Making it Together vs WACK

In the past week I (finally) went to see the related, but very different, shows featuring feminist art from the 1970's and 80's, WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution at PS 1 and "Making It Together" at the Bronx Museum. While WACK! is a and sprawling show taking up two floors of PS1's rabbit warrens of galleries, Making It Together occupies a small, pink room of the Bronx Museum's North Building. WACK! has been heavily critiqued since it's opening in LA last spring and I don't want to regurgitate those critiques here. My main beef with the show was this: if I came in knowing nothing about feminism or feminist art, I certainly would not leave with any clear idea about what it was, is, or could be. The show feels static and dried out. There are very few wall labels or didactics that discuss who the artists were or the context in which the art was produced. While PS 1 and the LA MOCA had many public programs exploring these themes, there is no evidence of them in the galleries. WACK!'s installation at PS1 has sucked the energy, anger, messiness, collaboration and hope out of feminist art. It is very white and looks, well, very 1970's. While it was fantastic to see some works in person, the "why" was completely ignored and I left feeling like I might of well have just stayed home and read the catalogue.

By contrast "Making It Together," curated by Carey Lovelace, explores the moment where feminist artists collaborated to create no only art, but social change. Of course they featured Heresies, Womanhouse, and the founding of galleries such as A.I.R. They also included collectives I did not know about such as Spiderwoman Theatre, the Waitresses (shown here marching), and Judy Baca's large community mural project in downtown L.A. Each section of the show included a clearly written wall label (in both English and Spanish) and the catalogue was a free, takeaway, so you could take it with you in case you didn't want to spend your whole time in the gallery reading. While the collective projects features were still overwhelmingly white, the Bronx Museum show did a much better job of contextualizing feminism and feminist art. It showed women responding to pertinent issues of the day (sexism, the wage gap, war, violence against women, racism, poverty, the roles given to women in society, etc...) with creativity, rage and humor. It begs the question what is being done now to continue this legacy. A little bit of an answer is given by the large mural that you see when you enter the museum collectively painted by women graffiti artists including Lady Pink and Too Fly, and behind this, selections from the museums' permanent collection including work by Adrian Piper, Ana Mendieta, Tania Brugera and Carrie May Weems. The Bronx Museum has done what WACK! did not, which is emphasize that feminism is a living breathing entity, and it, like revolution, must be rooted in community, collaboration and exchange.

Aiko Nakagawa at Joshua Liner Gallery

Art work by Aiko Nakagawa
Originally uploaded by killerfemme

Aiko Nakgawa is an artist about town (I suppose quite literally, since she is a street artist as well as making works of fine art like the one pictured here). Sometimes I wonder when she has time to paint, especially as she has been having so many awesome shows lately. I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening of the group show she is part of, "Locked and Loaded" at the Joshua Liner Gallery in Chelsea. This is the gallery's inaugural show and includes work by other artists such as Crash One, Shawn Barber, Kenji Hirata, Jessica Joslin, and Tomokazu Matsuyama. Much of the work in the show was too slick for my tastes (I think Aiko Ishigawa, a new writer friend, called it the "Juxtapoz style" in reference to the magazine). I was quite taken, however, by the acrylic painting "3Rip Horse" by Tomokazu Matsuyama, the delicate yet creepy sculptural constructions of Jessica Joslin, and of course, Aiko's work. I love how her large canvases look like work that has been put up on the street and had layers of wheatpasted fliers and other artwork put up over it. Her paintings and stencil work has texture that keeps you engaged in looking, while their graphic boldness immediately catches the eye.

Serial Meditations at Nurture Art

Nurture Art is one of my favorite galleries, and yet it has been over two years since I have been there. On Friday I attended the opening of "Serial Meditations" at the new Nurture Art space at the edge of the Williamsburg/Bushwick industrial area. This show was curated by Melissa Messina and Amy Brandt and includes the artists Ju Young, Ban, Judith Braun, Janice Caswell, Richard Garrison, Bridget Lewis, Rita MacDonald, David Pierce, Patrick Schmidt, Tina Schneider and Eliza Stamps. I first met Melissa and Amy in the context of the Brooklyn Museum's show Global Feminisms, which they both worked on. In contrast to that very in your face, political show, Serial Mediations, as its name implies, is quiet. Most of the pieces are black and white, monochromatic or use color in a very subtle manner. Looking at the work has a calming effect and while they often simply use lines and shapes, I felt like I could continue looking at the works and seeing more in them. This was certainly true of Richard Garrison's spirograph drawing, which created a thick, black line on creme colored paper. By repeating overlapping circles with a ball point pen Garrison created a texture and depth to the image that almost looked like it was produced by an etching. In contrast, Birdget Lewis' piece of delicate strings of glue suspended from with silver pins is as much about the shadow it creates on the wall and it's interaction with the light than the actual object itself. In its tranquility this show is very exciting because instead of leaving feeling nothing, despite the minimal nature of the work, I felt revitalized.

