Culture Surfing

Role Model Citizen by Fahamu Pecou

As usual, here are a few arts events to add to your weekend roster. Also, don’t forget about the Hense exhibition at The Rail Yard and the Kvares show at Beep Beep. This weekend’s art scene is chock-full so enjoy.

FRIDAY (Today)

Head to Castleberry Hill’s tattoo parlor/art gallery City of Ink to check out John Hairston Jr.’s vivid, realistic graffiti-style art. His latest work, Hollywood Africans, celebrates the life and career of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Walk away with a unique perspective on one of the world’s first African American art greats and maybe even some new ink. Free. City of Ink. 404-525-4465. www.thecityofink.com/.

Fresh from the NYC fashion scene House of Diehl’s Style Wars hits Atlanta runways. Watch designers battle head-to-head and make killer creations in 5-minute knock-out rounds. It’s Project Runway on crack! $15-$20 7:30 p.m. Opera. 404-874-0428. www.houseofdiehl.com/stylewars.

SATURDAY

Eyedrum’s First Annual Ear Ball is sure to satisfy all your aural cravings. The event–originally conceived as a fund raiser–is a showcase of the works of a diverse pool of local sound artists. Whether you’re into jazz improv or are looking for some electronic soundscapes Eyedrum’s got you covered. Pay what you can. 12 p.m.-2 a.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org.

Get This! Gallery is housing Atlanta neopop artist Fahamu Pecou’s first solo show. Whirl Trade was inspired by Pecou’s travels in Africa and explores the interpretations and misconceptions of blackness in African-decended communities. Through images that are arranged as faux magazine covers he sends a powerful message about popular media and the power of influence. Free. 7-11 p.m. Get This! Gallery. 678-596-4451. Gethisgallery.com.

SUNDAY

It’s Pecha Kucha time! Volume 14–the last of the fall season–is titled Back to Basics. The diverse roster (including CL favorite Danielle Roney and former mayoral candidate Kyle Keyser) promises to provide some tasty food for thought and make for lots of candid conversation. Free. 7 p.m. Octane Coffee Lounge (Westside). www.atlantapechakucha.com.

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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: Eyedrum swells with visitors during a recent art opening for Tweet Design's second annual Day of the Dead show on Oct. 23.

It’s appropriate for Eyedrum that, even when discussing such a mundane subject as financial viability, the arts organization’s board chairman, Allen Welty-Green, speaks in terms of colors.

“Using the threat advisory scale, I’d say we were code red in July, then orange, and now we’re down to yellow,” he says. “Sometimes it takes a crisis to give you a wake-up call.”

Welty-Green is referencing Eyedrum’s mid-year near-death experience, when the organization found itself unable to scrape together enough money to pay rent — again. At the time, the board issued an S.O.S. in the form of a press release titled “Eyedrum may soon call it quits,” which threatened the potential “demise of Atlanta’s longest-running alternative art and music space.”

But that was then.

Continue Reading “All eyes on Eyedrum”

(Photo by Alan Friedman)

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Eyedrum Gallery is hosting a Day of the Dead art show that opened on Oct. 23 and will run through Nov. 29. Artists from all over the country decorated over 80 miniature coffins to display at the show. Patrons of the art gallery were treated to a performance from Uncle Daddy and the Kissin’ Cousins along with the portrayal of a colorful part of Mexican culture.

(Photos by Alan Friedman)

Click on the picture above to check out more photos from the show.

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"Autobiography: Egypt (Cairo Resdential) 1974," by Howardena Pindell. Join the artist for a talk Sat., Oct. 24.

Here’s the weekly rundown of the fiercest arts events happening around town this weekend.

TONIGHT (Friday)

Tweet Design presents their Second Annual “Day of the Dead” art show at Eyedrum. The show features over 80 mini-coffins decorated by artists from all over the country. See this cool tribute to the departed and join them from 8pm-12 am for their opening night fiesta. Get ready for some mean sangria, tasty taquitos and tunes from Uncle Daddy and the Kissin’ Cousins. Free. 8 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org.

SATURDAY

Howardena Pindell stops by the Sandler Hudson Gallery to discuss her latest exhibition, “Autobiography: Strips, dots, and video drawings”. The show includes work from Pindell’s 25-year career.  Most known for her use of varied techniques and mixed-media works, her work also explores a multitude of socio-political issues such as racism and feminism. Free. 2 p.m. Sandler Hudson Gallery. 404-817-3777. www.sandlerhudson.com.

