In Which I Finish the Semester with a Presentation

Try not to freak out, but . . . I just gave my final presentation! Not "final" as in the project's over; just a progress report of sorts to show what I've accomplished this semester. At first I didn't realize how much I have actually done, but when I put it all in a slide show I thought "Wow! That looks like I busted my butt!"

The presentations for Leadership Academy theses are open invitation, but usually the audience is just the student's supervisor (in my case Dr. Robert Carr III), the student's secondary reader (Gregory Barry), and the head of the academy (Dr. Sarah Levine). My parents also came, which was a nice surprize. I talked for 20 minutes about the idea for the project, my search for a location, this blog assignment (that I've faithfully continued), my grant application and funding, gallery visits/observations, my guest list, music choices, and paniced quest for a title. I also passed around the current state of my postcard invitations, business card samples and gallery card designs, and laid my plans for next semester. Overall I think it went really well! Clearly I have lots to keep me busy over vacation.

OH MY GOSH VACATION! What am I doing writing a blog post in the early morning hours of my winter vacation?! There is no need for this. I'm going to bed. SEE YA IN THE SPRING (semester)!

PS. I wish you and your families a very merry CHRISTMAS!

And the Winner Is . . .

Happy Almost Christmas! The end of the year means the end of another semester, and a presentation to show what I've accomplished on my project. Thank you all for voting on your favorite titles these past two weeks. I have come to a decision, but first I want to explain the reasoning behind it. Here are how the votes played out:

6  --Immortalized Moments: A collection of picturesque sights of experiences 
12--Extraordinary Encounters with Ordinary Sights
4  --Engage

Immortalized Moments: A collection of picturesque sights and experiences
This was one of the first titles that I came up with when I began brainstorming several months ago. I started with a long list of key words which I then combined in different ways to make titles. This particular title was towards the top of the list for weeks, but I just wasn't thrilled with it. Even though it sounded beautiful, it was too long to be practical (21 syllables!). I also liked the idea of having a title and a subtitle, but the first phrase sounded a little sappy to me and the second one felt generic (like "How to Title your Art Show for Dummies"). 

Extraordinary Encounters with Ordinary Sights
This was my favorite title for several reasons. I liked the phrase "ordinary sights" because it accurately conveyed how my work appreciates ordinary subject matter like flowers and landscapes. I also liked the word "encounters" and thought it flowed well with "extraordinary." I did not, however, like the word "extraordinary" because my encounters were anything but. Each piece is noteworthy because my audience and I have an extraordinary appreciation for it, not that it was extraordinary to begin with. I wanted a word to convey my appreciation for each sight, so I wasn't completely satisfied with this title.

Engage
This title walked into my brain and introduced itself as I was writing my blog post. It was the word I had been grasping at for weeks without success, and I immediately added it as a third candidate. Unfortunately, it's briefness meant that it was also vague. I'm glad to see that it got a few votes though!

And so, at the last minute and with the help of several opinions, I chose to combine my two favorite titles (not necessarily the ones with the most votes) into one, better title which is:

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Engaging Moments with Ordinary Sights
A collection of work by Julie Barrows
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March 3-31, 2012
Townsend Meeting Hall
Corridor Gallery
12 Dudley Rd, Townsend, MA
(directions and hours are available at www.TownsendLibrary.org)

In Which I Share Great News

First of all, you guys are AMAZING! In the past 48 hours my e-mail has been filled with votes for your favorite titles! Thank you all! Also in that time, my blog has had more views than it's ever seen before! To give you an idea, I have a chart at the top of the column to the right; see that big tall spike? The only one on the chart? Yeah, that's you guys. In the past two days my blog has had (I'm guessing) 5x the amount of views any post has ever gotten! I'm so thrilled (note the excessive use of exclamation marks)!