Brick Ladies of NYC at Ad Hoc Gallery

Last week I was privileged enough to be invited to the "V.I.P." opening of the "Brick Ladies of NYC" show at Ad Hoc Gallery in Williamsburg. The show features legendary graffiti artist Lady Pink and verging on legendary street artist Aiko, formerly of the artist collective Faile. The show is a conversation between the two artists. Lady Pink's graffiti style paintings on canvas are hung on the left hand side of the gallery and Aiko's paintings, prints and a vitrine of jewelry and the bunny toy she recently designed for Kid Robot, on the right. Joining the two is the back wall of the gallery which is a collaborative work between the two artists. The wall is dominated by different shades of pink which, on first look, seem to be simply nebulous rose clouds. Upon closer inspection figures painted by pink and stenciled by Aiko reveal themselves in the blobs. Both artists deal with the female figure. A friend joked that if "the artists were straight men you would be mad." Lady Pink's paintings show women, often made up of bricks and forming the city, and the brick women depicted in the the canvasses become the walls Lady Pink paints. Aiko's women recall classic pin-up girls with butterflies and bunnies playfully stenciled, painted and screen printed in strategic locations. As such, her work questions the ways women become commodities in a marketplace, promoting and selling with their suggestive sexuality. The cross gallery dialogue is also carried out between the two artists' styles. Lady Pink's paintings are slick, the paint heavy, glossy and vibrantly colored, and it is easy to imagine her earlier work adorning city walls and subway cars, though it is just as easily adapted to the canvas. Aiko's work is frantically (but carefully) layered, prints and stencils carefully placed, paint drips exuberantly controlled. You can imagine the pieces being wheat pasted on a conspicuous doorway near you. Ad Hoc owner Andrew Michael Ford, an exuberant supporter of Lady Pink and Aiko's work, calls this work the "new contemporary" and I certainly hope that we see more work as dedicated and strikingly executed (and fun!) as this. The show is up until April 20th.

NYC Grassroots Media Conference March 2nd!

I will be participating in the NYC Grassroots Media Conference on March 2nd with my colleagues talking about connecting teaching strategies for visual literacy and media literacy. I'm really looking forward to this conference and hope those in the NYC area will make it! If there's nerdy media, art and museum educators coming to the conference, I hope you'll make it to our workshop!

Review of "Void" at Magnan Emrich Contemporary

There are so many buildings in New York City that we don't see or notice until they are not there. The twin towers might be the most glaringly cited contemporary example, but "Void," which opened at Magnan Contemporary in Chelsea on Friday, calls our attention to much more ubiquitous spaces that constitute the city's daily architecture. Monica Paez and Nicolas Consuegra, two Colombian artists living in Brooklyn, collaborated on photos and an installation of glass bricks that examine Americans, especially New Yorkers, obsession with consumption through the self-storage unit. By photographing these hulking, glaring eyesores and then methodically removing them through photoshop, leaving only their negative shadow, the artists call attention to how much space New Yorkers wanted, but unneeded, clutter occupies in the landscape.

Referring to to Tom Vanderbilt's article "Self Storage Nation," in Slate, the artists also call attention to how unused warehouses become "Real Estate Investment" opportunities and contribute to the process of gentrification. The artists remarked that they were surprised to learn about self-storage units, a concept relatively unheard of in Colombia. Five photographs and a wall installation of glass "bricks", which reflect the space and add to the illusion the gallery is much larger, constitute the show. It is the perfect size and pace and provokes conversation about location and what we notice and choose to edit out of the city's landscape. Everyone (myself included) gasped upon recognizing the large, yellow and red, Brother's Storage building on Atlantic and Washington Avenues in Brooklyn. The glass was contributed to the idea of void, adding depth to the gallery, echoing the storage units bricks, but ultimately reminding us that space is difficult to come by in New York.

It is really fantastic to see a gallery show that grapples with issues on the minds of many New Yorker's in a way that feels straight forward, well thought out and honest. To see more of Monica and Nicolas' collaborations, check out the journal they co-edit, Revista Asterisco. They could be riffRAG's Latin American cousin.

Nicolas Consuegera and Monica Paez Present "Void"

Monica and Nicolas celebrate the opening of "Void" at Magnan Emrich Contemporary on Friday. Review Above.

Queer CUNY Conference, This Saturday!

I hope that all of you in New York City (and perhaps readers outside as well?) will be interested in attending the Queer CUNY conference this Saturday starting at 10 a.m. at Hunter College. I will be representing riffrag on a panel about Visual Pleasure and I am really looking forward to it! I admit that I'm a little intimidated about speaking at an academic conference when I've been out of academic and in the art world trenches for a few years, but I'm excited to share my ideas about why I think riffrag is so queer with the art and artists we showcase and what that means for my understanding of queerness in general. I'm also excited to hear what my co-panelists, Morty Diamond, Director of Trannyfags and Trans Entities, A Personal Look Into One Transman's Journey Into Erotic Arts, and Jon Freeman, Tufts University, Dancing to Disidentify: Voguing, Queer of Color Critique, and Neoliberalism, have to say. I think something that will make this conference so special and exciting is that it's not just about academia. Conference director Taylor Black has been working really steadily to include many different community voices and I think this will make for a lively and practical debate. The Visual Pleasure panel is at 11 a.m., so please join us bright and early!

Zine Reading and Workshop, Tomorrow!

The event below not only features me, LNR, leading a zine making workshop (yes, like with real paper, pens and scissors), but readings by riffRAG friends and contributors, yay!
Come join us!
LNR

Cup and Pen Small Press Reading Series & the Barnard Zine Library
present
a One-Two Zine Reading and Zine Making Event Combination
(and we saved you ringside seats)~

Wednesday October 10th, 2007
8pm-10pm
Free as a bird!

Small press enthusiasts, littérateurs and zine-heads unite! Come to listen actively, converse heartily and drink organic beverages (now including wine and cheese) slowly with the Cup and Pen Small Press Reading Series. Cup and Pen, a twice-monthly small press reading series in the back room of Think Coffee, hopes to create a series in which readers discover new presses to support and introduce emerging writers to publishers. Huzzah!

