Women’s Health Issues Depicted in Unique Fashion Art Exhibit and Theatrical Performances Offer Strength, Support

The Waiting Room: Lost and Found, an interactive installation examining women’s health, opens Friday, January 13 at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library.

The entire project is the result of collaboration by Marguerite Perret, Bruce Scherting, Stephanie Lanter and Robin Lasser, with artists and communities nationally. Artists will be on hand to answer questions during the opening reception from 5:30-8:30pm. Occurring throughout the opening reception will also be the ambient performance, Measuring Time in the Waiting Room, directed by Sharon Sullivan.

Visitors can also enjoy Tick Tock, an original one-act play by Marcia Cebulska, which follows a group of women in a medical waiting room as they move from solitary anxious boredom to exuberant song and dance. Performances are scheduled for Friday, January 13 at 6:00pm and 7:00pm and Saturday, January 4 at 11:30am.

An artists’ talk on January 14 at 3:00pm will provide another opportunity to discuss the project and corollary book, A Waiting Room of Her Own, with editor Sarah Smarsh.

In the exhibit, visitors will view distinct sculptural chairs that serve as symbols for a particular health issue, from bulimia to domestic violence.

“The artwork will spark a dialogue about and compassion for individuals affected by disease or by domestic violence,” said Sherry Best, Sabatini Gallery director. “Each chair has a story to listen to either from a patient’s or caregiver’s perspective – sometimes both. Expect to spend some time with the exhibit or plan return visits because there is so much to see and hear.”

Visitors are invited to sit adjacent to each sculptural chair on a ‘blank,’ unaltered chair, where they can listen to recorded interview excerpts and sound compositions that provide intimate and expanded perspectives for each health issue. Visitors will also have the opportunity to interact with the Gut Reaction Chair by describing their most guilty food indulgences by writing them on bakery papers and candy wrappers.

Interactive elements inside the installation include the Waking Wall in which visitors can leave messages describing experiences with domestic violence and/or supplies for families residing at the local women’s shelter. A collection of Milagros/ex-votos created by artists and community members will be on view in the library rotunda. Contributors to the display include Washburn students across disciplines and professional artists.

A Milagros Workshop organized by Marguerite Perret and Stephanie Lanter will be held Saturday, February 27 at 3pm in Marvin Auditorium. Participants will have the opportunity to create one or more Milagros, or exvotos, to keep or contribute to the project. Milagros means “miracle” in Spanish.

The exhibit ends March 16. For more information about this project, visit The Waiting Room website  or the Library’s exhibition webpage.  And, get updates on The Waiting Room Facebook page.

Principle installation artists are project leader Marguerite Perret, mixed media installation artist, designer, and associate professor of art and design at Washburn University, Topeka; Bruce Scherting, director of exhibits at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute Natural History Museum, Lawrence; Stephanie Lanter, ceramic and fiber sculptor, writer and instructor, Emporia State University; and Robin Lasser, installation artist, photographer, & sound artist, art professor at San Jose State University, Oakland, CA.

Financial and other essential support for this project is through private donations, the artists and partners, Washburn University, the Center for Kansas Studies, The Washburn University Department of English, the Mabee Library, The National Endowment for the Arts, the Kansas Arts Commission, the University of Saint Catherine, The Ragdale Foundation, The Salina Art Center, and The Topeka YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is a 21st-century, landmark library, and features the Alice C. Sabatini Art Gallery, the Millennium Café, Chandler Booktique, meeting rooms, and free computer and Internet access and training. Gallery hours are the same as library hours: Mon. through Fri. 9 am to 9 pm, Sat. 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm.

[Submitted by Lisa Coble-Krings, Communications Editor, Topeka-Shawnee Co. Public Library]

Sponsored by Valeo Behavioral Health Care, ” ‘Creations of Hope’ strives to raise awareness and widen views of mental illness by providing an event that celebrates creativity, strength, and hope in recovery rather than focusing on disability.” This juried exhibit also aims to raise awareness and educate the general public about mental illness.  Throughout the exhibition floor you’ll see tidbits of information such as:

Stigma erodes confidence that mental disorders are real, treatable health conditions, creating attitudinal, structural and financial barriers to effective treatment and recovery. – National Alliance on Mental Illness

The Upstage Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, and stays open until 9:00 pm on Thursdays. They also participate in ArtsConnectTopeka’s First Friday Art Walk from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Be sure to stop in to support these artists as they find their place in the art community and continue their recovery.

• Warehouse 414: Sunflower Cirque
  

  Kent Miller holds up art panel that will be part of the Community Tree Project. View artwork and project at jhP Friday, October 7.