In other, also great, news, I received a wonderful letter today announcing that I will receive a grant from the Westminster Cultural Council! I applied for this grant as part of a class assignment (for Writing for Business and Technology (Hi Dr. Martyniuk!)) in which I had to find a grant that I qualified for, and write a mock application letter on behalf of a certain cause. I chose to write to the Westminster Cultural Council and asked for money to help frame my artwork for the show. It just so happened that the deadline for ACTUAL applications was the very week this project was assigned! After taking my completed letter to class on a Friday, I spent the next night completing the application and creating a budget (I didn't have one) so that I could drop the application off on Saturday morning at the last possible minute. What have I learned from this experience? That when writing a grant application, it pays to stay up until 5am on a Saturday morning. Literally.

A big "Thank You!" to the Westminster Cultural Council who took the time to read over my application and help fund my project!

Happy December! (P.S. go vote)

Welcome back all you devoted readers and Happy December First! Only 3 months 'til the show opens! That's 91 days exactly. Or 2184 hours. Or 131040 minutes. Or . . . well, you get the point.

What I'm trying to say is that March 1st is fast approaching and I still haven't decided on a title! Eek! That's why I'm asking for your help. That's right: You. This means Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jo Ann, Mom & Dad, my friends, and all you faithful readers. In the spirit of giving, please give me feedback by voting for your favorite title! Or you can suggest a new title if you don't like my choices. I'll take your opinions into consideration before making the final announcement in roughly two weeks.

You can vote by sending an e-mail to my new account, juliebarrowsart@gmail.com (that's "julie barrows art" without spaces), set up for this very purpose. Simply write the title you want to vote for, and don't forget to sign your name!

Have you ever glanced at the ocean, a mountain or a flower and thought ‘Wow, that’s beautiful.”?  This show embraces those split-second experiences by capturing beautiful moments in my life. That being said, the possible titles are: 

1. "Immortalized Moments: A collection of picturesque sights and experiences"
2. "Extraordinary Encounters with Ordinary Sights"
3.  "Engage"

The third option just popped into my head this minute and bumped another title out of the running, haha. And now there are 7 minutes left on December first, so I should hurry up and post this. I look forward to reading all of your votes!

Let there be MUSIC!

I am very excited to announce that there will be LIVE entertainment for the March gallery opening! At least one violinist will be performing, and I happen to know that she plays a beautiful Ashokan Farewell :)

I am also compiling a list of appropriate music for when the violinist is not playing. It includes selections by Matt Nathanson, Coldplay, Lady Antebellum, Jack's Mannequin, and mellow selections by Paramore and Taylor Swift, among others. The mellowness is, like my artwork, meant to please the audience. I don't draw or paint anything that would make people uncomfortable to look at, and the music will be an appropriate reflection of that. I can't wait for you all to experience the event, in its completion, in March!

200 Views!

Wow! Just saw that my blog had 200 views! (Yes, half of them are mine, but who really cares?) Thank you all for checking back in for updates. Sorry for the lull; there hasn't been much to talk about lately. I'm working on making invitations and other print materials now, and applying for "Thesis Writing" aka second semester of the project in the spring.

Also, if you remember my mentioning William Garnett's stunning aerial photography exhibit at the Fitchburg Art Museum, there is a gallery talk (not by Garnett because he is dead) this Sunday that I plan to attend. Details can be found at the museum's website.

So keep checking in for updates! I don't know when I'll have anything worth talking about, but I appreciate your dedication :)

Also, my kitty says hi.

In Which I Get a Green Light (finally!)

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Life has been busy and although I'm still working on the project, it's not very interesting at the moment . . . but here's a quick update!

Just this weekend I turned down one of my possible venues because they keep trying to extract money from me. It would have been a really nice location for my opening, but it just wasn't going to work out.

On the other hand, I just got a green light from the Townsend Public Library Meeting Hall which is a beautiful venue with a high respect for the arts in the community. I will not be the main exhibitor because I am in the corridor outside the actual gallery, but there is plenty of space for my show and the space is beautiful! The building is still new, with beautiful tan walls, white molding, a beautiful glass entryway and a wall of windows across from the display wall!

I am also brainstorming titles for the exhibit, so I'll probably post a few of my favorites in a later post.

That's it for the quick update! Got to get back to my homework now . . .