Leaning into the romantic chill of a new fall, we are more than amped to announce that the Barnard Zine Library will be making literary smores overs the flame of our passion! Join us for a one two combination featuring a collection of women zinsters such as Sabrina Chapadjiev (Cliterature), Betsy Housten (You Should Know), Tya Kagamas (i am the city) and Jennie Rose Halperin (So, you're a Freshman? Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love college) reading from their work, followed by a zine making event (materials provided!) lead by the illimitable Eleanor Whitney (riffRag)! No one walks away without an ear full of opinions and a hand sticky with gluestick. Expertly curated by Zine librarian Jenna Freedman and dutifully emceed by Rebecca Alvarez.

Think Coffee
248 Mercer St and 3rd Street, NY 10012
BDFV to Broadway Lafayette/6 to Bleeker/ NRW to Prince Street
(212) 228-6226
http://thinkcoffeenyc.com/cup-and-pen/
http://barnardzines.livejournal.com/

Violence at Slyvia Rivera Law Project Event

Please see the press release below. This is really disturbing, please spread the word and show your support for the amazing work that Slyvia Rivera Law Project does to support the rights of transgendered people.
LNR

PRESS RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Jack Aponte (jack@srlp.org, 347-247-1526)
Naomi Clark (naomi@srlp.org, 917-907-4870)


Police Brutality Strikes Fifth Anniversary of Sylvia Rivera Law Project

NEW YORK - On the night of Wednesday, September 26, officers from the
9th Precinct of the New York Police Department attacked without
provocation members of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and of its
community. Two of our community members were violently arrested, and
others were pepper sprayed in the face without warning or cause.

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (www.srlp.org) is an organization that
works on behalf of low-income people of color who are transgender,
gender non-conforming, or intersex, providing free legal services and
advocacy among many other initiatives. On Wednesday night, the Sylvia
Rivera Law Project was celebrating its fifth anniversary with a
celebration and fundraising event at a bar in the East Village.

A group of our community members, consisting largely of queer and
transgender people of color, witnessed two officers attempting to
detain a young Black man outside of the bar. Several of our community
members asked the officers why they were making the arrest and using
excessive force. Despite the fact that our community was on the
sidewalk, gathered peacefully and not obstructing foot traffic, the
NYPD chose to forcefully grab two people and arrested them. Without
warning, an officer then sprayed pepper spray across the group in a
wide arc, temporarily blinding many and causing vomiting and intense
pain.

"This is the sort of all-too-common police violence and overreaction
towards people of color that happens all the time," said Dean Spade,
founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. "It's ironic that we were
celebrating the work of an organization that specifically opposes
state violence against marginalized communities, and we experienced a
police attack at our celebration."

"We are outraged, and demand that our community members be released
and the police be held accountable for unnecessary use of excessive
force and falsely arresting people," Spade continued.

Damaris Reyes is executive director of GOLES, an organization working
to preserve the Lower East Side. She commented, "I'm extremely
concerned and disappointed by the 9th Precinct's response to the
situation and how it escalated into violence. This kind of aggressive
behavior doesn't do them any good in community-police relations."

Supporters will be gathering at 100 Centre Street tomorrow, where the
two community members will be arraigned. The community calls for
charges to be dropped and to demand the immediate release of those
arrested.

Caroline Mak at Socrates Sculpture Park

Join riffRAG artist Caroline Mak this Sunday as she celebrates the opening of the Emerging Artists Fellowship Program at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens. Those of you who know Caroline's work know it's always detailed and wonderfully formal in an obcessive kind of way. More information below:

EAF07: 2007 Emerging Artist Fellowship Exhibition
September 9, 2007 – March 9, 2008
Opening: Sunday, September 9, 2007 / 2-6PM

Socrates Sculpture Park will present EAF07: 2007 Emerging Artist Fellowship Exhibition, from September 9, 2007 through March 9, 2008. This annual signature show features newly commissioned works by twelve artists who have been selected to receive a grant and a residency in the Park's outdoor studio. Socrates is one of the premiere places to experience both the production and presentation of large-scale public artworks. Artists create their work both in the open studio, and on site in the landscape. The diverse sculptural installations in this exhibition represent a broad range of materials, working methods and subject matter and are presented against the Park's spectacular waterfront view of the Manhattan skyline.

The EAF07 artists are Tim Clifford, Linda Ganjian, Vandana Jain, Ken Landauer, Caroline Mak, Greg Martin, Ohad Meromi, Rachel Owens, Ricky Sears, Shane Aslan Selzer, Changamire Semakokiro and Brian Wondergem. For more information about EAF07 and the Emerging Artist Fellowship Program, visit www.socratessculpturepark.org.

Cup and Pen Small Press Fair

For those New Yorkers interested in small press, self-publishing and artists books, as well as coffee, readings and conversation, this looks to be a great event! One of the presses, Booklyn sells riffRAG and has been a champion of Brooklyn-based book artists for many a year. Check it out!

Cup and Pen Small Press Reading Series presents
The Cup and Pen Small Small Press Fair, 2007

Saturday, September 8th 2007
2pm-6pm
Free
Small press enthusiasts, littérateurs and zine-heads unite! Come to
listen actively, converse heartily and drink organic beverages (now
including wine and cheese) slowly with the Cup and Pen Small Small
Press Fair, 2007. Cup and Pen, a twice-monthly small press reading
series in the back room of Think Coffee, offers you a small press pu
pu platter from publishers who are both new and returning to the
series. Huzzah!


