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HELLO NEW YEAR! What are you doing this first week of 2011? How about check out some art shows in the OC? Now, mark your calendars this Thursday and Saturday, because it will be filled with a night of art browsing, food, music, and lovely conversations. I hope to see you there!   Thursday, January 16th:  CULT OF THE RUIN: STRATEGIES OF ACCUMULATION Opening Reception: Thursday, January 6, 6-9 PM Show runs: January 6 - February 5, 2011 University of California, Irvine | UCI Art Gallery   712 Arts Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697-2775      Saturday, January 8th:   D-Block...

03 January, 2011 /

Calling all photographers around the world! How would you like to receive $5,000 cash, your own exhibition in NYC, and a world wide acclaim?    The Focus Project is inviting you to share your most powerful images that convey, represent or capture the essence of love.  It is the deepest emotion we know and welcome you to submit your best work for a chance at world-wide exposure with a New York City red-carpet reception and online features published by JPG Magazine and Artists Wanted.   Deadline to Enter is...

16 December, 2010 /

 FINALLY!!!  After two successful receptions in Fullerton and Santa Monica featuring thousands of Polaroids from around the world, the retrospective publication documenting the ISM project Instant Gratification is complete.  Still Developing: The Story of Instant Gratification features Polaroids from over 200 professional and amateur photographers, as well as short stories, personal essays, and love letters celebrating instant film. Purchase the book before January 9th and receive $5.00 off the price.-Krystal ...

16 December, 2010 /

   Before the Ed Sullivan show the Beatles played to small audiences at the Liverpool venue The Cavern Club. In the 1960s this club served as a gig and even a catalyst for not only the Fab Four, but The Hollies, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones. Similar to the music scene, visual arts have their own alternative spaces, phantom galleries, and college campuses-overlooked by backers and collectors-funded by the creativity and sweat of already starving artists and graduate students. For example, the West Gallery,...

30 November, 2010 /

Studio visit with artist Christina Sanchez Le Modern Trinket A few days ago I had the pleasure of meeting Christina Sanchez, the inexhaustible founder and artistic drive behind the OC's handmade vintage upcylcled jewelry design company  Le Modern Trinket. We (me and Trouble that is) were invited over to Christina's studio late Tuesday evening, under the guise of getting an up-close and personal look at where the magic all happens and we wanted a preview to the sale this weekend, Sunday Nov 28th in Santa Ana at the...

26 November, 2010 /

Hi Everyone,  happy post turkey day. . . . gobble gobble.   Why is it that we have fetishized the turkey?  It gets eaten predominantly during the holidays, stuffed, roasted, brined, marinated, bagged, fried and even bbq-ed.  It is the quintessential center piece to all festive tables and even has it's own special accessories for serving, eating and preparing.   Not that I am a huge proponant of eating the big bird, just wondering what happens to them the rest of the year? Anyway. . . back to...

26 November, 2010 /

Interested to have your artwork included in the Huntington Beach Art Center (HBAC)?  HBAC is looking for artwork submission (max. 2), and original art created no longer than two years ago, to be included in their non-juried exhibition: Centered on the Center.Delivery of work: Jan 7th- Jan 8th, 2011Exhibition date: Jan 21st - Feb 19th, 2011Centered on the Center, non-juried exhibitionHuntington Beach Art Center538 Main St,Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Click here to download a detailed brochure and guideline for the submission. I hope to see your...

25 November, 2010 /

I arrived at the opening reception just in time to hear the last part of the award ceremony presented by Karen Moss, the Deputy Director of Exhibition and Programs in Orange County Museum of Art. There were a lot of people with their family and friends, taking pictures and meeting artists to get more insight into their artwork. I’ve never been to Irvine Fine Arts Center before, but I surprised myself because this gallery was voted as the Best Art Gallery in Orange County...

21 November, 2010 /

If you're looking for someing to do this weekend and you're up in LA check out the inagural opening of the COMMONSPACE L.A.  OC's very own David Michael Lee will participate in the gallery's group exhibition.           Good luck David! Gallery Opening:COMMONSPACE L.A., 2226 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca, 90023.Exhibition: Action (un)Packed: Abstraction After ActionNovember 13th, 5-7pm. Press Release:The inaugural exhibition of Commonspace brings together a number of emerging American painters engaged in investigating the inheritance of Action Painting at the opening of the twenty-first century....

11 November, 2010 /

Chapman University's -Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences' -  Department of Art Presents TWO new student shows:   BLACK OUT OR GET OUT (featuring two installations)Meaghan TuckerCassandra Kottman   WARNING Contains Graphic ContentBryce Feliciano Megan Rollo Kailee QuinnJhoanne MecijaBobby Evers Opening Reception: Monday November 15, 2010 @ 5:30pm NOV. 15- Nov. 19 Guggenheim Gallery, Mon-Fri, 12-5PM Sat, 11-4, Admission is free.For information, call 714-997-6729 www.chapman.edu/art/calendar     Guggenheim GalleryOne University DriveOrange, California 92866US jag ...

