unchained ear candy

I recently contacted Samita concerning the kickstarter project she created in 2011 for the Bluebird to again take wing.
At the time, when I tossed my fifty bucks into the passing hat, I had selected the lower reward bracket: I wanted to make sure I got a T-shirt, you see.
I didn't want to miss out on that!
And I did not.
In April of 2012, the T-shirt arrived, with the Bluebird coming into view from the back and rounding that righthanded turn!
Woohoo!
It also arrived with rewards from the lower levels. That gave me pause. What if I would have received the T-shirt anyway if I had marked the higher reward level? What if I could be listening to the stories on a cd while I was wearing my new garment?
Well, I would just wait and go to one of the shows and ask.
Only problem was I wasn't able to make my schedule coincide with theirs.
Well, that's okay, I'll see them some other time, right? But time traveled ever farther afield and I let the matter slip my mind.
Until recently.
As I said earlier this month, I've been going through my "Backer history" on kickstarter. When I came to the box for this project, I didn't know whether to check it as fulfilled or not. Maybe I should have chosen the higher reward level...but wasn't it too late to make a change? For almost all of the other projects, the higher reward level includes those rewards at the lower levels. So, maybe...
So I asked, explaining to her that I had really wanted to make sure I received the T-shirt, but now I was wishing I could also have the cd, and was that possible at this time? She had gladly responded that she would make sure my dropbox received them posthaste! Woohoo!
I transferred the five "Front Porch Stories" from the site to a compact disk (cd, y'all!), intending to listen in my car.
That never happened.
I haven't gone anywhere of late that would be far enough that I would be able to listen to all of the tales. So, I brought the disk back into the house and put it into a stack for later perusal.
That finally did happen! Thank God! And I realized, as I listened to the first story, that I was supposed to have this cd, that I was supposed to back this project.
You see, the very first story, titled simply "One In A Million" features the Special Olympics - a project dear to Mama. Since funds from her estate are being used for backing these projects, it's incredible that I stumbled upon one which she would have so loved. Coincidence? No, more likely her hand guided me, wanting me to hear this story in particular, told by Dawn Fraser about her twin brother, Dwight, born with Down Syndrome. The chance of twins being born with one having Down Symdrome is one in a million; this story is about her brother showing her the path of recovery from a sports injury. You should go to her website and listen to it; awesome and funny and definitely uplifting.
In fact, almost all of these tales from a front porch have those attributes.
Edgar Oliver, an odd-voiced man, regales us with his story of misplaced responsibility - and misplaced priorities - as a youth at a local military school for boys. His tale, "Major Oliver", is very funny as it follows an important bookbag. (You can purchase the "Unchained" cd on his personal site, too.)
George Dawes Green, the founder of The Moth, gives a plug to Unchained, as well as all those who make a living from traveling the back roads, sharing songs and tales with small town communities.
Neil Gaiman's tale of fathers and sons, "Hockey Dad", is full of unconditional love. I don't know if that particular story in on his website, but a lot of other "cool stuff" is. (By the way, Neil is an avid kickstarter supporter and is featured here.)
Bringing up the rear, so to speak, and commanding the last track on this cd, is Peter Aguero. "The Keeper", the perfect bookend for this collection, tells the story of the very moment when he knew the woman by his side was meant to be his wife. Trust me, this is no sappy tale of love. Aguero is the frontman of The BTK Band, which bills itself as "NYC's hardest-drinking improvised rock & roll storytelling band". 'Nuff said.
My many thanks to Samita Wolfe - many, many thanks.
May the Bluebird travel happily along!

muralcle block party!

I was asked to promote this event, so here we go. Please note that all of the following italicized words were written by the folks at SeeSAW. I have added my photographs in lieu of using theirs.

For Immediate Release
SeeSAW Block Party and David Ellis
Who: SeeSAW (Savannah Art Walls) and Savannah artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, Adolfo Alvarado and visiting artist David Ellis
What: Block Party
Where: SeeSAW Mural Wall | 34th and Habersham Street | Savannah, GA
When: Sunday, October 14 , 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Social Media Feed: Twitter @SavArtWAlls
Follow SeeSAW’s collaboration with David Ellis with the hashtag #EllisSAV on twitter and instagram October 14 - 19.
For info please email info@savannahartwalls.org

SeeSAW (See Savannah Art Walls) is excited to announce a block party this Sunday, October 14 in celebration of a year’s worth of art and community support at the mural wall at 34th and Habersham Street in Savannah, GA. In December of 2011 SeeSAW secured approval from Savannah’s Metropolitan Planning Commission to oversee the first designated rotating mural wall in Savannah. To fund a years worth of murals SeeSAW successfully raised over $7,000.00 on the crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter. Most of the money raised was locally sourced from individual Savannahians and local businesses that support the amplification of public art.
In order to stay in line with the curatorial standard of creating work that is Savannah-centric in nature, SeeSAW selected prominent local artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, and Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado. These three artists were selected to tell a visual story of Savannah because of their consistent history documenting and interacting with the diverse people and geography of Georgia's first city.