Readings from Belladonna Books, Litmus Press, Booklyn Artist Alliance,
Sona Books, Ballyhoo Stories, Hotel St. George Press, The Lowbrow
Reader and Heeb Magazine may not only give you a varied look at some
of the most exciting writing and work coming out of independent
presses today, it may just save your soul. Respectfully emceed by
Rebecca Alvarez.

2:10pm- 2:30pm Belladonna Books
2:40pm- 3:00pm Litmus Press
3:10pm- 3:30pm Booklyn Artists Alliance
3:40pm- 4:00pm Sona Books
4:10pm- 4:30pm Ballyhoo Stories
4:40pm- 5:00pm Hotel St. George Press
5:10pm- 5:30pm The Lowbrow Reader
5:40pm- 6:00pm Heeb Magazine

Think Coffee
248 Mercer St and 3rd Street, NY 10012
BDFV to Broadway Lafayette/6 to Bleeker/ NRW to Prince Street
(212) 228-6226
www.thinkcoffeenyc.com
www.belladonnabooks.blogspot.com
www.litmuspress.org
www.booklyn.org
www. sonaweb.net
www.ballyhoostories.com
www.hotelstgeorgepress.com
www.lowbrowreader.com
www.heebmagazine.com

What We Think Anthology Call for Submissions

Here at riffRAG we are very into reflection, analysis and taking a critical look at where we have been and where we are going. This anthology, What We Think: Gender Roles, Women's Issues and Feminism in the 21st Century, seems to be conceived around these lines and they are looking for contributors. Read on for more information or visit their website for full information about submissions and all the technicalities. Proposals and submissions are due October 1st, 2007.

What We Think:
Gender Roles, Women's Issues and Feminism
in the 21st Century:
An Anthology
Purpose

In the 21st Century, over 80 years since women were granted the right to vote, we are still debating economic, political, and social equality.

Many of our women pioneers have become disillusioned with the women’s movement and what they see as a confused value system in the modern age, while younger generations fear the stigma of the “F-Word,” or refuse to distinguish themselves as feminists.

Where has feminism gone wrong, and what are the solutions? How do we achieve success, and how do we influence a broader audience, incorporate men, and overhaul the movement to include those now disassociating themselves from the cause?

Key points to consider

* My first experience(s) with feminism, positive or negative
* What drew me in or turned me off from the movement
* Why I am disillusioned (specific issues and concerns), what are potential solutions
* As a person of color, what has been your experience with the movement?
* Do you see men as involved, absent, or excluded from feminism; if so why? Men, do you feel excluded?
* Do you believe equality for women has been achieved and is no longer an issue?
* How I or others can contribute to the cause
* My greatest influence(s) regarding feminism or women’s rights
* Why I feel excluded from the movement
* A powerful story that sheds light on some of the misconceptions and/or explains positive aspects (whether facts and data or personal experiences) of feminism.
* What are women's issues today?
* Are the lines between traditional men's and women's roles blurring? What do you think accounts for this, is feminism partly responsible?

Submission Guidelines

We will accept unpublished fiction or nonfiction original pieces under 4000 words. Your piece may be in the form of a short story, a personal experience, an essay (opinion or academic), a poem, a collection of thoughts, or a collaborative work, from either a male or female perspective.
Photography and Art

We are also accepting 10-12 submissions of photography, and 10-12 reproductions (photographs) of artwork for inclusion in the book. If you would prefer this kind of contribution, and have something or can create something new, we hope you consider submitting any and all pieces that fit within the guidelines of the book.
Music and Spoken Word

If you have recorded a piece of music or a spoken-word piece (or one that you are inspired to write and record) that fits the general theme of what we're looking for, we would love to include it as part of an audio supplement to the finished book.

The pieces should share the general premise that feminism and women’s rights are at its core a positive phenomenon. The focus of the anthology is gender, women's rights and feminism in the present, in the 21st century, and not on one particular style or direction. In short, we’d like the anthology to be as varied as feminists and ideas about feminism are varied: some of us value feminism deeply, others did value feminism at some point in our lives, but are perhaps now disenchanted with its evolution; still others have never considered feminism as valid or credible, or have purposefully avoided any connection to the word or the idea.
International Submissions

We will also include a small chapter on International Feminism, with short essays on perspectives from around the world. These submissions, a maximum of 2500 words, can be related to the key points above, or other issues concerning feminism and women’s rights. We are looking for pieces that provide insight into cultural, societal, or religious issues, various solutions to specific problems, stories of organizations helping or hindering feminism in your country, etc.

Contemporary Confections Blog

Nicole C., the author of the blog Contemporary Confections views herself as a "New York-based curator with a sweet tooth." What I found is an irresistible blog full of critical, smart reviews of exhibitions, conversations with artists, and posts about artists working with food and chefs working with artists or chefs who are artists in their own rite. Mouth watering pictures as well! Satisfyingly sweet, you might say.

Call for artists at Greenpoint Library

This might be of interest for local Brooklyn artists and plus, it benefits a great cause! Please pass it along...


