balance was damaged, as well as the peripheral vision in both eyes.</p>
<p>My understanding of spatial concepts was damaged. My manual dexterity is affected by it, as was the ability to translate directions into the appropriate physical act. It was also difficult (impossible, at first), to comprehend how to translate what was in my mind’s eye, through my hands and onto drawing paper or warp threads. Initially, I could no longer understand ‘how’ to calculate the number of warp threads I would need, ‘how’ to wind off an appropriate length of warp or put the warp onto the loom. The simple actions of ‘one thread forward, one thread back’ and ‘over one, under one’ were confusing and physically difficult.</p>
<p>During my convalescence I was introduced to the new understanding of neural plasticity and decided I would resist the urge to drift and accept. Instead, I resolved to work toward helping my brain and body either restore previous ability or adapt to the changes. I also made the decision to work my way back to being an artist, to weaving tapestry, to drawing. It’s been three years.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058640552?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058640552?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>The large tapestry (32” wide x 48” high) was begun nearly two years ago. The initial warping took me weeks, with friends coming over to straighten out my mistakes, and me getting tangled up again. Once the loom was warped and the warp spaced and tensioned, I had to face the reality that what had once been an automatic, muscle memory was now a laborious process of weaving one warp at a time, making mistakes, going back, starting over. </p>
<p>Eventually, I was ready to try to weave tapestry again. The first six inches were created as a spontaneously directed exploration of rectilinear shapes. Using strong colours and feeling my way, I began to relearn what I’d lost. Then, those six inches sat there while I tried to decide what to do next. I drew possible cartoons created imagery, but couldn’t get it ‘right’. My work has always been conceptually driven, but I wasn’t researching. Eventually, suddenly, I comprehended the reality. Weaving those six inches was the beginning of my journey toward a restored self. As in all good journeys, I didn’t know where it would take me but I knew I had to go. That day, I sat at my drawing table and sketched the imagery for the central portion of the tapestry: instead of creating a symbolic narrative representing an intellectual response to conceptual ideologies I created the symbolic narrative of what it felt like inside of ME. The new ME. The imagery even managed to capture what my post-surgical vision feels like. To ME.</p>
<p><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058640168?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></p>
<p>I’ve learned many things on this journey back. Rather than be intimidated by the possibility of embarrassment (mine or the people I’m talking to), I’m honest and matter of fact about my sudden lapses of memory, my diction that can be a bit slurry, my search for words. I explain, and repeatedly ask people to remind me of their names. Yoga has increased my strength of body and given me an easiness of soul. Plus, my new core muscles and active feet and ankles prevent me from falling over. </p>
<p>People tell me I’m strong. I am. Prior to the start of this journey, I didn’t know that. My new self may have disabilities, compared with my earlier version of self, but I’m growing to truly like and accept who I have become."</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Introducing Kathy Abernathy Meliopoulostag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-12-05:2104389:Topic:5039242014-12-05T21:39:13.698ZLeisa Richhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/LeisaRich
<p>This is the first Artist Spotlight I am doing that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some information they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer!…</p>
<p></p>
<p>This is the first Artist Spotlight I am doing that will feature artists participating in the Invisible:VisAble exhibition. Every couple of weeks I will introduce you to one of the participants, give a little information about them, and include some information they provide me with about their art, challenge(s), what they are working on...I have left it up to the artists what they would like to include! Please do leave comments; we would love to hear what you have to offer!</p>
<p><span class="font-size-6"><b>Invisible:VisAble Artist Spotlight</b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"><b>Kathy Abernathy Meliopoulos</b></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058645378?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058645378?profile=original" width="454" class="align-full"/></a></b></span></p>
<p><b>Invisible Disabilities: Pectus Excavatum or Funnel Chest; Spasmodic Torticollis or Cervical Dystonia</b></p>