In Which I Talk About Local Libraries

Thank you, Grandma, for telling me about an artist talk at the Lunenburg Public Library! I'm very sad that I couldn't make it due to work, but I am definitely going to drive down and check it out soon! For anyone else who may want to visit, the show is called "Feast of Colors" (oooh, I like it already!) by Lynda Davis Jeha. I cannot tell how long the show will be on display because I couldn't find the dates, so I'll be attending soon, before it has a chance to leave! You can also see her work at her website: lyndadavisjehaart.com.

Also, while searching for the Lunenburg Public Library I decided to check out some other local libraries's event calendars! The Lawrence Library in Pepperell has a show that ends in TWO DAYS (Saturday, October 15th) by Martha Munroe. You can read her biography at Studio MVM (I think those are her initials). The Lawrence Library also has a new show opening on October 22nd by "Nashoba Valley Artists," whoever that means. I'd be interested to see that one too.

If anyone else knows or hears about an artist reception or a new show opening, let me know! I'd love to take a look and I'll post it here for others to see.

Project Udate: In which I Illustrate "Scope Creep"

Hello and thank you all for waiting! You've been very patient as I ramble on about inspirational quotes and fonts you've never heard of. So before you loose interest in this blog completely, I'll cut to the chase:

The most pressing issue about the show has been the location. As of right now I'm finding it difficult to nail down dates and continue planning. My professor has suggested looking into other venues, which is unfortunate since March is only 5 months away (HOLY COW, IT'S FIVE MONTHS AWAY! It wasn't that long ago when I had a whole year ahead of me!) and I've already invested so much time in each of these locations. But time is running out. I expect to be talking a lot more with my two most likely venues this week.

I've been gathering the names of different printing companies in the area and will soon look into pricing differences. Before I can design any material to be printed, however, I have to settle on a captivating, intelligent-sounding theme for the show; something I have successfully avoided doing for the last month. If you have any suggestions, PLEEEEEEASE help me! Panic is beginning to set in.

However, the last month has not been a complete waste of time; I have been busy categorizing my artwork, taking more photographs, cutting Michael's coupons for my ridiculous framing order, putting together a (rather large) invitation mailing list, and compiling a list of tasteful and appropriate music to play. Special thank you to Walmart, who just sent me a coupon for a free 16x20" poster, saving me $14! In addition to all of this, I have been considering the addition of an entirely new branch of this project.

I can hear it now: "What? Add more to your project? You can barely manage your work already!"

Let me explain: I have decided that it would be an advantage to use this project and the materials created for it as a launching point for my career search after graduation. Since I am already planning to make business cards for myself, and I run this blog like my own personal website, why not buy a domain and set up a real website with a more professional e-mail address? I could post my resume, design and professional accomplishments there, and include the design of the website in my portfolio. This, my friends, is a prime example of the phenomenon called "scope creep" which has been covered in several of my classes. According to Wikipedia (which college students know is always right), scope creep occurs "when a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered a negative occurrence, and thus, should be avoided." HOWEVER, my project is very organic, and I am open to change; therefore I do not consider it a negative occurrence, but a great opportunity! Needless to say, this project will keep me busy throughout winter break.




Photo Update: Pictures are up! A small (very small) collection of my art can be seen under the newly created "Artwork" tab (most of them are from my high school days).

On a side note, Happy Fall! Take an hour or so to enjoy the beautiful leaves outside! They are absolutely stunning this week and won't last for long. We are approaching peak colors, people! Grab your cameras and get out there!

Helvetica Attempts to Rule the World!

Yesterday in my Typography class we watched the movie "Helvetica." I was completely ignorant of this innocent-looking font's plot for world domination! It's everywhere! Check out this site that lists just 40 companies that use Helvetica in their logo (there are many more I'm sure). Some use Helvetica light, some Helvetica medium (I'm bolding the word to make it resemble medium), and some have rounded corners, but they are all still Helvetica. It blows my mind! 54 years old and still going strong.