  Jurried show featuring art about sunflowers, using sunflowers, anything sunflowers!  Whimsically pieces paired with 3D and mulit-media round out this show that will ignite your love with Kansas Sunflowers.

• The Upstage Gallery (in the Historic Jayhawk Theatre): Creations of HopeAn exhibit of artists experiencing mental illness. The Upstage Gallery is hosting this annual art exhibit in conjunction with Valeo and their art therapy program. Exhibit supports and validates the need for mental disorder awareness by bringing these artists into the local art scene. On display are more than 70 works by artists with photography, watercolor, oils, acrylics, prints, ceramics, art glass, and mixed media represented.

• jones huyett Partners: Prairie Band Nation’s Tribal Victims Assistance Program  (3200 SW Huntoon)The Prairie Band Nation’s Tribal Victims Assistance Program will be unveiling the Community Story Tree project, a large mosaic of art tiles created by 72 individuals and shaped into a tree.  The project is designed to raise awareness about domestic violence and highlight PBPN’s commitment to ending violence in the community.

• Frame Warehouse:  150 Art ExhibitThis mega-show of 150 original paintings and fine art photography will close soon, so join friends and other art enthusiasts to see the amazing works inspired by the sunflower state. Also preview KTWU’s “Master Artist” portion of Camera Lights Auction.
• Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library: KS Masters Invitational Art ShowWorks by 56 of the best artists in Kansas. The show comes down Oct. 21. So, this Friday offers a great opportunity to mingle with staff at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery, enjoy art and meet fans of art from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
• New Art Gallery (112 SW 6th St. Suite 201)
  Check out the newest gallery in Downtown Topeka 
• The Eclective – NOTO (900 N Kansas Ave)
  
  Featured Artists Justin and Bailey Marable.   Jason Petty, Author of  “Vampire of Meadow Lake” will be signing his book.  LIVE entertainment by Mother Kali begins at 5pm with a demonstration by professional pumpkin carver Randy Fay.  Other artist showing at The Eclective are Cora Spencer, Toni Brou, Jan Jennings, Jennifer Somers, and Pat Abellon.  Other galleries open in NOTO include Studio 831, Two Days Monthly Market, Artists Lofts and more.  Entertainment by High Falutin’ String Band. 
• Bosco’s: Michelle Leivan & Keith Czechanski “Feminine Desert: Paintumentary,” by Leivan is a series of paintings based on the perceived dualitymany young women present to the world.  Photography by Czechanski will be shown in Bosco’s upstairs (street  level).  His personal photography reflects many styles from sill life to landscapes to portraits.

   

• Lloyd Zimmer Books & Maps: “Art of the Written Word” 

  Go on a safari in “Gary Clark’s Africa: Wildlife, Rainbows and Laughter,” a limited-edition collection of more than 300 photographs from the former Topeka Zoo director’s 37 years exploring Africa.

Titled, “Evolution,” Koger’s senior exhibit is a self-reflection of his own evolution: single dad, starving artist, Topekan, student and more. He will receive his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washburn University this winter.

Koger’s work involves many media, but we know him best for his photography featured at “Fine & Thriving,” displaying a black and white series of abandoned houses in rural Kansas; his honest approach to poverty in “Poverty A to Z,” a photo display for Kansas Association for Community Action Programs; and, his most recent photo essay  in seveneightfive, with Gary Krohe, featuring the newest panel of the Great Mural Project.

Imperfectly Perfect

a poem by Emma, age 14

In my mind I can see
The girl that I would like to be
I’ve gotten to know her in my thoughts
she is perfect and I am not
She’s pretty, smart, and always sweet
She plays sports and piano, she’s so elite
It upsets me sometimes. I just don’t understand.
Why can’t I do everything as well as she can?
People say to be happy with just being you
but then the girl shows me everything I can’t do.
It used to be that my world was so happy and warm
But this hatred has left me alone in a storm.
I’ll never be good enough I say as my teardrops fall.
but suddenly I realize I can’t have it all
Nobody’s perfect, now isn’t that true?
The things that you’re good at is what makes you you.
Hey perfect girl now I know what to feel
I am a person and you are not real.
We have to accept ourselves even though it can be hard
Our imperfections are what makes us who we are
If we were all perfect we’d be the same as each other
What makes us perfect is being good at one thing or another
People are all different, some are short, some are tall.
So since we’re all good at different things you aren’t perfect at all.
I’m good at writing but I can’t ride a bike.
My friend’s just the opposite, no ones exactly alike.
So that girls not perfect after all and I am just right
Then the rain stops and my world fills with light
so next time you feel down and your world starts to get dim
just remember you’re perfect outside and in.

Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.  ~Leonardo da Vinci

The 5th annual Family Service & Guidance Center Works of Heart Art Event and Auction will take place on Friday, August 26th, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ramada Hotel + Convention Center, Downtown Topeka. Over 300 art enthusiasts and community leaders will bid on Works of Heart created by young FSGC clients. Their pieces will be up for bids alongside works by professional artists from across the country, and 100 percent of the proceeds will directly benefit the over-11,000 children and families FSGC serves each year.

This exciting evening features a cocktail hour, live music, silent and live auctions, three-course meal and more. “The highlight of the evening,” Amy Burns, FSGC director of marketing and development, said, “is watching the faces of our Featured Young Artists as bids on their pieces go higher and higher.”

The highlight for the Works of Heart artists, however, is the long-term impact the event has on their lives. “We’ve heard from the children that this event helps them unlock their potential and gives them self-esteem,” said Burns. For the attendees, they are not only helping these kids but helping all the children that FSGC serves.

Support these talented young artists and the great work Family Service & Guidance Center does by attending the 5th Annual Works of Heart Art Event & Auction.

photo by Works of Heart Artist, Ashten, 17

Works of Heart Art Event + Auction, Ramada Hotel + Convention Center

August 26, 6 – 10 pm

Call 270.8996 to purchase tickets

www.fsgctopeka.com

Follow them on Facebook + Twitter:

WorksofHeart + FSGCTopeka

#worksofheart  /  @fsgctopeka

NOTO Community Arts Center

The NOTO Banner Project

Join community-based artist and designer Carol Bradbury in creating a series of vibrant, flower-filled banners that will line the streets of NOTO and remind everyone of the artistic transformation happening in North Topeka.

Everyone welcome, kids and adults.

The Eclective

Enjoy the music of Monk’s Wine playing indoors while browsing new art work.

Featured artist:  Jan Jennings, watercolor and pastels.

Special guests: the Craftivists.

Two Days Market

Hot temps, cool merchandise. Wine…and lots of ice water available while strolling through new displays.  New section upstairs opened.  Featured artists:  Connie English and Jane Gibler

STUDIO 831

Sip wine, meet artists Lois VanLiew and Hi Stockwell and see exciting art displays in the Gallery

Robucks Jewelers

Meet Jewelry Designer Kristen Haug and see her astonishing acid-etched designs on sterling silver

Food vendors on the street.  Restaurants open. It’s all happening in NOTO this Friday.

[ image at top courtesy NOTO arts district ]

The pictures, in their tidy black frames, are not large.  They show some amazing scenes of birds and beasts, and humans doing ordinary things in ways alien to us.  Each one is a window upon a deeper world.  Each one a story.

The current exhibit at the library’s Sabatini Gallery is “One World, Many Stories,” photography by Kansas native Jim Richardson.  He has worked on every continent, taking pictures that draw viewers into the stories of the people, animals, and things that have been his subjects.  These pictures exist because Richardson has a great employer: “Virtually all of the work I do — and have done for 25 years — is for the National Geographic Society,” he says.

The photos run the gamut from a long-distance shot of white birds nesting on a remote, chilly Scottish island, to a close up of Samoan men tattooing each other.  Richardson has been everywhere, and these pictures give the sense that everywhere and everyone is important and has a story worth hearing.

This is officially the gallery’s annual summer children’s show, but it could hardly be called ‘juvenile.’  Anyone of any age could study these pictures for a long time and focus on different details.  The pictures are hung in groups of three, each trio united by a theme, which is not always obvious.  “Jim did a fun thing,” says Sherry Best, director of the gallery.  “He set it up so that kids and their parents can look at the photographs, and figure out the connections together, like solving a puzzle.”

“One World, Many Stories” runs through August 12.  Take a kid, or just enjoy it yourself.  Have a summer vacation that can take you over the whole strange world, for free.

[ July 2011 | Cale Herreman | Gary Krohe | cross-posted to XYZ Magazine ]

“I buy my own Lego’s®. I am a very unique customer. I buy them by the hundreds of thousands, so I have it pretty good with the company, as you would imagine.”

Lego® Brick Artist Nathan Sawaya has over a million and half bricks in his New York Studio. Since 2002, he has been using these bricks to create sculptures such as giant pencils, dinosaurs, and superheroes. Two Lego® lions, Patience and Fortitude were unveiled at the New York Public Library to celebrate its centennial anniversary 100 years to the day after the original iconic lions were unveiled.

His exhibit, “The Art of the Brick”, now at Washburn’s Mulvane Art Museum, has been named by CNN as one of 12 of the must-see exhibits in the world this season.