<p><b>Kathy is working on several new pieces for the exhibition. She talks here about the apron series, and the challenges that led to the creation of these art works. Learn more about her art works on her website at <a href="http://www.kmeliopoulosart.net">www.kmeliopoulosart.net</a></b></p>
<p>Apron Drawings</p>
<p>“I started working with chamois leather many years ago. It was a vehicle for making art related to things "under my skin". These were personal pieces that were sometimes memoir oriented. The black aprons serve as a substrate- a context signifying a woman's work uniform and protective cover.</p>
<p>I have a malformation of the sternum known as Pectus Excavatum or Funnel Chest. It manifested gradually and was diagnosed when I was ten years old. I had major surgery to attempt to correct it when I was fifteen. The surgery was partially successful. This condition causes a concave depression in the middle of the chest that in turn presses on the heart and lungs. It is cosmetically abnormal and can cause heart murmur, difficulty breathing and exercising. There is simply less room in the chest cavity for the heart and lungs to fully expand.</p>
<p>Teen Heartbreak Apron is about the psychological effects of funnel chest. When I was a young teen I became very conscious of my physical appearance. I did not want anyone to see the dent in my chest and was always avoiding bathing suits, etc. I read Romance comics and used to draw my own comics in the style of Teen Heartbreak Apron. Like all young girls, I was trying to figure out the dating world, boys - the usual stuff. However, in looking at the future I was terrified that nobody would ever find my body attractive. Even after the surgery, I still have a significant depression and a horizontal scar all the way across my chest. The surgical procedures are much more advanced now but patients often have to have the surgery repeated. Teen Heartbreak apron expresses the fears I experienced as a young teen. The milagros charm (miracle) represents a wish for a healthy heart (organ) as well as finding love someday.</p>
<p>Empathy Apron is a tribute to Frida Kahlo. It shows her many corsets and casts used to stablize her spine after surgery. I have always admired her as an artist who faced a lifetime of physical pain and yet continued to create meaningful, beautiful paintings in spite of her disabilities. One of the panels shows a female with funnel chest. We share a love of art and a disability located in the torso. The milagros chosen for this apron symbolize that empathy. This empathy can be expanded to include sensitivity to others with disabilities as well.</p>
<p><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058643491?profile=original" width="451" class="align-full"/></p>
<p>I am now working on a third apron. It will be a "perfect torso". I am thinking of the spectrum of what we consider to be perfection, normal and disabled. None of us is perfect, we all fall somewhere in between.”</p>
<p>Spasmodic torticollis is an extremely painful neurological movement disorder that causes the neck to involuntarily turn to the left, right, upwards and/or downwards. Symptoms include pain, tremor, head tilt and turn, jerky movements or an involuntary sustained prolonged position. Symptoms can worsen while patient is walking or during periods of increased stress. There is no cure but symptoms can be managed with medication and injections of neurotoxin into the neck muscles every three months.</p>
<p><b>“</b>My neck muscles are constantly active and pulling my neck and head into undesired positions. Every waking minute is spent managing this activity. My balance is off, my head tilts so I see everything at a slight angle. I can only work on my art for about 2-3 hour increments because I have to recline and rest my neck muscles periodically in order to resume an upright position. The injections minimize the spasms by weakening the muscles, which in turn makes it harder to hold my head up. When I was first diagnosed, I did a drawing reflecting my feelings. My art is a filter that reflects my life experience. With this condition it is difficult to engage in a simple conversation (I must position myself to accommodate the direction my neck will turn) pose for a photo (can't hold my head still for more than a minute or two). This makes socializing at openings and events very difficult. The symptoms worsen with stress, so it becomes a vicious cycle. The isolation of being a studio artist is helpful in that I can work in private and set my own schedule and pace. The beautiful thing is that when I am painting or drawing I forget about my impairment because my brain is otherwise engaged. Creating art is vital to me because it overrides my hidden disability.”</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058639900?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058639900?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058640513?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058640513?profile=original" width="622" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>