Ever wonder how your favorite old-school Saturday morning cartoons came to life?  Through ASIFA-Atlanta’s “Animation Draw” you can get a little insight. This workshop presented by WonderRoot Community Arts Center explores the core principles of traditional hand-drawn animation. By the end of this five hour workshop you’ll have learned how cartoons are made and have  several short animations of your own to brag about. Free. 2 p.m. WonderRoot Community Arts Center. 404-254-5955. www.wornderroot.org.

For the first time ever Brotherman Comics is showcasing their unique brand of comic book art in exhibition format.  “Drawing from the Soul: The Official Brotherman Comics Art Experience” opens Saturday night and gives fans an inside look into the Brotherman World.  See how the creators go from concept to development to finished product and craft an original philosophy and an edgy visual experience along the way. Free. 7 p.m. Studio Clout. 404-688-2787. www.studioclout.com.

SUNDAY

The Marcus JCC of Atlanta invites you to “Lunch and Learn with Lorraine Peltz.” The latest exhibition of the Artist’s work–”Excellent Hostess: Paintings and Works on Paper”– is an homage to her mother’s survival of the Holocaust.  The series of paintings contrasts the exterior world with an interior space of comfort and memory. Go for the talk. Stay for the lunch. Free. 11:30 a.m. Dunwoody, The Marcus JCC of Atlanta. 678-812-4000. www.atlantajcc.org.

The Contemporary developed a day of sculpture and photography activities for the family inspired by Corin Hewitt’s “Seed Stage”.  “Seed Stage”–presented at the Whitney in NYC–investigated the processes of harvesting, consuming, building, documenting, and recycling.  For months the artist worked in an exhibition space/science lab/kitchen/art studio as an audience watched.  After an educational day of family fun make sure you check out Hewitt’s photographs of his experimental New York exhibition. Free. 1-4 p.m. The Contemporary. 404-688-1970. www.thecontemporary.org.

The High Museum teams up with Mattress Factory Studios for a Membership Drive Kick-off Party. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet emerging and established artists, tour their studios, and learn more about the High’s Art Partners program.Original works will be raffled off throughout the evening . Take a look at some of the featured artists works beforehand on the Mattress Factory Studios website. Free (reservations necessary RSVP @ high.org/mattressfactory). 4 p.m. Grant Park. www.high.org. 404-733-4444.

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See 'The Accumulation of Change' at Eyedrum Fri., Oct. 16.

This weekend’s arts calendar is jam packed with a little something for everyone, whether you’re into wearable art or are fascinated by DNA and all things genetic.

TONIGHT (Friday)

Beep Beep Gallery presents Pretty Awesome at Aurora Coffee L5P, a combo art auction/concert/fund aiser. In an effort to host more all ages shows (and keep up their rep as the 2009 Best of Atlanta Readers Pick for Best gallery spotlighting local artists) art from 25 local artists, including Lucha Rodriguez, Ann-Marie Manker and Shaun Thurston, will be auctioned off between 7 and 10 p.m. Afterward, for only $5, there’ll be a concert featuring Carnivore, Recompas, El Fossil, Pleasure Cruise and Em! (The Back Pockets). Auction: Free. 7-10 p.m. Concert: $5. 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Aurora Coffee Little Five. 404-429-3320. www.beepbeepgallery.com.

Lelavision brings The Accumulation of Change, a unique and interactive performance, to Eyedrum. Expect a hybrid art-science experience that blends Lelavision’s kinetic musical sculptures, music and dance with the research of biomolecular chemistry professor Dr. David Lynn of Emory University. Audience members will participate in a twisted and spectacular game of genetics through the use of classroom clicker technology as they learn about the chemical origins of life and Evolution. $10-$15. 8 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org.

Continue reading “Weekend Arts Agenda: A little of this, a little of that” »

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Local arts nonprofit Eyedrum continues to face a dire financial situation. After an announcement last July explaining that the arts org could be forced to close its doors, Eyedrum rallied and held an art auction to raise some much-needed cash. The auction grossed roughly $15,000, but much of that was quickly swallowed up by past-due rent and other debts.

