Posts Tagged ‘art’


East Bay artists find community, culture on the web

February 23rd, 2010 by chelsea

These days San Francisco artists are swapping canvases for community web portals — or at least that’s the case in the East Bay.

That’s because the East Bay Culture Corridor (EBCC) has become a cultural hub uniting four cities on the web at 510Arts.com, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Here, cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond are working together to improve their art communities. “The arts are one of our greatest assets, and economic development and the arts go hand in hand,” said the economic development director for the city of Berkeley in the article.

These cities joined forces four years ago, but the addition of the web portal will help the cities better market the art institutions and spur economic development, the article said.

“This is a labor of love, done on a shoestring budget to help local artists and organizations get more visibility,” said a member of the East Bay Community Foundation, which helped support the EBCC with the San Francisco Foundation.

The global village is stronger than ever.


Photo via rlv.zcache.com

Photo via rlv.zcache.com







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Seattle’s Safeco gives local art museums its $3.5 million collection

February 11th, 2010 by chelsea

Safeco insurance in Seattle has built a reputation on safeguarding possessions — and now it’s working overtime to preserve the Northwest’s most valuable art collection.

Safeco is donating 840 pieces of its private collection to various museums throughout Washington so the art can stay in the state, according to an article in the Seattle Times. The $3.5 million collection will go to the Washington Art Consortium, a nonprofit of seven local museums, which will more than doubling the consortium’s original collection.

“We want the community to know we’re alive and well,” said Safeco President Mike Hughes in the article. For the past 30 years, Safeco has worked to proactively collect art that supports local artists and galleries, while at the same time educates employees about Northwest art.

It looks like a trip to Seattle’s museums is in order.


Photo via seattletimes.com

Photo via seattletimes.com



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San Francisco art galleries occupy unconventional locales

October 27th, 2009 by chelsea

San Francisco galleries re-define high brow art with a local twist – setting up shop in the city’s neighborhoods.

Union Square and 49 Geary are hallmark districts for San Francisco’s art culture. Not anymore. Artists are now seeking inexpensive neighborhoods with lots of character to display their pieces, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Don Soker of Don Soker Contemporary Art recently left 49 Geary for an urban, spacious suite in the Financial District, the article said. Another local art dealer, Anthony Meier, has transformed his 1911 mansion into a gallery boasting iron gates and a vaulted entrance.

“It’s a very different experience viewing art in this home dynamic rather than in a blank gallery space where it may feel more cool,” said Meier’s gallery director, Rebecca Camacho in the article.


Photo via terragalleria.com


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Seattle, help the artist in the tower.

June 16th, 2009 by cameron

The woman who will be in one of Seattle’s Fremont Bridge towers all summer is no damsel in distress; the tower is her canvas.

Kristen Ramirez is the artist-in-residence who is giving the tower a $20,000 makeover. The public-art project is funded by a grant from the city’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, according to an article in The Seattle Times.

Local residents are encouraged to be involved in the creative process by phoning in memories, thoughts or ideas about the bridge. Each Sunday, Ramirez passes out a quiz at the Fremont Market asking people to list three adjectives describing the bridge, the article said. “‘So many people’s identities are wrapped up in a place,’ she said. ‘They have a heavy load of nostalgia and memories and experiences, and my job is to uncover that,’” the article said.

Seattle commuters keep your honks to a minimum. You don’t want to interrupt the creative process. 

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L.A. traffic viewed as art

June 2nd, 2009 by chelsea

New aerial photographs of L.A. traffic intend to transform a stop-and-go routine into art.

 

Rather than sitting in traffic, architectural photographer Benny Chan is flying above it, snapping photos with his self-made, 14-pound camera of the congested lanes during the peak rush hour, according to an article in the LA Times. Chan’s 8-by-10-foot prints are on display in the Pasadena Museum of California Art and remind us of the city’s enormous size. For a bird’s-eye view of the crawling commute, visit Chan’s exhibit now through September 20.

 

The exhibit is titled “Traffic!,” and the photographs demonstrate the miles-long lines of cars stalled in traffic. “The distance is incredible. Where did we get all these cars? People are traveling two hours a day—that’s not quality of life,” Chan said.

 

Don’t just sit in traffic. Critique it with your own aerial shot of backed-up freeways.

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DNA becomes art in L.A.

March 20th, 2009 by admin

All you need to give DNA 11 is a wee bit of saliva and four weeks later they’ll give you a portrait of your genetic coding.

The one-of-a-kind pieces by DNA 11 get up close and personal with your genes and are created from a palette of 25 colors. The company also creates thumb and kiss prints, using more than a million color options, according to Fox’s Style File.

The company’s co-founder Adrian Salamunovic got the idea when he saw a brochure for DNA imaging software that fellow co-founder Nazim Ahmed was selling. “When I saw the DNA, I saw art,” Adrian said on CNBC’s The Big Idea.

To get started on your own DNA portrait, go to www.dna11.com. Prices range from $169 to $1,000.

If you’re shopping for someone who has everything, DNA 11 is always an option.

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Posted in L.A., Los Angeles | No Comments »