Starting on the coldest day of the year in February 2012, Katherine Sandoz painted an abstract landscape of Turtle Island, a hammock off the Georgia coast directly due east from the wall at 34th and Habersham. The landscape spanned the length of the 8 ft x 100 ft wall.

In June 2012, rather than obliterate Sandoz’s landscape, Troy Wandzel decided to add a field of flowers along the lower third of the wall. Often in contorted positions, Wandzel painted over 70 portraits from life of everyday Savannah citizens that willingly suffered the June heat with smiles on their faces.

Staying in the theme of adding
to the wall rather than starting
over, in September of 2012
Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado synthesized Sandoz’s landscape and Wandzel’s portraits by painting a centrally located female figure with a crown formed out of seashells and waves. The woman represents
the feminine qualities of Savannah as a city, from its natural and architectural beauty to its motherly embrace.
“La Madre” of Savannah is flanked by two bearded horn players derivative of the fountain in historic Forsyth Park.
To close out the year with a bang, SeeSAW will be bringing in world-renowned NYC-based artist David Ellis for a week of painting “large, mobile, 3D” objects placed on the lawn in front of the wall on 34th Street. SeeSAW co-founders James “DrZ” Zdaniewski and Matt Hebermehl were inspired to create SeeSAW based upon previous experiences assisting Mr. Ellis on projects in Savannah and the Wynwood Walls neighborhood of Miami, FL. David Ellis will be in Savannah October 14 - 19.

Let me tell you, this was quite a block party, too! People from the neighborhood, people from all over Savannah, even people from other cities, all came together to admire the Muralcle and to watch the New Yorker create his motion-based paintings on the side panels of cargo trucks. It was almost like he was dancing! He may well have been, as the crowd was entertained by the sounds of Vinyl Appreciation while slurping Italian ices to stay cool in the sunshine.
Remember how Fliss had her portrait painted in June by Troy Wandzel? Well, the evidence points to his having an influence on Adolfo Alvarado's design. Perhaps he asked that my visage be preserved; perhaps he did not. Whatever the case may be, Fliss remains with "La Madre", peeking out on the lefthand side. Is it mere coincidence that has me nestled near "The Mother"? I prefer to think it was on purpose. Yet another message from beyond, reassuring me that I am spending the money properly.
Thanks, Mama.

flower power muralcle

Oh, wow! Fliss has been immortalized!!! Well, at least for a few months, right? I mean, a few months on the Savannah Art Wall at 34th and Habersham Streets, but who knows how long on the internet?
This kickstarter project has been very good to me!
Even if it did come as a little shock to me that I had so much gray in my hair. (Odd; the mirror must lie!)
Two weeks ago, I received a notice from the the good folks at SeeSAW that Troy Wandzel was the next artist to paint the Wall. He likes live models and had asked that local kickstarter supporters, as well as all interested others, come by during his week to get their portraits done. Of course I went!
Thursday, June 21st, fit nicely into my schedule. I had to wait my turn behind three young blonde lasses, but the day was gorgeous and music was provided, so I was good! I even danced a little! Then it was my turn to be captured.
Troy was very fast with his painting. That was partly due to the fast-drying nature of the paint, but also it was his style, perfected over the years. A few quick strokes, some washes of color, and a little fine-tuning: done!

These last two are of the finished Wandzel painting, taken today. I was very pleased that he had incorporated the "Turtle Island" landscape into his world of flower people. Then again, it speaks well of him that he has such respect for another's work.
I wonder what the next artist will do?

the world is IN the PINK

Connie Noyes' dream has become reality! Last night was the grand launch party at her studio in Chicago for the website for her "IN the PINK: 1,000,000 people art project". As she decribes the site, the "interactive platform will allow 1,000,000 people from around the globe to post projects they are passionate about, creative projects with the potential to change the world."
Nice, right?
But I very much like the art's description on the website.
As a global citizen in the 21st Century, what does it mean to be in good condition for our world, our communities or our selves? In the PINK: the 1,000,000 people art project is a multifaceted project designed for artists and collaborators from all disciplines to create, build and sustain a global community centered on creative process, interaction and dialog. The project draws attention and awareness to socio-cultural, historic, trans-national, economic, political, creative, generational, gender and spiritual issues based on cultural and/or personal connections to the color “PINK” or the phrase “IN THE PINK”.
We've come right back to that 1970's slogan, haven't we?
THINK global, ACT local.
I hope her work will inspire others to continue that line of thought.
Meanwhile, if I'm ever in the Chicago area, I'll certainly visit her exhibit.