Eyedrum’s biggest challenge may be it’s high rent costs. As CL’s Wyatt Williams reported last month, “The group readily admits it can’t afford the cost of rent for its massive converted industrial space in Grant Park. There’s been some talk about moving, but the Board of Directors is divided on the issue. Regardless of some of the board’s desire to change locations, its lease on the Grant Park property runs through December of 2010. Negotiations with the landlord, Braden Fellman, have deteriorated. ‘They’re a landlord, they want their money. They don’t say anything, really, though. They don’t return phone calls, e-mails.’”

Enter the 24-hour Dance-a-Thon — Eyedrum fundraising Part Deux this Sat.-Sun., Sept. 26-27. The event’s organized by the Harold Group and Atlanta’s independent arts community, according to a press release, and involves dancing, an art sale, and a bicycle scavenger hunt. Complete details follow after the jump.

Continue reading “Eyedrum fundraising Part Deux” »

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ART SIGNED THE BELTLINE: Critics Pick for Best Public Art

Armed with maps, Sharpies and $400 worth of wood, a group of local artists organized by WonderRoot and local do-gooder/merry-maker Angel Poventud ART SIGNED THE BELTLINE in June. Artists and regular folk from around the city gathered to produce more than 100 works to install along 108 points where the Beltline crosses public rights-of-way. The group then tagged the city with its guerilla signage under the cover of night. The effort’s reach is undeniable: From an I-20 overpass in Grant Park to Edgewood Avenue to south Atlanta, the art signs are spunky reminders of Atlanta’s vast expanse and the link the Beltline could offer among its numerous communities. City of Atlanta take note: This is how you do public art.

Want more Best of Atlanta? Of course you do! Our expanded BOA site has it all.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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NO MAN'S LAND: Money Changes Everything

“I normally feel like I’m in total control of my films,” Roger Beebe says. Watching some of Beebe’s films — which range from spliced-up 8mm visions of strip malls to laser-printed black-and-white animations — you get the impression that “total control” might be an understatement.

A tall, lanky professor at the University of Florida who wears a permanently disheveled beard, Beebe makes films on his own terms and budget. One film, TB TX Dance, cost about 30 bucks. Beebe’s films are both erudite and punk, lo-fi yet high-brow shorts that wrestle with a disfigured, contemporary American landscape.

Beebe visits Eyedrum with the Film Love series Films for One to Eight Projectors. His latest technique involves using multiple projectors to create “expanded cinema” by combining 16mm and 8mm film with digital formats. One of the films he’ll screen, Last Light of a Dying Star, uses no less than eight projectors. Attempting to run all the machines simultaneously is a performance in itself, with Beebe changing films and keeping all of the projectors functioning properly. The scope of the approach has changed something fundamental: “It exceeds my ability my totally control it.”

Continue reading “Roger Beebe loses control at Eyedrum”

(Image courtesy Roger Beebe)

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On many levels, the Eyedrum fundraising auction held Aug. 14 was a success. “We raised something in the ballpark of $15,000,” says Robert Cheatham, Eyedrum’s executive director. Despite that success, however, the nonprofit arts organization still faces an uncertain financial future. Paying off debts and accumulated rent took more than $6,000 directly out of that figure, Cheatham says, “You can see how quickly that number starts to shrink.”

The group readily admits it can’t afford the cost of rent for its massive converted industrial space in Grant Park. There’s been some talk about moving, but the Board of Directors is divided on the issue. Regardless of some of the board’s desire to change locations, its lease on the Grant Park property runs through December of 2010. Negotiations with the landlord, Braden Fellman, have deteriorated. “They’re a landlord, they want their money. They don’t say anything, really, though. They don’t return phone calls, e-mails. We’re frankly confused by their lack of contact,” Cheatham says.

Continue reading “Eyedrum auction raises funds but crisis lingers” »

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BUILDING BLOCK: Without quick financial support, Eyedrum could be forced to close its doors.

Eyedrum, Atlanta’s flagship venue for experimental art, music, and theater, will close or relocate this year if emergency financial support doesn’t cover a growing budget deficit. In an effort to stave off rising overhead debt, a massive art auction featuring works donated from more than 100 local artists, including Kojo Griffin, Lilian Blades and Angus Galloway, will be held Fri., Aug. 14. Robert Cheatham, Eyedrum’s executive director, points out that the scramble for funding is nothing new. “We’ve been in dire need since the minute we moved in,” he says with a laugh.