CALL FOR ARTISTS:

The Greenpoint 100: Friends of the Greenpoint Library Artists' Benefit
September 15th, 2007 11:00am - 2:30pm
Brooklyn Public Library Greenpoint Branch
107 Norman Avenue at Leonard Street, Brooklyn NY 11222

The Friends of the Brooklyn Public Library's Greenpoint Branch invites
100 Greenpoint artists to participate in a juried, one-day exhibition
of small works which will be sold to benefit the branch. This is a
worthwhile opportunity for our local emerging artists to display their
work and have it reviewed by arts professionals. The proceeds from the
sale will be used for community-requested improvements like children's
area maintenance, as well as the acquisition of much-needed,
up-to-date new materials.

Grand Prize: $100 cash
(2) Runner-up prizes to be announced

Jurors:

Leah Stuhltrager: Founder and co-director, Dam Stuhltrager Gallery
- Dam Stuhltrager, founded in 1998, is an original charter member of
the Williamsburg Gallery Association and one of the most ascendant
galleries in the area. Its artists have been featured in major
exhibitions including Art Basel, Contemporary Istanbul, and the Museum
of Art and Design. Dam Stuhltrager has had extensive coverage in both
mainstream and contemporary art publications such as Artforum, NPR,
The Village Voice, Rhizome.org and Esquire.

James Wagner and Barry Hoggard: Critics, curators and editors of
ArtCal ( www.ArtCal.net)
- Well-respected art and political bloggers James Wagner (
jameswagner.com) and Barry Hoggard ( bloggy.com) publish ArtCal, an
unabashedly opinionated openings and exhibitions guide focusing on
underknown galleries and artists. James and Barry are often integral
to the exposure of new talent and have been featured in Art and
America, ArtKrush, The Brooklyn Rail, Art+Auction, and more.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES:

As we are focusing on the community, *YOU MUST BE AN ARTIST LIVING OR
WORKING IN GREENPOINT* to participate. There is no fee to submit,
however please be aware that your work is a donation to raise funds
for the library.

We are looking for 2-dimensional works in all mediums (MAX SIZE 11x14
inches), and some small freestanding sculpture. All work will be sold
for $25 each.

WE ARE ONLY ACCEPTING THE FIRST 100 ARTISTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA , so
soon as possible, please email us your:

NAME
ADDRESS
EMAIL ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
and a small jpeg of the work, (or a similar representative work if you
plan on making a specific piece for the sale)

EMAIL CONTACT INFORMATION AND JPEG TO:
friendsofthegreenpointlibrary@gmail.com

- If you are one of the first 100 qualified artists to respond to the
call, you will receive a reply with an ID number from 1-100, and the
address of where your work must be mailed or delivered.
- Your work must be labeled on the back (or bottom of sculptures) with
your ID number and contact information.
- Accepted artists' work must be received by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th to
be included in the exhibit.
- All unsold work must be picked up in person at the close of the
event, by 3pm on Saturday, September 15th.
- Although the utmost care will be taken with the pieces on exhibit,
The Brooklyn Public Library and the Friends Group will not be held
responsible for the damage to, or loss of, any artwork donated to the
branch and/or remaining on the premises after the event.

SAWCC’s 10th Anniversary Exhibition at Exit Art gallery, New York

SULTANA'S DREAM
SAWCC’s 10th Anniversary Exhibition

August 4-31, 2007

Thursday Evening Events August 9, 16, 23 at 7pm

Opening Saturday August 4, 7-9 pm
Open and free to public

Special Preview Reception, Saturday, August 4, 6-7 pm (minimum $30.00 donation)
Free exhibition catalogue
Wine compliments of Billimoria Wines & Krait Beer
Complimentary admission to the benefit party


Benefit Party, Saturday, August 4, 9-12 pm ($15 admission)

Featurning DJ Rekha and DK aka Bollygirl

Click here to for advanced donations (please print receipt and present at entrance).

Tickets will be available at the door.

SAWCC (South Asian Women’s Creative Collective) is an organization dedicated to the advancement, visibility and development of emerging and established South Asian women artists. SAWCC provides a forum for South Asian women artists to profile their creative and intellectual work, and network with other South Asian women artists, educators, community workers and professionals.

As the art world celebrates the work of women artists this year, and as SAWCC commemorates their 10th anniversary, this exhibition at Exit Art will contribute to the spectacle in SAWCC’s truly collective fashion. Sultana’s Dream, curated by Jaishri Abichandani, Founder of SAWCC, will feature collaborative works and participatory projects that have been produced through a process of dialogue between at least two South Asian women artists – across disciplines that include: visual artists and writers, dancers, filmmakers, musicians etc. Sultana’s Dream will include the work of established South Asian women artists such as Shahzia Sikander and Chitra Ganesh, as well as emerging or lesser known South Asian women artists selected from an open call for submissions. Including over 30 artists of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, Afghan, Kuawaiti and Iranian descent, Sultana’s Dream showcases the spectrum of South Asian women’s intellectual and aesthetic perspectives.

ARTISTS
Samira Abbassy, Jaishri Abichandani, Fariba Alam, Mouna Andraos, Siona Benjamin, Anjali Bhargava, Anna Bhushan, Mareena Daredia, Sharmila Desai, Chitra Ganesh, Asha Ganpat, Mariam Ghani, Rajkamal Kahlon, Emily Jacir, Mona Kamal, Jesal Kapadia, Sarita Khurana, Swati Khurana, Yamini Nayar, Vicky Moufawad-Paul, Carol Pereira, Sreshta Premnath, Fatima Al Qadiri, Monira Al Qadiri, Sadia Rehman, Prerana Reddy, Ela Shah, Asma Ahmed Shikoh, Shahzia Sikander, Sonali Sridhar, Anahita Vossoughi, 6 + women’s art collective, and SAFED STUDIO.