muralcle on habersham at 34th

Today, I visited the the muralcle, the first fruit of the kickstarter project I had backed earlier this year. How very nice that the very first painting would be ocean-themed! How good to know Mama approved of this use of her money!
The artist, Katherine Sandoz, had been greenlighted amost a year ago as the first to use this space. She actually had begun preparing for creating the painting last fall, prior to the kickstarter project commencing. Her work is regarded highly by the higher-ups in the city, so having her paint a piece of public art would be a positive way to start for this ambitious project. (New art every quarter is the goal.)
She first began painting the oceanscape on February 12, with the final brushstrokes a week later. Why this particular vision of a bit of land 14 miles distant? Well, as she says in the article, “If you had X-ray vision and could see through the buildings, you could stand in front of the mural and see Turtle Island.”
Nice! She linked the ocean with my departed friend, Sam Johnson, in that one line.
Yes, this was indeed the right way for me to help the city and the community!
Have you ever seen an artist work? Here's the video of Sandoz and the wall, as she transformed it from litter backdrop to seaside idyll. Very nice, isn't it, to see art created before your very eyes? Nice tunes, too, again by KidSyc@Brandywine, for a little more local flavor.
Stay tuned in to the end for the credits. Fliss is there, as well as the other 122 kickstarter supporters. Woohoo!
Curious about the next artist? Me, too! I guess we'll have to wait a couple of months to find out who it will be.

seesaw - a muralcle on 34th street

Public art that changes every few months? That's the dream of James "Dr. Z" Zdaniewski and Matt Hebermahl. These two local Savannah artists have been working behind the scenes, slogging through the bureaucratic process, to legitimize art in the wild. Okay, maybe not "in the wild", but certainly not locked away in a building.
No, they want art exposed to the elements, art exposed to the world, art exposed for the enjoyment of all, regardless of time of day. Toward that goal, they have founded See Savannah Art Walls, aka SeeSAW, to encourage property owners to offer spaces for creative works and to encourage local artists desirous of working creatively on large spaces.
Sounds like a win-win situation to me!
How did I find out about the project? Well, you can thank Jim Morris, editor of the local entertainment newspaper. His op-ed (opinion of the editor, for those who may not know) article shone a spotlight on the project and caught my attention.
When I visited the kickstarter project online, I was lured in by the summary the two artists had written. They had certainly done their homework! Plus, they used the music of local hiphop favorites, KidSyc@Brandywine. I was first introduced to the non-gangsta, well-phrased lyrics of KidSyc almost three years ago at the Savannah Urban Arts Festival and was quite impressed. (His day job? He's a teacher!)
But I digress.
Why else am I backing this specific project? Here it is: the art is not going to be downtown where the tourists are. What does that mean? The art is for the Savannahians to enjoy and will not be "for sale".
So, I'm adding dollars for my age - that would be 53 buckaroos. In return, I'll be receiving my very own piece of art from the creators, a limited edition giclee print of their collaborative painting. Titled "SeeSAWstronaut", it features a rainbow wash of colors of a deep space explorer.
I'll be adding that to my retirement portfolio!

"in the pink", launch the 1,000,000 people art project

"THINK globally, ACT locally."
Connie Noyes, a young woman who looks like a sprite from "The Dark Crystal", not only quotes a slogan from the 1970's, but also wholeheartedly believes in it.
Me, too!
Of course, I come by it naturally - I was in high school in the mid-'70's, when the dream was world-conscious actions at local levels and beyond. I realize now that such concepts take a few generations to become reality, to be part of the norm. I am so thankful that recycling has finally been realized on a nearly global level.
Back to this kickstarter project.
Her dream is to involve one million people in her art project, IN the PINK, which is billed as a multifaceted, multimedia space in which people all over the world can post their passions.
No, not that kind of passion! I'm talking about ideas which light your internal fire, ideas which can improve the world, ideas which benefit others, locally and/or globally.
Wow. Very ambitious!
Reminds me of another project I backed last month. That project has, like this one, a focus on world involvement and world improvement.
So, you think people will contribute to her art project? Do you think it will attain its funding goal of five thousand dollars?
Oh, yes, yes I do. And so do fifty-one other supporters. In fact, I've joined this project very near the deadline for its goal - only fifteen minutes remain!
But it has met, and surpassed, its goal!
In return, I am now a member of the ONE MILLION PINK website and can make a contibution to the world.
I'll get a nifty button, too, and an autographed copy of the PINKSpace catalog.
I'll send you a photo when I have it!