Buffalo Small Press!

It's today folks. Be there or be square....
March 27th 12-6pm Karpeles Manuscript Musem 453 Porter Ave (corner of Jersey St) Buffalo, NY.

(re)threads

What a week.

It's been an insanely busy time for me, next Saturday is the Buffalo Small Press Fair, which if you are in, or near Buffalo, you must come. 90+ small press/artists/vendors in the gorgeous Karpeles Manuscript Museum? Truly a site to be seen.

On top of that I have three (!) exhibitions coming up. Not one, not two but THREE! It's hard being so creative on demand, especially when you have so many other jobs and responsibilities. This is the kind of busy I long to be, but oh my... its tough.

This week saw much paperwork for me. What I want to tell you about today is a pet project of mine, my return to curating, called "(re)threads." It combines my work, and the work of some truly amazing artists, and I am really hoping to see it hung. The artists are:

Lily Booth

Elizabeth Emery

and

Joetta Maue

The exhibition brings together 4 artists, working with repurposed fibers thatare used to different ends. To quote directly from the statement:

"Histories of individual needlework and the more general history of women’s craft, is the underlying theme of this exhibition. The materials used for these works were found – something already created for a different purpose, and discarded before being repurposed.

These activities; sewing, embroidering, crocheting, and knitting, once meant to keep a woman’s hands busy are now used to tell intimate stories, chosen over the overtly political collective messages of previous generations. These entirely inefficient practices show the presence of the artist’s hand- a response to an overly slick, glossy, and mass-produced culture.

These discarded fragments are loaded with feminine convention. Grandma’s pretty embroidery is revealing truth, not hiding it. Telling you something that maybe you don’t want to know. It has been reconfigured and is now loaded with guilt, insecurity and bodily fault. "

Here's hoping I can find this exhibition a home!

MacKenzie... Still.

Ok, now I'm sure she's trying to kill me.

The vet said I could take her e-collar off, so I did, and in literally 3 minutes (I walked out of the room, and back in) and she had bit open her wound. So, back on with the collar. Except she started furiously scratching her neck. Likely hoping to get the collar off, which produced new cuts.

So, I went online and got her a bite-not collar, seen above. She's essentially wearing a kitty neck brace. It covers her neck wounds though, and keeps her away from the original wound.

The plan now is to keep that on her for at least another week. We'll see. *fingers crossed*

MacKenzie... Again.

Things got worse before they could get better.

Her wound started to heal but she ripped it open again and made it much, much worse. She ended up having to have a little collar on. She hates it and it took a good while before she was accustomed to it enough to be able to eat, sleep and drink while wearing it.

On the positive side her wound appears to be healing up so hopefully it will stay that way and when we see the vet on Tuesday the collar can come off!

Ira Glass on Perfecting Craft

Originally I found this on the craftzine blog here. It's a really great little clip, Glass speaks so earnestly about the process of making work (he's speaking specifically of writing, but it can be applied to any media).

He says: "It takes a while. It's going to take you a while. It's normal to take a while. You just have to fight your way through that. Okay? You will be fierce, you will be a warrior, and you will make things that aren't as good as you know in your heart you want them to be. And you will just make one after another."

Good Advice.

MacKenzie...

My little girl must have missed me while I was gone. She never seems to be stressed, but it seems she has a problem with anxiety. I no sooner got home than she scratched herself a new cut on her little arm, er leg. It wasn't so bad to start with, but she was trying to get a toy from under the desk, laying on her hurt side and she made it much, much worse.

She now has a hole in her arm, I can see all the way to the muscle. We saw the vet today. It had already become infected. The vet gave her a shot and I have some pills for her to take as well. They trimmed back the hair and flushed her wound. It looks terrible. I need to leave for class soon and I'm finding it hard to leave her.

She's only 3 years old, the poor thing has been through way too much in those short years.

Chicago

I landed in Chicago yesterday morning. I came in for the annual College Art Association (CAA) Conference. Most folks come to give presentations or to interview for jobs, I came just to see what it was like and I can already say that the idea of interviewing at this thing is daunting at best. It is a sea of black trench coats (yes, that includes me) and everyone seems to know exactly where they are going but me, which is of course absurd, since I can't possibly be alone in that. I suppose that's the general sensation one would get when they come alone to something like this.

I only made it to 2 panels today, last night I stayed up too late catching up with two of my favorite old friends, Luke and Kirby. Tomorrow is my last day here and I leave early Saturday morning- not even close to enough time. There are a handful of presentations I want to see as well as the Book and Trade Fair, and then there's supposed to be some openings happening. I guess we'll see.

I can already say that when I come to this event next year (here's hoping) I'll plan to come earlier, stay longer and better prepare myself since there were several events I would've liked to attend that sold out or filled up before I got here. Ah well, it's all an experience. And right now I've decided to be proud of myself for figuring out what I have all on my own!