(It takes a moment to load, so be patient. There are lots of pictures.)
40 Excellent Logos Created With Helvetica

Fun Fact(s): The name "Helvetica" means "The Swiss Font" in Latin.
And I thought Blogger's default font was Helvetica, but now I think it's Arial. Arial is based on Helvetica however, so it's not far off.

PS. I just watched a commercial this morning that used Helvetica to sell kitchen appliances. I now see it everywhere.

Quote of the day

Thank you to Rob, my professor, for providing me with this wonderful life lesson hidden in the middle of today's lecture (which is still going on).

"History does not judge artists by the quantity they put out, but rather by the quality of their work."



*space for emphasis*

Word.

In Which Photography Trumps Graphic Novels

Today I went to the Fitchburg Art Museum for the opening of their Graphic Novel exhibit, which I suspect is a fancy way of saying "comic book collection." I really enjoyed seeing the original artist sketches in blue pencil before getting inked, and I was glad that I recognized Captain America (even if it was because of the movie).

Technical talk about the opening: The artwork was either hung in frames or in glass display cases according to character or artist. I really appreciated that the museum had different musical talents throughout the building so that visitors were never without music. There was even a high school rock band that paraded around and stomped some cool rhythms before playing their electric set at the end of the show. They were rather eccentric, like the museum's new marketing director. The other musicians were much more classical, like the beautiful violinist in the front foyer. In the lobby was a snack table laden with cheese and crackers, grapes, and other finger foods while the drinks were set in a bucket of ice. I liked that an attendant stood at the drink table to serve visitors; I thought that was very classy. I don't believe any of the artists were present (not surprising since this is a large traveling show), or if they were I never saw them.

After the main events, I toured the museum's other galleries (European and American paintings (which are truly spectacular), Chinese and East Asian, Greek and Roman and Egyptian, among others). Another traveling exhibit was Aerial Photography by William Garnett. I'm very disappointed that this exhibit hasn't received more press because I found it FAR captivating than the graphic novels. It isn't even mentioned on their website! SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE, PEOPLE!* It seems to me that Garnett's photographs should be appreciated almost as much as those of Ansel Adams (and I loooooooooooooooove Ansel Adams). Do yourself a favor, people, and go see this exhibit. I think it will be up through January, but then again, I can't find out because it's not on the museum's website! GAH! Or you can visit William Garnett - An Aerial Aesthetic for a few samples of his work.


In a nutshell: graphic novels are OK (I certainly appreciate the skill required to draw characters in mass quantities), but unique aerial photographs that defy our perceptions of nature are AMAZING!

 



*Update 10/11/11: Garnett's exhibit at the Fitchburg Art Museum is mentioned in a slideshow on their homepage, and also under "press releases." But seriously, who's going to click a link to go read a press release?

Big Decisions...

So yesterday I spent the afternoon going through all of my artwork (or at least the pictures on my computer) trying to decide which pieces to include in my show. I know that I want a theme of some kind besides it being my work, so I've lumped the majority of them into the "nature" category (since they are mostly landscapes, scenic places and flowers). Unfortunately, this wasn't as much artwork as I thought it would be.

Landscapes - 12 (although 4 of them are very tiny)
Flower paintings - 1 (but hopefully 2 more to create a series)
Fruit/Veggies - 6
3-dimensional sculptures - 3 and a seashell necklace I may wear at the opening
Animals - 1 really awesome tiger ink wash that I want to include
Floral photographs - 12

I'm not sure if I should even attempt to complete the series I had in mind. That would include 1 colored pencil drawing, 2 flower oil paintings and 4 more fruit drawings. Who knows how long that would take me! Still, I'd like to. Just something to think about.

Insights Into Surface

So tonight I went to Fitchburg State University for the opening of Insights Into Surface, by Gregory Kitterle. Loooooooved it! Each piece became my new favorite as I walked down the hallway. If any of you mysterious readers are in the area, see if you can drop by the Sanders Administration building (the art gallery's temporary location since the rest of campus is under construction) before October 25th to see it!