It is, in fact incredibly impressive. One recognizable piece, “Yellow,’ has become something of a cult image, appearing on book covers and album art.

Go to the exhibit, and if you are inspired to make your own Lego® masterpiece, Mulvane’s ArtLab has a station full of bricks to play with to your heart’s content.

Admission to both the Mulvane Museum and the ArtLab is free. Check out Sawaya’s work, and even commission him to craft your likeness out of toys at http://www.brickartist.com/.

[June 2011 | Amber Bonnett | photos by Josh Rouse ]

The campus of Washburn University is no stranger to art. Sculptures and statues cover the grounds all year round, ranging from Chinese sculptures to the iconic belltower to giant stick huts.

However, the first weekend in June marks a special event for the Topeka and Washburn communities as nearly 90 artists from across the country gather in tents on campus and showcase their works to the world at the Mulvane Mountain/Plains Art Fair.

“We have to present our work every year on professional photographs, jury in against maybe 800 people trying to get in,” said Michael Hatton, a mobile artist from Osage City who has been showcasing his art at the fair with his partner Gabe Stoner for more than 10 years. “It’s a stiff competition. The quality of art here is exceptional. It’s a nice, small show, so the intimacy is there which is why a lot of people come to the show and enjoy it so much and why we keep coming back.”

mobiles by Mike Hatton and Gabe Stoner

Hatton said much of the inspiration for their sculptures is drawn from every day events and their favorite interests.

“At this stage of the game, the inspiration comes from just about anywhere,” said Hatton. “Being a sculptural artist, working from three dimensions, means that you have to have this sort of second sight and be able to see things and get your inspiration from them in a different way.”

Hatton and Stoner use aluminum that has been anodized to create their sculptures, a process which requires treating the aluminum with a chemical and putting it into a special dye that uses electricity to bond the color to it.

“My partner Gabe was a modern dancer and had his own dance company where a lot of the ideas come from,” said Hatton. “As a kid, I was and still am into astronomy and science fiction and math kind of things, so that inspires a lot of it. The ideas for the little fantasy figures are ideas that come to both of us in the oddest moments, anywhere from pulling weeds to feeding the cats in the morning can give you an idea.”

“It’s a nice show, I think it’s a high quality show,” said Eric Abraham, a ceramic artist from Lucas, Kan., who took Best in Show at last year’s fair. “I’ve been to some shows where it’s been commercial T-shirts on one side and people selling salve on the other side.”

ceramics by Eric Abraham

With the recent elimination of the Kansas Arts Commission by Gov. Sam Brownback, the future of Kansas arts was certainly on many artists’ minds during the fair.

“I know the Grassroots Arts Center, I’m on the board of that, we’re talking about curtailing hours because we get about $5,000 a year from [the arts commission],” said Abraham, who owns Eric Abraham’s Flying Pig Studio & Gallery in Downtown Lucas. “That’s a nice, big chunk. It’s going to hurt mostly rural Kansas.”

photography by Sonya Scheuneman

However, not all artists were focused on politics. Sonya Scheuneman, a Topeka photographer who graduated from Washburn with a Bachelor of Integrated Studies, was just excited to have her art showcased at the event for the first time. Scheuneman has created her own style, using a large photo of a flower with a background made up of smaller designs incorporating different flower photos.

“I just start drawing and designing it and placing them where they seem to fit,” said Scheuneman. “It just feels right when I’m doing it.”

The fair continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m with more art, live music and food. Entrance is $6 at the gate, children 12 and under get in free. Proceeds from the event support the Mulvane Art Museum’s educational programs.

Other great artists from the fair:

Painting: Edward Bartoszek, Mission, Kan.

Painting: Stanislav Sidorov, Denver, Col.

Pottery: John Dennison - Omaha, Neb.

Glass: Daniel Kettle - Topeka, Kan.

Sculptures: Jim and Cheryl Jones - Springfield, Mo.

[ story and photos by Josh Rouse | June 2011 ]

The Mulvane Mountain/Plains Art Fair happens once a year, the first weekend of June, and is, as always, the best way to start the summer. Artists from all over the country, as well as our favorite locals come to celebrate art and sell their creations.

Along with over 90 artists to peruse and schmooze with, this years featured musical guests Pastense, Bridges and John MacManamy will be entertaining throughout the weekend and there will be plenty of food vendors to keep you fueled for the day.

Families can bring the kids, who get their very own tent and activities including mural painting and creating their own butterflies

The 19th Annual Mulvane Mountain/Plains Art Fair will be held June 4th and 5th at Washburn University, rain or shine. Hours are 10am to 5pm Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $6 with children under 12 free.

[ cross-posted to xyztopeka.com ]