SD Punks for Presents

Punks for Presents is a great Richmond based organization that is creepin' into San Diego via my very own cupcake Ashton! It's basically the newbie of the San Diego scene, and here's the site to check for updates. The Tower Bar in City Heights is the first participant, and mas events and flyers coming soon, so collect your pop tabs and stay tuned!

Balboa Park Family Festival

A week or so ago, I volunteered at the Balboa Park Family Festival on behalf of the San Diego Museum of Art. Apparently they have a Family Festival every 4 months, and the theme corresponds with the current exhibition, which in this case happened to be the Kimono as Art: The Landscapes of Itchiku Kubota exhibition.

First of all, let me just say this exhibition was absolutely unbelievable. Beyond my already obsessive love for all things Japanese, and all things artsy, the sheer time that must have been spent by Itchiku Kubota to become a complete master of this trade is unfathomable. The Museum did a fantastic job of installing the kimono in an arc, which facilitated the viewer's eye around the collection from his 4 Seasons series. He actually died before he could complete his masterpiece, so now his sons have taken over the museum in his name and have vowed to complete it. The San Diego museum has on display the Autumn and Winter kimono, which numbers about 30 or so. I wish I had been able to take pictures of the collection, but if you haven't already clicked on the exhibition link, do so now. It's absolutely worth it.

My volunteering time was first assigned to the ink painting tent, where we passed out rice paper and demonstrated the Japanese style of ink painting and washing. Unfortunately, this totally cushy, easy, fun, sitting-down-in-the-shade job was replaced with helping James (last name ?) put together the giant paper kimono that was to be "unveiled" at the end of the festival. Basically people would paint their ink paintings at the tent, and then bring them over to us so we could attach them onto a giant paper kimono as an assemblage. It was hit or miss with the wind, but we actually had a great time despite major difficulties dealing with the paper tearing and a pretty hot sun beating down on us.

In the end, it looked something like this:


Okay, those are kind of terrible depictions of the final product. At the beginning, it really was a large paper kimono with sort of wing attachments flowing from the bottom. Since this made it pretty unstable and vulnerable to the wind, we had to add those at the very end. Regardless, we got so many ink paintings that it ended up being difficult to attach them all on the kimono, but we managed.

In the end, it was a pretty awesome day. There were Japanese drum dancers, kimono ceremony, origami folding, ink painting, and even a puppet show! Basically my ideal day. Plus I got to make a few friends and hang out with kids teaching them how to be crafty. Awesome stuff.

hippies

Ashton and I have come to the realization that in the month we have been in southern California, we have succumbed to the hippie lifestyle. Here is a a list of reasons why:

1) We vowed to buy the bulk of our produce at local farmer's markets.
2) We are building our own window box herb garden.
3) We voted with absentee ballots because California is pretty much strictly Democratic and voting in Virginia (a massive swing state) is more likely to make a difference. (Or at least as much of a difference as two votes make.)
4) We are pretty much only exploring local eateries and shops for all of our consumer needs.
5) Both of us are volunteering for some local things (me- San Diego Museum of Art, Ashton- a nonprofit/food bank)
6) On our refrigerator there's a list of all the free local outdoor things that we are scheduling our lives around.
7) Despite falling gas prices, we are still basically just riding our bikes or walking everywhere to be more environmentally conscious.
8) We are recycling everything we can and re-using as much as possible.

Not to mention once we get settled with jobs and can afford some furniture, we're setting up the "art room" a.k.a. my bedroom, sort of, to start making arts and crafts again. I love the hippie, tree-hugging lifestyle.

Change for a Ten!

Art 180 is an absolutely fabulous nonprofit organization in Richmond dedicated to art-related programs for inner city and at risk youth, encouraging self-expression and community growth 180 degrees. In their own words, they:

"ART 180 partners with other nonprofit organizations to serve children living in challenging circumstances in Richmond, Virginia. Through our programs, youth discover ways they can positively engage in and influence their surroundings.

Professional artists and volunteers work with youth after school for 12 weekly sessions. Each program grows from the needs and interests of the group of young people being served.

The young artists are asked to explore crucial personal statements that reinforce their sense of identity and purpose, such as: What is a hero? What do I want people to know about me? How can I make my community a better place? Programs culminate with some kind of public presentation of artwork. These have included billboards, art exhibits, poetry readings, CDs and DVDs.

By merging the private creative experience with a public showcase, ART 180 offers youth a safe way to talk about what matters most to them, while offering the community a compelling way to hear it."

Pretty good, huh?

The "Change for a Ten" campaign is their current project. Please visit their website at www.changeforaten.blogspot.com.
"Money can do a lot. Art can do a lot more. That’s why, on this 10th anniversary of ART 180, we’re asking for both — a $10 donation along with your artistic vision for making your community a better place.

Our goal is for 1,000 people to give their artistic and monetary gifts to ART 180. It’s these same gifts that will make it possible for at-risk youth to discover their own voice through creative expression. Will you help us make Change for a Ten?

1. make
a statement. Make a donation. Download the template at www.art180.org/ten (or just keep it the size of a dollar bill) and create artwork about the kind of change you'd like to see in your community. Paint it. Write it. Sketch it. Sculpt it. Sew it. Whatever it. Then, submit it.

2. send
us your creation (mail to 0 East 4th St, Studio 56, Richmond, VA 23224) and your $10 by 9/22/08, or drop them off at participating locations (see art180.org/ten for details.)

3. see
your work exhibited and sold along with the other submissions on 10/10/2008 at VCU's Brandcenter. People from all across Richmond will view your artistic vision for change.

4. tell
others to send in their own art and their $10 donation. Help us reach our goal of 1,000 people and together we'll all see true change for a ten."



Please add this to your blogs to help spread the word.