Kitterle uses pencil, dry and wet pigment and Venetian plaster to create traditional frescos, but what caught my attention was his diverse and unusual textures and the high contrast shadows in most of his work. Unfortunately he doesn't have a website, but I found some of his work through google, including this one: http://lesley.edu/aib/portfolio/alumni/mfa_alumni/2008/kitterle_gregory.htm His scenes are vague, fantastical, and left open to interpretation as a result of irregularities in his plaster surfaces. According to his artist statement, the viewer's interpretation becomes as valid as his, the artist's.

General observations about the show: He, Kitterle, was dressed in a casual plaid collared shirt (not too serious) and walked around answering questions from viewers in the hallway. He wasn't very forward, but waited for others to approach him. I never heard him call attention to any specific paintings (unless a question was brought up about one) or thank anyone. He mainly talked about his creative process and inspiration. A question and answer session was held as opposed to a "gallery talk," which began exactly at 6:30 in a lecture hall separate from the art, which I wasn't crazy about. I noticed that I wasn't the only late-comer either; A few people also mentioned that they hadn't expected his talk to start right away. The Q&A lasted about 30 minutes, after which we were released to wander the hall while munching on some fruit with cheese and crackers. Yum! Actually I didn't eat anything, but I noted that the table and platters looked beautiful, thanks to the college, which is very good with those types of things. I signed the guest book and took his artist statement which, unfortunately, had several typos and was printed on half a sheet of printer paper. I believe the university was responsible for making and sending out the gallery cards (electronically through e-mail) because they were very well-designed and high quality; definitely not consistent with the artist-statement-half-sheet-of-paper. I never thought about sending invitations electronically, but I realize that it's very eco-friendly and very easy to click 'forward!'

I didn't stay very long, only about 30 minutes after his Q&A ended, but I really, really enjoyed it. I could honestly have spent an hour just staring at and enjoying each piece. You should check it out! No, really. Go.

As a side note, tomorrow I'm going to the Fitchburg Art Museum to help the new director of marketing, Jerry Beck, frame some artwork for the upcoming graphic novel exhibit which opens Sunday. Jerry is the powerhouse behind the Revolving Museum in Lowell, MA and for the revitalization of Lowell through its artistic community. I know he has big plans for Fitchburg and am excited to see the changes he brings about to the museum and the city.

PS. I am working on resizing photographs of my artwork to give people a sneak peek of my content. Check back at a later date and hopefully I'll have figured out how to do it!

On killing two birds with one stone (isn't there a better way to phrase that?)

Hello Internet blogosphere, pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Julie. I will be using you for the next 7 months.

For those of you mysterious readers who do not know, I am a college student majoring in Communication Media with a concentration in professional communication and an art minor. It's a mouthful, yes, but one that I am proud of.

This blog is the result of two academic assignments; first, I have a legit class in which I have to start a blog on any topic I could possibly imagine. Intimidating? Yes. Fun? Let's hope so. Second, I am conducting a senior "thesis" or "capstone project," and thought it would provide enough material for said blog, not to mention it would keep my devoted fan base up-do-date on my progress (that's right Grandma, Aunt Jo Ann. I know you're there!). 

SO! In order to combine my Communication Media major and art minor, I propose to plan, publicize, construct and host a gallery exhibit of my own art and design work. I do mostly landscapes and scenic images in a wide variety of media with some floral photographs. Although it seemingly focuses more on the art aspect, the bulk of the project has to do with critical analyses, networking and the production of professional caliber materials using my own text and images. These include an artist statement, gallery cards, posters, a press release and invitations, among other things. I will also be visiting exhibit openings and artist talks to observe other professionals in the field, and will post my experiences here for you all to enjoy :) In order to present my finished project at two undergraduate research conferences, I aim to have the show installed by March of 2012, so bookmark this blog for a fun and hectic few months (for me, anyway)!

Fun Fact: Did you know that it is more aesthetically pleasing to the reader when there is only one space after a period? Just learned that. And even though it goes against everything I was taught in school, I have to agree and am now working to break the habit.