11 November, 2010 /

       Hey all, if you didn't make it out to OCMA's California Biennial opening reception or the artists talks the following day here are some pics to wet your whistle. . .   This awning dawned the interior side of the front entrance. Poignant and timely, reminding we privileged OC locals that first and foremost we are a collective and secondly that action is needed.  Get on out there and do something, anything.  Just get involved!! Now, on to the festivities. . .    There were...

11 November, 2010 /

Creating Space for Imagination - Artist Katy Betz by Jennifer Cheng Katy Betz is a gallery artist, illustrator, children's book writer, and muralist, with an artistic statement, "I am an artist devoted to creating space for imagination." Recently featured in 944 Magazine, in the Orange County October 2010 - The Art Issue, Katy was selected as one of six rising artistic stars in Orange County. Katy is currently finishing her MFA at California State University, Fullerton, and teaches part time as a college professor. She uses her brush to...

10 November, 2010 /

  Graduate Candidate artist Daniel Porras is exhibiting a large installation of whimsical paintings based on hybrid forms of human and animal decent for the Savage Primitive exhibition this Saturday night, October 9th in the CalState Fullerton West Gallery, reception is 5-8pm.     Go check out Daniel's new paintings, they will draw you in to their own savage world.  The artist will be attending the reception so you can quiz him about the fantastical environments where his characters reside. And did I mention there will be free food...

07 October, 2010 /

I just got an email from Ed Giardina (that's him just below the cat w/glasses) and Finishing School about their film 54.  It is a participatory film that examines the role of art biennials in the contemporary art market.  Sounds interesting.  They even plan on taking it to the oldest and most established of Biennials (or Biennale as we pasta eating people like to call it) in Venice, Italy.  Yes, of course you are all invited.  If you haven't made it to Italy yet here is the perfect opportunity...

07 October, 2010 /

  Put this one in your calendars, you won't want to miss this huge survey of California's rock-star contemporary artists.  That's right, it's time for OCMA'S  California Biennial.  This year promises to be like none other.  Their savvy curator Sarah Bancroft has searched long and hard for California's finest. Here is some info on the show:   2010 CALIFORNIA BIENNIAL  October 24, 2010-March 13, 2011     The Orange County Museum of Art proudly announces the upcoming 2010 California Biennial. The Biennial exhibitions are a cornerstone of OCMA's program and highly anticipated by...

07 October, 2010 /

Looking for something to do tonight in the OC? FREEEEEE PERFORMANCE!!!   There is one night left, so grab your camping gear (you'll need a comfy chair for the two hour show), some friends, and get on over to the Orange County Performing Art Center for the last evening of the Project Bandaloop's awesome wall dancing!  The group performs free for the public on the exterior wall of the Segerstrom Hall, right in front of the Richard Serra monolithic steel sculpture. You'd better get there early because the...

02 October, 2010 /

Andrea Geyer's opening reception at the UAG Gallery, UCIrvine. (photo by: Joanna Grasso)   Last night I had an adventure, with camera and compass in hand I made my way over to Irvine for the opening reception of the University of California, Irvine (UCI)  UAG Gallery solo exhibition entitled Criminal Case 40/61: Reverb by artist Andrea Geyer. Geyer's six channel video projection revisits, unpacks, and investigates the crimes against humanity trial of Adolf Eichmann's, Israeli Supreme Court (1950). For those of you history buffs out there here is a...

01 October, 2010 /

When you go see Cacophonius at the West Gallery on the CSUF campus I suggest you bring eight friends.  In Cacophonius artist Geoffrey Schorz has produced nine iconographic paintings on a series of interactive, audible, reliefs-instruments…Medieval instruments.  (Schorz himself is an accomplished musician trained on the dudelsack-German bagpipe) As an M.F.A. candidate Schorz is a painting major, but he has spent the last year painting and fashioning these kinetic masterpieces.  The artworks are the result if innovation, engineering and a little alchemy-the artist mixes his own...

26 September, 2010 /

    This week, the Americans for the Arts Action Fund graded our U.S. senators on their support of the arts.  While 28 members received a failing grade, both California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein did well with Boxer receiving an A+ and Feinstein a B+.   Criteria used to grade senators included: keeping jobs in the arts, supporting public art, supporting museums, showing initiative in the arts by cosponsoring arts legislation, showing leadership in the arts by signing the "Dear Colleague Letter" for more...

24 September, 2010 /