|
Cover
News | blog
Music | blog
Lazy I
Film | blog
Theater | blog
Art | blog
Sports
Lifestyle | blog
Dish | blog
Books | blog
Culture
8 Days
Heartland Healing
Hoodoo Blues
MoJoPo
News of the Weird
Television
Letters
|
|
|
Home - Art
|
Canon Reload - |
Seductive Subversion at Sheldon recognizes women Pop Artists
By Michael J. Krainak
Glancing through the current issue of Art Forum, it’s apparent that Pop Art hasn’t lost its charm even in the more sophisticated environs of New York City. Whether the retro-laced Reflected show of Roy Lichtenstein or more recent work from Deborah Kass, east and west coast venues of all kind still feature this trendy phenomenon of the late ’50s and ’60s. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
|
Lincoln’s Haydon Art Center received a $2,000 grant from Target; the gallery plans to use it for Paper, Rock, Scissors which includes an exhibition of Sean Bitters’ work and a paper-making workshop led by Nebraska artist Karen Kunc. Target, since its founding in 1962, has dedicated five percent of its income to partnering with organizations to create community change; the Haydon’s grant is part of the store’s Art and Culture in the Schools grant program. Bitters’ paper installation opens Sept. 2 and he plans to envelop the center in pillars of paper and piles of sand shaped like humans. His site-specific work usually aims to reform interior spaces. Kunc’s paper making workshop is Sept. 1, 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. on the UNL campus in Richards Hall. Kunc will take students through shapes, designs, images and inclusions set into wet paper pulp and will explore paper making techniques. Visit haydonartcenter.org. |
|
|
|
Rein Delay - |
Iwai ‘holding her horses’ in Florence Mill ArtLoft installation
by Michael J. Krainak
Nebraska artist Leslie Iwai is well known for her conceptual sculptures (Sounding Stones) and performance installations (Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!) that tap into shared experiences while raising consciousness at many levels. Though her work can be initially obscure at the least and controversial at most, her reference points of entry are familiar. With a clue or a nudge, the viewer can readily identify and often interact with Iwai’s fertile vision. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
|
Lincoln Arts Festival, Sept. 25-26, is looking for sponsors and volunteers for the annual art fest. Patron sponsors spend $125 in support and get $100 worth of gift certificates to spend at the event, a catered breakfast with other patrons and entrance to an art raffle drawing. About 100 volunteers will set up tents, tables and chairs that Friday and help patrons and artists during the weekend-long event. The festival includes nearly 100 artists, r egularly draws close to 15,000 patrons and takes place at SouthPointe Pavilions shopping center in Lincoln. To become a patron or volunteer, contact Doug Smith at doug@artscene.org or 434.2787. |
|
|
|
Leap of Faith - |
By Caleb Coppock
Three Bemis installations journey Underground into the unknown
by Michael J. Krainak
Because its current exhibit features installation art, the Bemis Underground looks like its old self. Unlike previous shows virtually dominated by traditional mediums (there were significant exceptions) Manager/Curator Brigitte McQueen organized three installations that, despite appearances, have more than a little in common. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
|
Saturday, Aug. 21, the Bemis Underground will again expand its repertoire beyond visual art. Chris Besinger, vocalist for the Minneapolis-based STNNNG and Group Icky Rats, will read from his collection of poetry and lyrics called The Usual Beast. Because Besigner’s singing style described as “caterwaul” is often hard to understand, he decided to pen a collection of poetry and lyrics. Local folk singer Brendan Hagberg of Outlaw Con Bandana will also read, and Children of Gravitron will perform. The free show begins at 6:30 p.m. |
|
|
|
30 - Year Bond - |
Long-term investment in art and friendship matures at RNG Gallery
By Michael J. Krainak
’Til Death Do Us Part, which punctuates the promise of commitment each partner makes in many wedding ceremonies, carries with it an underlying reminder of the finite quality of all relationships.
There could be no better reason for a couple to celebrate a union or friendship in pictures, not only to honor and document that bond, but to guarantee its memory for others long after the principals are gone. As the late musician George Harrison wrote, “All things must pass.”
The current exhibit at RNG Gallery borrows that marriage ceremonial phrase with its own portentous variation. In this case, ’Til Death Do Us Part celebrates and memorializes the 30-year friendship of RNG owner Rob Gilmer and Louise Millmann, a New York City-based artist, with a photographic record of their bond and art. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
|
If you haven’t taken a gander at Bart Vargas’ latest solo effort at Anderson O’Brien’s new Old Market location, well, you should. I acknowledge not having spent much time at Anderson O’Brien’s central Omaha location, but the shows I’ve seen there in the past have been solid. Supernova, Vargas’ latest effort, is more than solid it’s fantastic. The bold, brightly colored pieces bring the vast white gallery walls to life and are a joy to view. His local success was evident after seeing the massive crowd at the show’s recent opening. Vargas told me there that the pieces are created using house paint his take on sustainability and I loved the large-scale works made of big, lined-up groups of smaller starburst paintings. As a bonus, I got a free button printed with one of the images. The show continues at the former Jackson Artworks space, 1108 Jackson St., through Aug. 6. |
|
|
|
One Man's Treasure - |
Vargas’ SUPERNOVA christens new Anderson O’Brien Old Market
by Michael J. Krainak
Artist Bart Vargas called his first solo show in Omaha in 2007 One Man’s Trash, an impressive array of mixed media, sculpture and installation at the “old” Bemis Underground. It was an auspicious beginning for this trash man, a collector and scavenger of our throwaway culture who repurposes his loot into fine art.