ABOUT EXIT ART
Exit Art is an interdisciplinary laboratory for contemporary culture that explores the rich diversity of voices that continually shape art and ideas. Since it’s founding in 1982 by Directors Jeanette Ingberman and Papo Colo, Exit Art has presented over 2,500 artists and has grown from a pioneering alternative art space, bringing attention to the work of under-recognized artists, into a model cultural center for the 21st century. With a substantial reputation for curatorial innovation and depth of programming in diverse media, Exit Art’s exhibitions, performances and programs respond to culturally resonant themes, empowering artists to redefine their artistic sensibility. Exit Art is internationally recognized for its unmatched spirit of inventiveness, commitment to supporting artists, and consistent ability to anticipate the newest trends in the culture. A place where different disciplines and audiences converge and cross-pollinate, it is a key site for excavating the unwritten histories of contemporary art and culture.


Exit Art is located at 475 Tenth Avenue at 36th Street. Exit Art is open each Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am – 6 pm; Friday, 10 am – 8 pm; Saturday, noon – 8 pm Closed Sunday and Monday. There is a suggested donation of $5. For more information, the public may call 212-966-7745 or visit www.exitart.org.

Lesedi Youth Film Festival: Friday, August 24, 2007, 7pm

I've been teaching a filmmaking course for youth the past two months, at the Lesedi Film Center. Lesedi "is a new and exciting film workshop program for teens based in the Bronx. This summer, students were able to hone their crafts as storytellers in our acting, scriptwriting and directing workshops. They worked hands-on with industry standard equipment and were given resource books to aid in the continuance of their careers as creative professionals."

Come see the films we're making in the class. Details below:

What: Lesedi Youth Film Festival
When: Friday, August 24, 2007, reception starts at 6pm, screenings start at 7pm
Where: Lesedi Film Center, 3432-04 East Tremont Ave. Bronx, NY 10465

Featured in the festival will be screenings of short films directed by our students and readings of screenplays written also by our students.

All students will be awarded prizes. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, e-mail lesedifilm@gmail.com

Future of Feminist Art Panel Wrap Up

Thank you to everyone who came out last weekend, as well to the panelists Jaishri Abichaidani, Sheila Pepe, Em 16 and Erica Cho, and moderators LO and Felix Gato, for making it such an interesting and successful event. At the panel, I hung back and acted as logistical support and took photos. It was so great to see the Forum space in the Sackler Center for Feminist Art was packed! From the panel I can see that dialogues around the direction that feminisms and feminist art is going is extremely important. Of course one panel on a Saturday afternoon isn't going to solve the many big questions surrounding race, class, culture and the gaps between generations in feminism. But something I noticed is how we need to create these spaces that are truly diverse (and I am proud to say I think this one was) more often in order to stop congratulating ourselves for being diverse and really talk about these issues. Critique is not complaining and I think we need to really open our ears and listen to each other when critiques are raised. It seems basic to say "open your ears" to other feminists, but I think this goes a long way to actually implementing the politics we profess to believe.

riffRAG Hosts Panel Saturday on the Future of Feminist Art

In the spirit of reflection and critical analysis, we hope that you will join us at the Brooklyn Museum this Saturday for a panel about the future of feminist art. On Saturday July 21, at 2pm riffRAG teams up with the Brooklyn Museum's new Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art to present a panel examining the future of feminist art. Join artists Sheila Pepe, Jaishri Abichandani, Erica Cho and Em Sixteen as they reflect critically on what's to come after the recent opening of many feminist exhibitions (moderated by editors Felix and LO).

Saturday, 2 p.m. The event is FREE with Museum admission and will be held at the Brooklyn Museum in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY (2/3 Train to Brooklyn Museum).

I am really excited how well it fits in with the conversation they are having at Double-X art. I think at this point, the more conversations of this kind the better, as my fear is that this year with all the great feminist focused exhibitions will just be written off as "year of the feminist" and the structure of the art world (or, more importantly, society) will not change. This is why it is important to bring together many different feminist artists to discuss the present and future of feminist art. We hope that you will join us and add your voice to the conversation as well!

Double X Art- Tomorrow!

BROOKLYN FIRE PROOF 101 Richardson Street Brooklyn NY 11211
www.brooklynfireproof.com (718) 302-4702 katy@brooklynfireproof.com

Brooklyn Fire Proof and Ad Hoc Vox are pleased to invite you to
Double X Art, a round table discussion that will take place at the
gallery on July 18th at 7:00pm.

For Double X Art, Ad Hoc Vox has brought together a select group of
artists, curators, dealers, critics, and guests from related
disciplines to address the under-representation of women's artistic
practices. From WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution at MOCA, to the
Global Feminisms show at the Brooklyn Museum, to June's Feminist Art
issue of Art in America , the spotlight is on feminist works. Seeking
diverse points of view and with no agenda other than to initiate
dialogue, Ad Hoc Vox would like to take advantage of this spotlight to
facilitate an in-depth conversation about the representation of women
in the arts. The discussion's participants are Phong Bui, Colby
Chamberlain, Dana Frankfort, Maureen Gallace, Elizabeth Huey, Paddy
Johnson, Deborah Kass, Wendy Olsoff, Danica Phelps, Katy Siegel, Lisa
Sigal, and Becky Smith. Colleen Asper will moderate the discussion,
which will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Organized by Colleen Asper and Jennifer Dudley, Ad Hoc Vox is an
ongoing series of discussions and lectures without a fixed location
that addresses a wide range of issues in contemporary art.
www.adhocvox.com.

