EYAO IV

Hey folks! Wanted to share with you the piece, "Peter", I have in at Eat Your Art Out IV “The Dark & Cryptic Origins of Nursery Rhymes” currently showing at Meltdown Comics out in L.A. If you're by some chance in the area, please go check the show out. There's some really amazing work on display there and it's all for sale, so if you dig on something, buy that shizz!


Much thanks and love to my homegirl, Jane Dope who got me a spot in the show.

: Justin

2/13/11 - Woodland Art Fair Application

FYI Lexington and area artists! The summer arts event in Lexington! A Lexington tradition that has an improved layout the last several yeas, thanks to Joe Artz!

AFB Art Fair @ Woodland Park
Entry Deadline: March 31, 2011

LAL is now accepting artist applications via ZAPPlication for 2011's AFB Art Fair @ Woodland Park.

Using ZAPPlication, artists are able to submit images of artwork and booths as well as applicant information 24 hours a day. There are more than 10 categories for entries, including 2-D and 3-D mixed media, ceramics, glass, fiber/leather, drawing/pastels, graphics/printmaking, jewelry, metalwork, painting, photography, and wood.

The deadline to apply is March 31, at 9 a.m., and the application fee is $25. Artwork will be evaluated on the criteria of technique, craftsmanship, design, originality and presentation by jurors Stacey R. Chinn and Jennifer A. Reis. Acceptances will be announced through ZAPPlication in early May.

http://www.icontact-archive.com/cBWhbqpdMOdjp69viPKyyzOf6J6T8CQY?w=1

2/13/11 - Great Poster by Cricket Press's Sara and Brian Turner

If you want to get your event noticed in Lexington there is one sure fire way to success - get the poster design and screen printing talent of Cricket Press behind your cause! The Kentuckians for the Commonwealth group realized this when they wanted to get the word out about there Lexington Loves the Mountains events - Culminating with tomorrow's rally at the capitol.

2/7/11 - Editorial - What is the life and work of an artist worth?

Editorial:

Originally the illumnai were
to be made as a screen.

What is the worth of an artist? And who decides? Can an artist achieve full recognition of his or her contribution and value to society during their lifetime? Does society in general, even care, about artists, their work, their lives or their dreams? Recent trends in society tend to say no, that they don't care. For instance the file sharing phenomena of the last decade - at first it seemed like a a backlash against the perceived greed of the recording industry. Now it seems that people just like to get what they like for free regardless of the harm this inflicts to the creators of said desired items.

Bronze illumine.

Let's move this line of thought along to examine the "hometown" perception of the work and life of a particular fine artist.

What would you think of a NYC raised star art student who attended a top private east coast college, graduating with flourish and having a great many opportunities open to him who chose, of all places, to come and work in Lexington at the University of Kentucky Art Department? Furthermore he not only starts his career here but he stays on year after year, raising a family of two sons with a wife who patiently and regularly asks "...when are we going to go home - where you will be acknowledged and appreciated?" This artist does not go home but instead immerses completely and with no regrets into the day after day process of transforming himself into the artist of his dreams but also, amazingly shares this mission and passion with each student who passes through his tutelage, bringing or starting many of them along on the journey as well.
Do you even believe that this is a true story?

If you watch PBS much you have probably seen the series where a team of traveling experts travel around the country to town hall type meetings to discern not politics but the value of  individuals either acquired or inherited antiques and collectibles. I think the series is Travelling Road Show or something like that. In many cases participants in the process much to our (the viewers, and the TV  show subjects) delight it is often discovered that an item in question is really quite valuable, quite rare and definitely worth preserving. I suppose that something equivalent to the Road Show treatment needs to happen for the cultural community of Lexington - for we collectively possess items that we clearly don't know the significance of!

Let's not be poor caretakers and guardians of this legacy of untold value and benefit ...act now.

Friends of Tuska Meeting
6:30 PM,Wednesday 2/9/11
147 Old Park Avenue 40502
(Corner of Park and Central)

Come out and be prepared to be amazed by the artistic and intellectual endowment to our community from an artist who lived, worked and taught his entire professional career right here in LEXINGTON! Doesn't that kind of commitment and love deserve better?


Learn more:

• Feb 1st 2011 Business Lexington article on Tuska House and current crisis by Ide Boudin
• Jan 21st 2011 - David Tabatsky comments on Tuska House in Facebook post

• David Tabatsky
 “It's been an honor to be brought into the Tuska world - one I see full of infinite possibilities as a learning center, a museum, a central point of community energy, and as a historic landmark of Kentucky art history. I've been deeply moved by Tuska's work - not only his absolute mastery as an artist of multiple media, but maybe even more by how he shows and teaches us the human condition. His work must live on. It would be a crime to...."

• Tuska Musuem on facebook  

John Tuska's motto - translated from Italian:
One life is not enough.

BIOGAMER GIRL #1

Hey folks! Justin here, and the first issue of 'BioGamer Girl' hits this week featuring cover art by yours truly. Visit the site up and order a copy! You'll dig it.

I'll post the cover here soon, so watch this space.

: J3000

2011 February 01 - Postmortem Report on Xombie Nation! CCG Meeting/Workshop

Thriller Stage Show Halloween 2010
photo by Jennifer Miller

Xombie Nation! was held last Sunday for the first time. We started out with an incredible dance routine by the mysterious Silent Hill zombie nurse. While still in shock and awe from the fantastic improvisational dance we moved on to nearly an hour of expressive and challenging poses by our model and muse. Here is a link to a flickr group set up expressly for sharing and commenting on CCG Themed Life Drawing (TLD) work: artwork and photos. This was our pilot run at having these sessions - I want feedback from our artists! Look for another CCG TLD session in February!

Billy talks about how he got started...

"Creepiest Artist in America" and famed Zombie artist Billy Tackett and his wife Heather closed out the January meeting with an hour-long talk about business strategies for freelance artists. Many gems of wisdom from Billy and Heather's "school of hard knocks" were eagerly taken in by the assembled audience of cartoonists, illustrators, teachers and students.

The couple shared excellent marketing and branding strategies and explained how to actually make money on the convention circuit! Keep your naming simple and logical - cool names will often just cloud your branding and folks won't know why your studio name doesn't match your website name! The concept of keeping a common style and appearance throughout your marketing materials was brought up several times. They even set up an abbreviated con table presenting some of their better selling  merchandise. Billy advised to used your art and design skills to make your booth/table reflect your art aesthetic and branding themes.

Examples of some of Billy's artwork
translated onto merchandise.

Thanks Billy and Heather! I hope you will come back and visit us again soon! Check out Billy's excellent website for his schedule of appearances and upcoming publishing project!

Justin Stewart was awarded the inaugural annual award for "the local cartoonist who contributed the most to the local artistic community."

The 2010 CCG Stewie Award is named after Justin and will be awarded annually at our Holiday Dinner. Justin was not available to attend that function this year so this announcement had to wait till now. Join me in congratulating and thanking Justin for all his work with Live Drawing Events and his assistance with this years UP! Fair! We are proud of you, guy! Nominations for the 2011 CCG Stewie will be accepted in November!