While operating on a tight budget for the last 10 years, the nonprofit has never missed a rent payment on its Grant Park warehouse space until two months ago. Cheatham says landlord Braden Fellman has been negotiable and easy to work with, but the late fees are pushing operating costs to an unsustainable level. “We want to work with them. We don’t want to leave our space,” stresses Woody Cornwell, who founded the group with Marshall Avett in 1998. How an agreement or solution may be reached is still unclear, especially considering the current economic climate and Eyedrum’s declining income from event rentals and attendance in the last year.

Continue reading “Eyedrum hopes to drum up support”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Last week, Eyedrum announced it was facing imminent closure. The nonprofit art center recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, but that now all-too-familiar combination of high costs, low funds and generally crippling economic conditions has forced board members to consider shuttering the space. But Eyedrum will not go down without a fight! It’s accepting donations on its site and has just announced an art auction fundraiser, scheduled for Fri., Aug. 14. Details, details, details below:

As an immediate response to its financial crisis, Eyedrum Art & Music Gallery announces an Art Auction Benefit to be held Friday, Aug. 14, from 7-10 p.m.

The benefit will include a silent auction of visual art from local emerging and established artists, a live auction of art services, Eyedrum merchandise for sale, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Local talent and friends of Eyedrum will provide live entertainment at the event.
Admission is $10 for guests and free for Eyedrum members; admission includes one complimentary drink ticket. The event is co-sponsored by Eyedrum neighbors Stella Trattoria and Cabbagetown Market, and Decatur Atlanta Printing.

Funds raised at the benefit will go directly toward operating costs and help sustain programming at Eyedrum.

…

To volunteer, contribute, or for more information about the Art Auction Benefit, e-mail eyedrumauction@gmail.com.

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Eyedrum, the city’s longest-running alternative art and music space, is facing possible closure and asking for help.

From Eyedrum:

Facing a heavy rent burden and ever-increasing operating expenses, Eyedrum’s board of directors held an emergency meeting Sunday, July 11, to consider the survival of the longtime art and music organization.

The options are few. They include a significant decrease in rent, bringing on other Atlanta-based arts organizations to sublet part of the 6,0000-square-foot space, a move to a smaller space, or an end to the award-winning venue altogether.

…

The board plans to attempt a negotiation with its landlord, Braden Fellman, later this week, and will reconvene no later than July 26 to discuss any developments on rent reduction, and to consider proposals from other arts organizations. Arts organizations and investors who are interested in partnering with Eyedrum should contact Vice Chairman Allen Welty Green at agmedia(at)mindspring(dot)com.

Any donations received through Eyedrum’s website (www.eyedrum.org) will be directed toward operating expenses. And while such donations are greatly appreciated, the urgency and severity of Eyedrum’s financial burden cannot be overstated. Without a hefty reduction in overhead costs, a major move – physically or in terms of the organization’s identity – is unavoidable.

Full release here (PDF). We’ve got a call in with Robert Cheatham, Eyedrum’s executive director. We’ll update when we hear word.

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All day Sunday, a small cadre of local artists and arts lovers gathered at Eyedrum to kick off the first phase of a grassroots project to add a touch of art to the Beltline — and to make more people aware of where it is.

The project, which has been months in the making, involves creating more than 100 artful signs to designate where the 22-mile smart-growth project crosses public streets.

Angel Poventud, one of the project’s co-organizers, says WonderRoot staff spent $400 on wood on Saturday night. The next day, artists brought whatever materials they had — oils, pastels, even house paint — and got to work.

“It’s hard to believe you can pull off a project like this for less than a grand,” Poventud says. “But it’s all about the passion. And it’s here.”

The group plans to install the signs along the project sometime this week.

Continue reading “WonderRoot’s public-art project for Beltline kicks off at Eyedrum” »

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PICTURE THIS: From Curt McDowell's Loads (1980)

There’s a moment near the end of Tricia’s Wedding, after a bowl of punch is spiked with LSD, that the film quits being about a politically incorrect re-imagining of President Nixon’s daughter’s wedding, and becomes, instead, the incomprehensible document of a queer, orgiastic party. Atlanta’s queer arts festival MondoHomo might not look exactly like that classic San Francisco film, but it’s certainly flying the same anarchic, fun-loving flag. A sprawling, five-day celebration, MondoHomo will feature performances, dance parties, workshops, and film screenings throughout Memorial Day weekend. Film Love’s Andy Ditzler curates this year’s film series, Queer San Francisco 1970-1980.

Continue reading “MondoHomo films are a San Francisco treat”

(Photo courtesy 2nd Floor Projects Gallery)

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