Vargas again bursts upon Omaha’s art scene with his new solo show, SUPERNOVA, which could easily be called One Man’s Treasure. Gone are the installations of trash and more obvious sculptures and assemblages of computer keys, cables, beer and pop bottles with their waste not-want not cautionary tale that characterized his Underground exhibit.
Instead, SUPERNOVA features more than 200 abstract paintings and one sculpture that eschew Vargas’ rougher, edgier approach to his signature themes and rely instead on a more colorful, ambiguous style. It is fitting that Vargas’ more sophisticated, mature work be the inaugural exhibit for the Anderson O’Brien Fine Art Gallery which opened last weekend in its new additional space in the Old Market, formerly Jackson Artworks. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
Omaha art legend I think it’s fair to call him as much Bob Rogers celebrates his 92nd birthday July 22. His friends and family hope to send at least 92 cards his way to make the day even more memorable. Bob is doing well and still enjoys eating pie and getting mail every day, so here’s the Omaha art scene’s chance. Send greetings to Bob at Bickford Cottage, 7337 Hickory St., Omaha, NE, 68124. Happy Birthday, Bob!
Runners in this year’s Omaha Marathon will get a special treat at the finish line: a hand forged glass medal created by artists at the Hot Shops Art Center. The marathon is celebrating its 35-year anniversary and the one-of-a-kind medals are one way the run will mark the milestone. About 200 medals will come out of the Hot Shops Crystal Forge; finishers can look forward to the special award. The Omaha Marathon takes place Sept. 26. Find out more at omahamarathon.com. |
|
|
|
More or Less - |
Video art show El Cheapo mostly underwhelms at RNG
by Michael J. Krainak
At first, walking into RNG Gallery’s current show is an underwhelming, disorienting experience. El Cheapo, a series of seven videos by artist Anne Kunsemiller, carries its title well, given the exhibit’s ambiance of mostly unfurnished rooms-to-let dominated by flickering light, bare walls and distant murmuring.
Just like a rundown apartment building, virtually each of the walls in the venue’s three galleries has as story or two to tell; just don’t expect a clear or linear narrative. Kunsemiller is a video artist originally from Omaha, now living in New York City, and says in her artist statement the show was “conceived during a small town winter in the Texas high desert. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media: Art News - |
I watched my first episode of the new Bravo show “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist” last Wednesday (a bit late to the game, but I caught up fast). I’ll be doing a weekly recap of the show at my blog, Week Fifty Two, for the duration of the show’s run. Look for my new posts every Wednesday around 10 p.m. (the show starts at 9 p.m.) and let me know what you think of a reality show devoted to the craft of art making.
Kids can still register for Bluffs Arts Council’s Black Squirrel Arts Camp. The all-day camp focuses on different areas of the arts, including recycled art, clay, textiles, culinary art and abstract art. Camp 2A for ages 7-9 will use everyday materials, and clay learning how to glaze and experiment with firing techniques. |
|
|
|
Art of Politics - |
Hopey Change Things
answers Palin’s question
by Michael J. Krainak
Sarah Palin, ex-Alaskan governor and failed 2008 vice-presidential candidate, threw down the gauntlet early in the Republican campaign to recapture Congress this fall. “How’s that hopey changey thing workin’ for ya?” the right’s self-righteous “pit bull with lipstick” asks every chance she gets. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
|
A few shows of note open this weekend in downtown Lincoln’s Parish Studios. First, Jamie Burmeister and Craig Roper will show at Roper’s Project Room Gallery as part of Summer Mash-Up, which continues through August. Roper said of the show, “We don’t know what we’re going to do, but we’re going to do it.” Expect some special surprise guests to make an appearance as part of this evolving two-month installation. Tugboat Gallery will show new work from Omaha-based artists Jilawain Bunnimit, Joel Damon, Amy Morin and Rob Quinn as part of Facing the Beast Fantastic. Finally, Nebraska native Jake Gillespie is back in town for the summer, and he’ll be screening some of his newest video work at his Parish studio this weekend. All of the shows open Friday, July 2, 7-10 p.m. at 14th and O. |
|
|
|
Identity Check - |
Three artists connect with Bemis’ transition and transformation
by Michael J. Krainak
Despite the obvious differences in the work highlighted in the Bemis Underground’s new exhibit, each of the three artists feature work that shares similar concerns with the venue itself.