Phong Bui is an artist, writer, and curatorial advisor at P.S.1. His
numerous installations over the last two years have won him the Award
in Art from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Eric
Isenbeurger Annual Prize for Installation from the National Academy
Museum. He is also Editor and Publisher of the monthly journal The
Brooklyn Rail, which offers critical perspectives on arts, politics,
and culture in NYC and beyond, as well as The Brooklyn Rail/ Blck
Square Editions, a publishing venture that focuses on experimental
poetry, fiction, prose meditation, artists' writings, interviews with
artists, and art criticism.

Colby Chamberlain is managing editor at Cabinet magazine and formerly
organized the public programs at P.S.1.

Dana Frankfort has had solo exhibitions in Los Angeles (Kantor Feuer,
2006), Houston (Inman Gallery, 2007), and Brooklyn (Brooklyn Fire
Proof, 2005). Her first solo exhibition in Chelsea opens at Bellwether
on September 6th, 2007. This summer Frankfort's work will be included
in group-exhibitions at Zach Feuer Gallery, John Connelly Presents,
and Kantor/Feuer Gallery, with work featured in The Saatchi Gallery's
Abstract America in 2008. Frankfort graduated with an MFA from Yale
University, was a Core Fellow at The Glassell School of Art in
Houston, TX, and received a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in 2006.

Maureen Gallace received her BFA from the Hartford Art School at the
University of Hartford in Connecticut and her MFA from Rutgers
University. She has had solo exhibitions around the world, including
shows at the Art Institute of Chicago; Dallas Museum of Art; Douglas
Hyde Museum, Dublin; Fukui City Art Museum, Fukui-shi, Japan; 303
Gallery, New York; Kerlin Gallery, Dublin; Michael Kohn Gallery, Los
Angeles; Maureen Paley Gallery, London; Gallery Side 2, Tokyo;
Galleria Il Capricorno, Venice; and Johnen and Schottle, Cologne. A
catalog of her work with an introduction by Rick Moody was published
in 2005 by the Douglas Hyde Museum.

Paddy Johnson is the editor of Art Fag City, a popular art blog
focusing on emerging artists in New York. Her writing has been
featured in the New York Observer, FlashArt, artkrush, Art &
Australia, Flavorpill, NYFA Current, Fanzine and more, and she has
been linked to by publications such as The New York Times,
Boing-Boing, The Huffington Post, Gawker, artkrush, the Design
Observer, Make Magazine, and we-make-money-not-art.

Elizabeth Huey holds a B.A. in psychology from George Washington
University and studied painting at both the New York Studio School and
The Marchutz School before receiving her M.F.A. from Yale University
in 2002. Recent work features figures nestled within complex
landscapes intertwining institutional architecture with rambling
gardens and has focused on the intersection of trauma, insanity, and
spirituality; rife with sexual tension.

Deborah Kass is having a one-person show at Paul Kasmin Gallery in
September 2007. Her work is in the collections of The Museum of Modern
Art, The Whitney Museum of Art, The Solomon Guggenheim Museum, The
Jewish Museum, The Museum of Fine Art, Boston, The Cincinnati Museum,
among others, as well as numerous public and private collections. She
is a Senior Critic in the Yale University M.F.A. Painting Program.

Wendy Olsoff is the co-founder with Penny Pilkington of PPOW Gallery,
which opened in the East Village in 1983. The gallery has had the
pleasure of working with such artists as Sue Coe, Nancy Spero, Carolee
Schneemann, Carrie Mae Weems, Julie Heffernan, David Wojnarowicz and
Dinh Q. Le among many others. PPOW, since its inception, remains true
to showing individual artists with an emphasis on figurative painting
and sculpture, and work with political and social content. Photography
has also always been a part of the gallery program.

Danica Phelps has lived and worked in NYC for 10 years where she has
made work about her everyday life. Often, this focused on her finances
while she draws everything she spends money on and uses the data to
create abstract color paintings and charts. Her drawings on the other
hand, are explorations of line, distortion, transparency, and temporal
shifts.

Katy Siegel received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College
and earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Texas at
Austin. She is an Associate Professor of Art History and Criticism at
Hunter College, CUNY, and Contributing Editor for Artforum. Her wide
repertoire of publications include High Times, Hard Times:New York
Painting 1967 - 1975, Tillim: Art After Ideology, and Art Works: Money
(co-authored with Paul Mattick).

Lisa Sigal is having her third solo show in the fall of 2007 at
Frederieke Taylor Gallery in NYC. Her large-scale paintings play off
architecture, an interplay between the literal and the illusion.

Becky Smith is the owner and Director of Bellwether. In 1999,
Bellwether began as an artist run project founded by four artists in
Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In 2000, Smith became the sole owner of the
gallery and has remained the driving force and vision behind the
gallery ever since. Bellwether transitioned from Brooklyn in 2005 and
has been enjoying being a part of the vibrant community of galleries
specializing in contemporary art in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.
Bellwether has participated in The Armory Show since 2000 and the NADA
Fair since NADA began in 2001. Smith serves as an advisor to NADA and
has been a juror of the fair since NADA's inception.

For Directions and More Information, please log on to
www.brooklynfireproof.com or call Brooklyn Fire Proof 718 302 4702.