Jeff King, Adrianne Watson and Jonnie Anderson offer, respectively, oil paintings, multi-media and Giclιe (laser) prints which explore issues of transition, identity and transformation that the Underground can certainly identify with since its reemergence in 2010 under the direction of new manager Brigitte McQueen.
At the artist talk for this show, which runs through July 7, McQueen reiterated her mission to exhibit regional emerging artists whose current work may be unfamiliar to the local art scene. Add to that an edginess and provocation and one can appreciate the Underground’s successful transition at once again being a player in Bemis’ overall commitment to contemporary art. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
Joslyn Art Museum’s weekly Late ’til 8 series continues this week with a focus on the Renaissance, a timely theme considering the museum’s summer blockbuster exhibit Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism. Renaissance singers will perform all evening; Aero, a peregrine falcon, will be on site to meet people; Creighton University’s Matthew Knox, art history professor, will lecture on falconry in Renaissance Italy, and a special dinner menu includes pork and turkey legs, among other picnic fare and beer. For more information on the free events, visit joslyn.org.
Dundee Gallery, 4916 Underwood Ave., kicks off summer with a “meet the artist” series dubbed The Artist Is In. Each week, the space will feature work from a different local, and the artist will be in there Saturdays to demonstrate work and interact with visitors. Kieran Andersen will be in the space June 19. The schedule includes Doug Boyd & Deb McColley June 26, Jen Lukas-Landis July 10, Jen Kennedy July 17, Shelly Bartek July 24, Lynn Bowes July 31, Kristin Pluhacek Aug. 7, Lisa Maciejewski Aug. 14, Lori Elliot Bartle Aug. 21 and Judith Welk Aug. 28.
|
|
|
|
New Joy - |
Popular artist Steve Joy shows new work at
Gallery 616
by Sarah Baker Hansen
In his latest show of new work at Gallery 616, Omaha artist Steve Joy sticks to what works.
The Moroccan Paintings: New Work by Steve Joy includes small and large scale pieces that rarely deviate from Joy’s well-known, geometric style which relies on lacquered stripes and squares, mostly in warm tones of gold, bronze and red.
Joy found inspiration in medieval Byzantine icons and paintings for this series, and his formula is also familiar: In the past he’s been inspired by Old-Testament iconography, Christian imagery and the code of the Samurai.
Upon walking into the gallery, I asked the proprietor if I’d perchance seen some of the work maybe at Joy’s retrospective show at Joslyn two years prior but he reminded me it was all new. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
|
Three new sculptures are in their new homes in Joslyn Art Museum’s sculpture garden. Auguste Rodin’s “One of the Burghers of Calais: Andrieu d’Andres,” John Henry’s bright red aluminum sculpture, and “Monument” by Albert Paley, have new spots in the outdoor gallery. Rodin’s piece moved from the museum’s concert hall into the southeast corner of the garden. Henry’s piece, originally installed in 1991, was damaged in a 2008 spring storm and is being re-installed in the parking garden after conservation. Paley’s piece is on long-term loan from the Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is in the southwest corner of the garden. |
|
|
|
Mixed Media - |
|
An art documentary screening at Film Streams explores a controversial art-centric story. The Art of the Steal opens Friday, May 21, and explores the effort to relocate “The Barnes,” one of the world’s most celebrated and valuable dern art collections, from an educational facility outside Philadelphia into a new museum inside the city center. Wednesday, May 26, Film Streams will host a special screening of the film with a post-show panel discussion moderated by the Omaha-World Herald’s Mike Kelly and featuring new Joslyn Art Museum Director Jack Becker, Bemis Center Curator Hesse McGraw and Lyn Walln Ziegenbein, director of the Peter Kiewit Foundation and a Film Streams board member. I can’t wait for this event. |
|
|
|
So Old, It's New - |
Giron looks to the past for The Future of Painting
by Michael J. Krainak
The last time I reviewed the work of Michael Giron, Rare Gems and Dynamite in 2009, I said that this Bellevue University art professor had one foot in academia and the other in the studio. That hasn’t changed with his new show, The Future of Painting, but something new has been added.
Giron’s large paintings in this show continue to be inspired by knowledge and love of past masters, particularly Goya, Courbet, Gericault and Poussin, but instead of merely interpreting their specific classic works in his contemporary style and vision, Giron continues this practice through the filter of socio-political themes. This time, the artist has his heart in the past, but his head in the future.
“Following a pet approach (to his painting),” Giron says in his extensive curatorial statement, “I decided to pick up the strand of work that directly addresses those anxieties regarding the future of our kind, and, hence, the purpose of making art at all. Even the most unappealing and socially unacceptable subjects are delivered via attractive presentation.”
|
|
|
<< Previous 1 2 Next >>
|
|
|