This Bridge We Are Building: Creating Alliances Between Women and Trans People of Color from Albany to NYC

Women of Color! Immigrant Women! Trans and Gender Non Conforming
People of Color!

From New York City to Albany, Women and Trans People of Color are
fighting for basic needs and human rights, justice for immigrants, an
end to violence, and the need for accountability in our local areas
and the world. We are creating the lives we want to live and we need
support from each other to do it.

In August, we will join together to share our stories: our
similarities and differences, our struggles and victories, and some
good food. We are looking to build bridges: to start the difficult
and inspiring conversations to strengthen our movements and to examine
what solidarity looks like. We are here to encourage each other to
keep loving and keep fighting.

Sunday, August 5th10am-1pm*
So bring yourself, your story, the project you are working on, the
places you need help, your concerns, your rants, your art, your piece
to share, your book to sell, your love and your struggle. And some
good food.

Kitchen is avai
lable if needed. Childcare will be provided. Invite
your friends.
*You are invited to stay for a day long retreat. Swimming and hiking after 1pm. We will gather in the Hudson Valley, two hours from NYC, 45 minutes from Poughkeepsie and Albany. Rideshares and shuttle from the train
will be available. Call for more info.

R.S.V.P.alicia 917 576 7522
radicaldharma@gmail.com

Be our friend on Flickr!

riffRAG has an account on the photo sharing site flickr. If you want to see more photos from our recent film screening and photosets from our past events, please visit our flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/riffrag. If you have a flickr account and want to keep up to date with us, please add us as a contact!

Queer Film Screening at Bluestockings

In honor of pride and independent, radical cinema riffrag presented an hour long program of frisky, queer cinema. riffRAG editor Felix curated the films and played VJ for the evening. For me who worked on the event planning side, I was able to sit back, relax and watch during the screening. It was the first time I had seen many of the films and I was struck by their diversity of form and queerness portrayed. From apartment voyeurism to repressed teenaged punks to animated workmen, the films were touching, sweet, funny and definitely sexy. As one friend said, "I have to go home and take a cold shower!" Many thanks to the Bluestockings staff, who are always amazing and supportive.

Introducing...

LNR introduced riffrag's evening of sexy, queer films last week while Felix passed around the can for donations to keep Bluestockings up and running. We were pleased to have new, beautiful polka dot muscle shirts designed and printed by Em 16. Look for more information about them on the blog soon.

Crowd at riffrag film screening

Many thanks to our friends new and old who came to Bluestockings Books last week on the Lower East Side for an evening of Sexy, Queer films.

June 21: riffRAG presents sexy queer shorts at BLUESTOCKINGS, New York City

On Thursday, June 21 at 7pm, riffRAG starts off Pride celebrations by presenting an evening of FREE sexy queer films. Get frisky with Todd Verow, porn collective 3MIH, Lucas Michael, Erica Chough, Luke Woodward, Samara Halpern, Ruy Huy, and many others.

This event will be held at Bluestockings Books, 172 Allen Street, between Stanton and Rivington, New York City (F train to 2nd Ave, exit at the 1st Ave).

Mixed Race Artist Panel Discussion

For those of you in NYC, you might want to check out this interesting discussion, featuring riffRAG artist and writer Lauren Jade Martin.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007
MIXED SKIN
Artist Talk and Panel Discussion on Mixed Race Issues
7:00 p.m. The Asian American Arts Centre (located in Lower Manhattan at 26 Bowery two blocks below Canal Street, 3rd floor above the McDonald's.)

See exhibition description for Mixed Skin and the work of the artists Kip Fulbeck, Dorothy Imagire, Toni Thomas at bottom of this page. Artists Dorothy Imagire and Toni Thomas will be joined by writers Johanna Eeva and Lauren Jade Martin and filmmaker Jessica Chen Drammeh for a panel discussion on the subject of mixed culture and identities.

In addition to organizing in the queer Asian community in Queens, Filipina-Finnish writer Johanna Eeva has been exploring what it means to be of mixed ethnicity in her zine Sisu.

A writer, artist, student, and educator who has been
active in anti-violence and social justice organizing, Lauren Jade Martin's
creative works explores the intersections of race, class, gender and
sexuality, exploring the fragmentation, overlapping and performance of
identities.

Filmmaker and multiracial organizer Jessica Chen Drammeh will screen an excerpt from Anamoly, a documentary offering a look at the experiences of several people of mixed race.

For more information, please visit artspiral.org.

Dance of the sperm children

This weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico conservative political and religious leaders were joined by thousands in a protest against same-sex marriage and abortion rights in light of proposed changes to the island's civil code that would allow same-sex couples to have access to civil unions.

"Movingly, some of the organizers saw it fit to dress their kids as - ehem - sperm and, hm, teach them sperm choreography by the look of the photo above (from El Nuevo Dia). At least they were painted with the rainbow colors although I'm not so certain that it was in honor of gay pride month."

Read more on Blabbeando

Choice Cunts...a rare party for raw queers

riffRAG will be selling t-shirts, magazines, buttons and more at a party in Williamsburg, NY on Saturday, June 30th. Please come by and show your support!

Date: Saturday, June 30th

Location: Sultana @ 160 N4th between Bedford and Driggs in Williamsburg

Best train: L to Bedford Ave OR JMZ to Marcy Ave

Fly Market: The Fly Market will be open to the public from 8p - 10p and then only to Choice Cunts after 10pm.

Party Crew: DJ's, Dancers, and performers!

Chitra Ganesh

riffRAG issue 2 artist